Te Pati Maori
Position: Left/Indigenous rights l Leaders: Rawiri Waititi & Debby Ngarewa-Packer l Currently: Opposition
Website: Our People - Te Pāti Māori
What they stand for
Te Pati Māori was formed in 2004 out of the foreshore and seabed controversy, when founders believed Labour had failed to protect Māori land rights. It is built on four pillars: Whanau (family), Hapu (sub-tribes), Iwi (tribes), Te Ao (the Māori world view). The party advocates for Māori sovereignty, dismantling systemic racism and honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Justice: Abolish prisons by 2040; establish a Māori Justice Authority with 20% of the Corrections, Police and Courts budgets; raise the age of criminal responsibility to 16; treat drug use as a health issue; body cameras on all police.
Treaty: Parliamentary Commissioner for Te Tiriti with veto power over legislation that doesn't comply with the Treaty
Economy: Remove GST from food; lift minimum wage to $25 per hour; oppose all deep-sea drilling.
Health: Restore and fund Māori Health.
Language/Culture: Make te reo Māori more prominent; rename New Zealand as Aotearoa; restore Māori place names.
Justice Reform: Wipe criminal convictions for drug use; repeal the Bail Amendment Act; stop benefit attachment orders.
Environment: Return DOC land to Māori control (kaitiakitanga); oppose deep-sea drilling.
Housing: Reduce homelessness in Māori communities
Te Pati Maori was founded in 2004 out of the foreshore and seabed controversy. The Labour government's Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 extinguished Maori customary title to the seabed - a decision that felt like a profound betrayal to many Maori. Two Labour MPs, Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples left to form Te Pati Maori.
2005: Won 4 Māori electorates in its first election; immediately became a significant parliamentary force
2008-2017: Formed a confidence and supply agreement with National; secured Whanau Ora as a major policy win
2011 and 2014: Held 3 seats each election
2017-2020: Fell below the threshold and was wiped from Parliament after failing to hold any electorate seats
2020: Returned with two seats (Waititi won Te Tai Tokerau and Ngarewa-Packer won Te Tai Hauauru)
2023: Best result in party history - six electorate seats and 3.08% of the party vote (around 6 MPs). A major resurgence driven by younger Māori political engagement
Key Policies
Party History
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer l Born: l MP For: Te Tai Hauauru l Role: Co-leader of Te Pati Māori
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer grew up in Patea on the South Taranaki coast and attended New Plymouth Girls' High School. She is of Ngāti Ruanui, Ngaruahine, and Nga Rauru descent. She is also chief executive of the Ngāti Ruanui iwi. Ngarewa-Packer was the former deputy mayor of South Taranaki District Council. Before Parliament Ngarewa-Packer has more than two decades of experience in governance, executive management, and iwi leadership.
Ngarewa-Packer entered Parliament in 2020 after coming second in the Te Tai Hauauru electorate to Labour's Adrian Rurawhe. Under MMP, Waititi's electorate win entitled the party to two seats, therefore Ngarewa-Packer enters as a list MP. In 2023 she won Te Tai Hauauru and served alongside Waititi.
The Leaders
Rawiri Waititi l Born: 17 October 1980/81 l MP for: Waiariki l Role: Co-leader for Te Pati Māori
Rawiri Waititi was born and raised in Opotiki in the eastern Bay of Plenty. He is the eldest of four children. He traces his lineage to many iwi, with firm links to Te Whanau-a-Apanui and Ngāti Porou. He is a fluent te reo Māori speaker. Beyond politics, Waititi is an iwi leader. His father-in-law is John Tamihere, who was the former co-leader of Te Pati Māori and a previous Labour MP.
Waititi entered Parliament in 2020 when he won the Waiariki electorate, bringing Te Pati Māori back into Parliament after being wiped out in 2017, also bringing in his co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer as a list MP. Before being sworn in, Waititi performed a waerea (ritual chant) to protest being required to pledge allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II without reference to the Treaty of Waitangi. In 2023, he retained Waiariki and the party won six seats overall - their best result ever.
Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer have described their role as making sure they never get comfortable in Parliament.