![\"Labour](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4JP1W9G_Image_32_jfif.jpeg\")
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\nTe P\u016boho Katene.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Mark Papalii\n<\/p>\n
The Labour Party has announced its final candidate for the M\u0101ori seats in this year’s election, as the contest in various electorates heats up.<\/p>\n
Te P\u016boho Katene, a Fulbright scholar from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, says it’s a privilege to be selected to contest Te Tai Hau\u0101uru.<\/p>\n
He told RNZ he could see where politics focused on the negative, and he wanted to see “hope returned to the table”.<\/p>\n
It comes as Associate Professor of Politics Lara Greaves told RNZ there will be a lot of “tight and interesting and very unpredictable races” in the M\u0101ori seats.<\/p>\n
The Victoria University of Wellington professor said the M\u0101ori seats contest would be “incredibly important” for the overall result, after last election saw an overhang created in Parliament.<\/p>\n
“Before all of this P\u0101ti M\u0101ori drama last year, I was expecting to see the potential for a greater overhang being created.<\/p>\n
“Now it’s kind of hard to tell exactly what’s going to happen, but I still think that the M\u0101ori electorates are incredibly important.”<\/p>\n
Greaves said it was a possibility to see Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori gone entirely, or Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori secure many electorate seats – both scenarios would change “the math” of the makeup of Parliament.<\/p>\n
She said they would be unpredictable because the range of contests in the mix, with Labour, Greens, Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori and potential independent candidates running.<\/p>\n
“It’s really on a race by race, electorate by electorate basis,” said Greaves, acknowledging the possibility of votes being split with the Greens.<\/p>\n
Greaves said Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori had gone down in the polls and expected some kind of effect on the different electorate races, but couldn’t say how exactly that would play out, including whether some MPs would be punished more than others.<\/p>\n
She cited Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke as an example, who came out of that “drama situation” looking “fairly put together.”<\/p>\n
“Whereas others, perhaps their reputation has been a bit damaged by it.”<\/p>\n
Regardless, Greaves said the M\u0101ori electorates would likely have a “pretty big influence” on the election.<\/p>\n
“They are a feature of the electoral system that could be used strategically.”<\/p>\n
Labour’s candidates<\/p>\n
K\u0101tene, of Ng\u0101ti Toa and Ng\u0101ti Whaatua descent, joined a line-up of candidates running for Labour that included sitting MPs and new faces.<\/p>\n
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\nCushla Tangaere-Manuel.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Samuel Rillstone\n<\/p>\n
Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, who was the only Labour MP to secure a M\u0101ori seat last election, would run for Ikaroa-R\u0101whiti again.<\/p>\n
Willow-Jean Prime would run against the Greens H\u016bhana Lyndon and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi in Te Tai Tokerau.<\/p>\n
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\nWillow-Jean Prime.
\nPhoto: VNP \/ Phil Smith\n<\/p>\n
Kingi Kiriona, the deputy chairperson of Te M\u0101ngai P\u0101ho, would run in Hauraki-Waikato for Labour.<\/p>\n
Former Auckland councillor Kerrin Leoni would run in T\u0101maki Makaurau, where Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori’s Oriini Kaipara is the current MP.<\/p>\n
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\nKerrin Leoni
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Jessica Hopkins\n<\/p>\n
Former chair of Te R\u016bnanga o Koukourarata Mananui Ramsden would run in Te Tai Tonga, where T\u0101kuta Ferris holds the seat as an independent.<\/p>\n
Whakat\u0101ne District Councillor Toni Boynton, an advocate for M\u0101ori wards, would run in Waiariki again where co-leader of Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori Rawiri Waititi has held the seat since 2020. While losing the candidate vote, Boynton won the party vote for Labour in 2023.<\/p>\n
K\u0101tene told RNZ studying abroad, including with a scholarship in Japan, had shown him how M\u0101ori culture “translates across borders.”<\/p>\n
His study at Stanford looked at “kumara economics” and the idea that “money is like a kumara” and its “true value lies in its ability to feed people.”<\/p>\n
“That’s what I’ve been doing in my day job and in my governance roles, making sure that we can position this M\u0101ori economy to drive transformative change for our people and our communities.”<\/p>\n
He was humble in his acknowledgment of Debbie Ngarewa-Packer who holds Te Tai Hau\u0101uru currently for Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori.<\/p>\n
“She has been fighting a strong fight for a long time, even before her time in Parliament, for her people.<\/p>\n
“That’s an important element to bring into these kind of conversations,” said K\u0101tene, who acknowledged he brought a certain set of skills and experiences.<\/p>\n
“They’re different from whaea Debbie’s and from the other candidates.”<\/p>\n
Labour’s strategy<\/p>\n
![\"Willie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/4K1CGGH_250998_Bridge_9_September_1_jpg.jpeg\")
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\nWillie Jackson
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Samuel Rillstone\n<\/p>\n
Labour’s campaign chairperson Willie Jackson told RNZ the candidates selected were of a high calibre in terms of M\u0101ori who had done well in terms of Te Ao M\u0101ori.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got real skills in terms of te reo M\u0101ori, in terms of business, in terms of Mana W\u0101hine, and well known in terms of their own electorates,” said Jackson.<\/p>\n
“I think we’re going to go close to winning just about every every seat.”<\/p>\n
Jackson said the party’s strategy was “simple”, and the party had a “clear economic policy strategy.”<\/p>\n
“In terms of the needs of our people, those needs are in the housing, health and jobs area.<\/p>\n
He spoke of getting rid of “rubbish legislation” the current government was implementing, including “watering down the Treaty”.<\/p>\n
When asked what was in it for M\u0101ori specifically, he referenced the previous Labour government’s “one billion dollar of investment.”<\/p>\n
Distinguishing Labour from Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori he said Labour was the leading party in the country.<\/p>\n
“We’re the ones who roll the money out.<\/p>\n
“Why would you waste a party vote there?<\/p>\n
“Don’t be wasting your time with the M\u0101ori Party.”<\/p>\n
He rejected the notion of making deals between parties.<\/p>\n
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he made a commitment more than a year ago to win all seven M\u0101ori seats this election.<\/p>\n
“You’ll see from the strength of the candidates that we’re fielding, we are taking that very, very seriously,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We’re going to be going all out to win back all seven M\u0101ori electorates. It’s going to be a good competition, and our team are very much looking forward to that.”<\/p>\n
M\u0101ori sent Labour a “mixed message” in 2023 by giving it the party vote in all seven seats but the candidate vote in just one, said Hipkins.<\/p>\n
They were frustrated with the cost of living, he said.<\/p>\n
“There was a general kind of mood for change at the last election. But what we’re seeing now is a lot of people who voted for change at the last election are saying, ‘this isn’t what we thought we were voting for’.”<\/p>\n
Green Party candidates<\/p>\n
The Greens had three candidates selected so far: H\u016bhana Lyndon who had run in Te Tai Tokerau previously, Heather Te Au-Skipworth running in Ikaroa-R\u0101whiti and Tania Waikato in Waiariki.<\/p>\n
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\nH\u016bhana Lyndon
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Peter de Graaf\n<\/p>\n
Co-leader Marama Davidson said the party was putting its “full backing” behind Lyndon who had a “massive chance” in the northern seat.<\/p>\n
“She has got a real reputation and record for being on the ground with wh\u0101nau, but also taking your voice into the house, into the hallways of power.”<\/p>\n
Te Au-Skipworth had previously been a Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori candidate, while Waikato represented Te P\u0101ti Maori in the Privileges Committee.<\/p>\n
Asked why they had moved to the Green Party, Davidson told RNZ it “wasn’t about any other political party.”<\/p>\n
“This is about the Green Party having held the space for Te Ao M\u0101ori politics for decades now.<\/p>\n
“You can’t have environmental protection and climate protection and social justice without upholding Te Tiriti.<\/p>\n
“So it’s actually about us. We’ve always been holding this line as a movement, as a party, and we’re grateful that more and more people are starting to see that and know that about the Green Party.<\/p>\n
Like Jackson, Davidson said there would be no deals between parties or arrangements made to secure seats.<\/p>\n
“No one owns any electorates. No one owns any seats. That is really up to the people to decide” she said.<\/p>\n
Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori MPs and the seats themselves<\/p>\n
Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori has yet to confirm its candidates for this year, that will come in a few weeks.<\/p>\n
T\u0101kuta Ferris’ plans were yet to be announced as well, but a social media post on Tuesday from the Te Tai Tonga electorate stated its executive had “formally resigned” their positions effectively immediately.<\/p>\n
“We will no longer compromise our integrity or values by enabling bad leadership,” the post read. Ferris has been approached for comment.<\/p>\n
And it’s still unclear whether Mariameno Kapa Kingi will run<\/a> as a candidate for Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori, or an independent.<\/p>\n The National Party has said it would run candidates in the M\u0101ori seats, but none had been selected yet.<\/p>\n