{"id":559563,"date":"2026-08-05T08:10:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T08:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/559563\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T08:10:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T08:10:20","slug":"te-tai-tonga-meet-the-candidates-for-nzs-biggest-electorate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/559563\/","title":{"rendered":"Te Tai Tonga: Meet the candidates for NZ’s biggest electorate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four candidates are vying for the mandate to represent the country\u2019s biggest electorate: Te Tai Tonga. The M\u0101ori electorate covers the South Island, Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, Wellington and parts of the Hutt Valley \u2013 over 150,000 square kilometres.<\/p>\n

Watch Marae\u2019s political debate on TVNZ+.<\/a><\/p>\n

In 2023, the electorate had a 68% voter turnout. With 12,828 votes, T\u0101kuta Ferris won the seat for Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori from Labour\u2019s Rino Tirikatene who received 10,004. Labour led the party vote at 37%.<\/p>\n

Ferris, who is now an Independent MP after being expelled from his former party<\/a>, joined Labour\u2019s Mananui Ramsden, Lisa Marie Murch of Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori and Green Party candidate Dr Lisa Te Morenga in a live debate with Marae\u2019s Scotty Morrison.<\/p>\n

\"Te<\/p>\n

Te Tai Tonga electorate and candidates. (Source: Marae)<\/p>\n

‘Critical job’<\/p>\n

Ferris used his first opening remarks to encourage voters to vote and achieve the “critical job” he said they needed to do: change the government. He urged them to be kind and have conversations with their wh\u0101nau.<\/p>\n

Te Morenga said she supported the call to change the government and made the claim that the Green Party was currently the \u201cstrongest” M\u0101ori party in Parliament.<\/p>\n

A professor in M\u0101ori health and nutrition with over 20 years of experience in public health research, teaching and advocacy, including forestry research and evaluation work, Te Morenga said Te Tai Tonga voters deserved a candidate who can bring \u201cclear, evidence-based, strategic thinking\u201d and advocate for \u201cpractical, fair policies and legislation that improves people’s lives\u201d.<\/p>\n

Murch highlighted being \u201cborn and bred\u201d and living in the electorate, and having strong relationships with iwi from across the electorate “who are our voices for our people”.<\/p>\n

Ramsden vowed to be \u201can authentic leader\u201d whether in Parliament, on the p\u0101 or in the communities. <\/p>\n

\u201cI will be the MP that our people deserve, a leader that will make you proud and the voice that you deserve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What have you achieved?<\/p>\n

Ferris was asked what he has achieved as the incumbent MP.<\/p>\n

“Our key mission was to grow the understanding of our people, drive in education and increase engagement,” he said. <\/p>\n

\"Independent<\/p>\n

Independent MP T\u0101kuta Ferris. (Source: Marae)<\/p>\n

“There obviously weren’t a lot of opportunities to achieve big things and big wins with the current government but engaging with the people was our main thing and doing that on the premise and basis of education and raising that education \u2013 that was our key goal and I think we’ve done very well in that sense.”<\/p>\n

The remaining candidates were asked how they would represent the electorate and the consensus was to spend as much time in the region, listen and show up for the people.<\/p>\n

Te taiao (environment) and Te Tiriti<\/p>\n

Ramsden, a former Environment Canterbury cultural advisor, said the electorate\u2019s most pressing environmental issue was “the protection of Te Tiriti o Waitangi”.<\/p>\n

\"Mananui<\/p>\n

Mananui Ramsden for the Labour Party. (Source: Marae)<\/p>\n

He said the Labour Party was committed to partnering with hap\u016b and iwi on te taiao.<\/p>\n

Morrison took the opportunity to ask Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori\u2019s Murch if she thought the Labour Party was committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. <\/p>\n

She replied that all parties probably believe they are, but Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori was the only one underpinned by Te Tiriti \u2013 a claim Te Morenga refuted as a candidate from the Tiriti-led Green Party.<\/p>\n

Both Te Morenga and Ferris agreed water quality is a big issue \u2013 clean drinking water, rivers, lakes and oceans, including sustainable fisheries.<\/p>\n

Hauora (health) and tax<\/p>\n

On health, Te Morenga led with the need for more funding for primary healthcare and a structural overhaul.<\/p>\n

\"Dr<\/p>\n

Dr Lisa Te Morenga for the Green Party. (Source: Marae)<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the interim though we would propose sending some mobile health vans out around the rohe to make sure we can deliver healthcare services, diagnostic services to our wh\u0101nau that can\u2019t easily get to a hospital.”<\/p>\n

“Good commonsense ideas,” agreed Ferris.<\/p>\n

Ramsden said the biggest issue for healthcare across the motu is cost and Labour is committed to three free GP visits and enabling health professionals to set up “GP centres” within communities in need. He said they plan to fund it with a capital gains tax.<\/p>\n

Murch said Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori is committed to ensuring health and dental services are free. <\/p>\n

Taxing wealth was widely agreed to around the table.<\/p>\n

Ferris said a “simple solution” to redistribute resources is to take money from the Government\u2019s $3 billion landlord tax cut<\/a>. <\/p>\n

“Redirect that into ensuring that M\u0101ori health models and social services models are there and that that safety net is there for our people.”<\/p>\n

He said M\u0101ori have historically been in low income and poverty categories and are falling deeper into homelessness. <\/p>\n

“As the safety net continues to be stripped out, there needs to be an immediate reinstating of it and that’s a very simple option that\u2019s on the table right now.”<\/p>\n

On housing<\/p>\n

Murch said Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori wants to work with iwi to support their housing initiatives and schemes, such as Kai Tahu\u2019s N\u014dhaka Rau that help iwi members with financial literacy, house buying processes, deposit top-ups, and advice on insurance.<\/p>\n

\"Lisa<\/p>\n

Lisa Marie Murch for Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori. (Source: Marae)<\/p>\n

“We need to continue to work with our iwi to support them in our housing models for our wh\u0101nau,” she said.<\/p>\n

Ramsden, a qualified carpenter, spoke of an aunt in an inadequate housing situation having to choose between being cold or hungry. He said Labour\u2019s Solar Saver policy, offering subsidies on set-up costs as well as loan schemes, would ensure wh\u0101nau won\u2019t need to make that choice.<\/p>\n

Ferris said government needs to get into partnership deals with iwi and build more houses, and rent should be at-cost basis. Iwi and community providers are in the space, government has the funding, and there are wh\u0101nau with the need, he said.<\/p>\n

Te Morenga made mention of the Greens tax policy \u2013 first $10,000 tax-free<\/a> \u2013 that she said will make most people better off \u201cwhich will help with housing\u201d.<\/p>\n

She said housing the homeless was important, and in terms of renters, the party has proposed a Renters\u2019 Bill of Rights to cap annual rent increases and reverse no-cause evictions. They also want to introduce a rental warrant of fitness.<\/p>\n

\"Te<\/p>\n

Te Tai Tonga candidates for 2026. (Source: Marae)<\/p>\n

What are your non-negotiables?<\/p>\n

All candidates were asked to imagine a scenario where their vote forms the government \u2013 what would their non-negotiables be?<\/p>\n

Both Ferris and Ramsden said Te Tiriti o Waitangi.<\/p>\n

Te Morenga said as a significant party there would be no “single” non-negotiable, but she would be pushing for the party\u2019s tax plan.<\/p>\n

Murch, a former primary teacher and kaupapa M\u0101ori educator, said enhancing educational success is her bottom line. She said the party is proposing to establish a M\u0101ori Education Authority to support kura. They also want to support teachers and to fix the lunches in schools programme.<\/p>\n

“Education isn\u2019t just about the classroom it\u2019s about the future,” she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Four candidates are vying for the mandate to represent the country\u2019s biggest electorate: Te Tai Tonga. The M\u0101ori…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":559564,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4432,111,43,139,69,10872],"class_list":["post-559563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-maori-issues","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-torangapu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/559563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=559563"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/559563\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/559564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=559563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=559563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=559563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}