Cushla Tangaere-Manuel is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party. She represents the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate and was first elected at the 2023 general election. Prior to entering parliament, Tangaere-Manuel worked as a broadcaster for

TVNZ , type = Crown entity , industry = Broadcast television , num_locations = New Zealand , location = Auckland, New Zealand , area_served = Nationally (New Zealand) and some Pacific Island nations such as the Cook Islands, Fiji, and the So ...

and

Whakaata Māori Whakaata Māori is a New Zealand television channel that broadcasts programmes that make a significant contribution to the revitalisation of the Māori language and culture. Funded by the New Zealand Government, it commenced broadcasting as M� ...

, and as a sports administrator.

Early life and career

Tangaere-Manuel was born in

Te Puia Springs Te Puia Springs is a village on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, located 103 km north of Gisborne. Its population is estimated to be between 300 and 400 people. The village has a hospital and one shop. It has natural sp ...

and raised in

Tikitiki Tikitiki is a small town in Waiapu Valley on the north bank of the Waiapu River in the Gisborne Region of the North Island of New Zealand. The area in which the town resides was formerly known as ''Kahukura''. By road, Tikitiki is north-northeast ...

. She received her education at

Ngata Memorial College Ruatoria ( mi, Ruatōria) is a town in the Waiapu Valley of the Gisborne Region in the northeastern corner of New Zealand's North Island. The town was originally known as Cross Roads then Manutahi and was later named Ruatorea in 1913, after the M� ...

, where she was head girl. She is from Rangitukia and spent time at Hinepare Marae while she was growing up. She is of Ngāti Porou descent, born on 21 December. Tangaere-Manuel worked for many years as a broadcaster at both TVNZ and Whakaata Māori, including as a reporter on the TV series '' Marae'' and presenting the talent show ''Māorioke''. In 2009 she was the director and reporter on an item produced for ''Marae'' about an experimental youth court held on Te Poho O Rawiri Marae in Gisborne. After working as a broadcaster Tangaere-Manuel changed to sports administration and for nine years was chief executive officer of the East Coast Rugby Football Union (NPEC), leaving in 2022. Tangaere-Manuel was one of many women working in advocacy and leadership for East Coast rugby, including Kath McLean and Agnes Walker. Her late father-in-law, John Manuel, had been president of NPEC. In her chief executive role she led the East Coast Rugby Union out of overdraft to annual surpluses and an increase in the number to eight representative teams. She saw women's rugby on the rise, and new headquarters built. Campbell Dewes, who was chair during Tangaere-Manuel's tenure, said of her:

Cushla brought her reo (language) and tikanga (protocol, customs) to the table and emphasised the importance of our whanaungatanga (family values and ethos) and manaakitanga (hospitality), Ngati Poroutanga.

She went to serve as the Māori Rugby Programme Manager / Kaiwhakahaere Kaupapa Whutupōro Māori for the New Zealand Rugby Union. She has served on the boards of Kura Kaupapa Māori, iwi radio and the New Zealand Amateur Sports Association.

Political career

In the lead-up to the Tangaere-Manuel was selected as Labour's candidate for the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat after Meka Whaitiri left Labour and waka jumped to

Te Pāti Māori Te Pāti Māori (), also known as the Māori Party, is a political party in New Zealand advocating indigenous rights. It contests the specially reserved Māori electorates, in which its main rival is the Labour Party. Under the current leade ...

earlier that year. She ran as an electorate candidate only and was not on the party list. Tangaere-Manuel won the seat by a margin of 2,874 votes, and was one of just two new MPs elected in Labour's defeat in 2023 along with Reuben Davidson. Following the formation of the National-led coalition government, Tangaere-Manuel became spokesperson for tourism and hospitality, forestry, and cyclone recovery in the

Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins Chris Hipkins announced his shadow cabinet on 30 November 2023, after the formation of the Sixth National Government. As the Labour Party forms the largest party not in government, this shadow cabinet is the Official Opposition of the New Zea ...

Personal life

Tangaere-Manuel is married and has eight siblings.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tangaere-Manuel, Cushla Living people New Zealand Māori women New Zealand Māori broadcasters New Zealand television presenters New Zealand women television presenters Rugby union executives New Zealand chief executives New Zealand Labour Party MPs Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Māori politicians Ngāti Porou people 21st-century New Zealand women politicians 21st-century New Zealand politicians Women members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Candidates in the 2023 New Zealand general election People from Te Puia Springs People from Rangitukia New Zealand MPs for Māori electorates Year of birth missing (living people)