![New Zealand Māori electorates (since 2020)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/New_Zealand_M%C4%81ori_electorates_%28since_2020%29.svg)
In
New Zealand politics, Māori electorates, colloquially known as the Māori seats, are a special category of
electorate
Electorate may refer to:
* The people who are eligible to vote in an election, especially their number e.g. the term ''size of (the) electorate''
* The dominion of a Prince-elector
The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, ...
that give
reserved positions to representatives of
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
in the
New Zealand Parliament
The New Zealand Parliament ( mi, Pāremata Aotearoa) is the unicameral legislature of New Zealand, consisting of the King of New Zealand ( King-in-Parliament) and the New Zealand House of Representatives. The King is usually represented by h ...
. Every area in New Zealand is covered by both a general and a Māori electorate; as of 2020, there are seven Māori electorates.
Since 1967, candidates in Māori electorates have not needed to be Māori themselves, but to register as a voter in the Māori electorates people need to declare that they are of Māori descent.
The Māori electorates were introduced in 1867 under the Maori Representation Act. They were created in order to give Māori a more direct say in parliament. The
first Māori elections
The first Māori elections were held in 1868 in four newly formed Māori electorates during the term of 4th Parliament.
All subsequent Māori elections were always held as part of the general elections.
History
New Zealand's parliamentary his ...
were held in the following year during the term of the
4th New Zealand Parliament. The electorates were intended as a temporary measure lasting five years but were extended in 1872 and made permanent in 1876. Despite numerous attempts to dismantle Māori electorates, they continue to form a distinct part of the New Zealand political landscape.
Organisation
Māori electorates operate much as do general electorates, but have as electors people who are
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
, or of Māori descent, (''see '') and who choose to place their names on a separate
electoral roll
An electoral roll (variously called an electoral register, voters roll, poll book or other description) is a compilation that lists persons who are entitled to vote for particular elections in a particular jurisdiction. The list is usually broke ...
rather than on the "general roll".
There are two features of the Māori electorates that make them distinct from the general electorates. First, there are a number of skills that are essential for candidates to have in order to engage with their constituencies and ensure a clear line of accountability to representing the 'Māori voice'. This includes proficiency in the
Māori language
Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...
, knowledge of
tikanga Māori
Tikanga is a Māori concept incorporating practices and values from mātauranga Māori, Māori knowledge. Tikanga is translated into the English language with a wide range of meanings — culture, custom, ethic, etiquette, fashion, formali ...
whakawhanaungatangaskills and confidence on the
marae
A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...
. Second, the geographical size of the Māori electoral boundaries vary significantly from the general electorates. Five to 18 general electorates fit into any one Māori electorate.
Māori electoral boundaries are superimposed over the electoral boundaries used for general electorates; thus every part of New Zealand simultaneously belongs both in a general seat and in a Māori seat. Shortly after each census all registered Māori electors have the opportunity to choose whether they are included on the Māori or general electorate rolls.
From 31 March 2023, Māori electors will be able to change rolls ata any time, except in the three months preceeding a general or local election or after a notice of vacancy is issued for a by-election.
Each five-yearly census and Māori Electoral Option determines the number of Māori electorates for the next one or two elections.
Establishment
The establishment of Māori electorates came about in 1867 during the term of the
4th Parliament with the Maori Representation Act, drafted by
Napier member of parliament
Donald McLean.
Parliament passed the act only after lengthy debate, and during a period of warfare between the government and several North Island Māori
hapū
In Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or " clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief and normally op ...
. It was seen as a way to reduce conflict between cultures. The act originally agreed to set up four electorates specially for Māori; three in the North Island and one covering the whole South Island.
The four seats were a fairly modest concession on per capita basis at the time.
Many conservative MPs, most of whom considered Māori "unfit" to participate in government, opposed Māori representation in Parliament, while some MPs from the other end of the spectrum (such as
James FitzGerald, who had proposed allocating a third of Parliament to Māori) regarded the concessions given to Māori as insufficient. In the end the setting up of Māori electorates separate from existing electorates assuaged conservative opposition to the bill – conservatives had previously feared that Māori would gain the right to vote in general electorates, thereby forcing all MPs (rather than just four Māori MPs) to take notice of Māori opinion.
Before this law came into effect, no direct prohibition on Māori voting existed, but other indirect prohibitions made it extremely difficult for Māori to exercise their theoretical electoral rights. The most significant problem involved the property qualification – to vote, one needed to possess a certain value of land. Māori owned a great deal of land, but they held it in common, not under individual title, and under the law, only land held under individual title could count towards the property qualification. Donald McLean explicitly intended his bill as a temporary measure, giving specific representation to Māori until they adopted European customs of land ownership. However, the Māori electorates lasted far longer than the intended five years, and remain in place today, despite the property qualification being removed in 1879.
The first four Māori members of parliament, elected in
1868, were
Tāreha Te Moananui
Tāreha Te Moananui (died 19 December 1880) was a principal chief of the Ngāti Kahungunu iwi, and a Māori member of Parliament in New Zealand from 1868 to 1870.
Born between 1800 and 1810, Tāreha was the son of Oneone and Hāmene. He added Te ...
(
Eastern Maori
Eastern Maori was one of New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Northern Maori, Western Maori and Southern Maori. In 1996, with the introduction of MMP, the Maori electorates were updated, an ...
),
Frederick Nene Russell (
Northern Maori
Northern Maori was one of New Zealand, New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Eastern Maori, Western Maori and Southern Maori. In 1996 New Zealand general election, 1996, with the MMP in New Ze ...
) and
John Patterson (
Southern Maori
Southern Maori was one of New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Eastern Maori, Western Maori and Eastern Maori. In 1996, with the introduction of MMP, the Maori electorates were updated, an ...
), who all retired in 1870; and
Mete Kīngi Te Rangi Paetahi (
Western Maori
Western Maori was one of New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Northern Maori, Eastern Maori and Southern Maori. In 1996, with the introduction of MMP, the Maori electorates were updated, ...
) who was defeated in 1871. These four persons were the first New Zealand-born members of the New Zealand Parliament. The second four members were
Karaitiana Takamoana
Karaitiana Takamoana (died 24 February 1879) was a prominent Māori chief of Ngāti Kahungunu, and a New Zealand Member of Parliament for the Eastern Maori electorate.
Recognised by many as a founding father of the modern Ngāti Kahungunu iwi, ...
(Eastern Maori);
Wi Katene (Northern Maori);
Hōri Kerei Taiaroa
Hōri Kerei Taiaroa (born 1830s or early 1840s – 4 August 1905), also known as Huriwhenua, was a Māori member of the New Zealand parliament and the paramount chief of the southern iwi of Ngāi Tahu. The son of Ngāi Tahu leader Te Mātenga Ta ...
(Southern Maori); and
Wiremu Parata
Wiremu Te Kākākura Parata, also known as Wi Parata ( 1830s – 29 September 1906) was a New Zealand politician of Māori and Pākehā descent. During the 1870s he was a member of the House of Representatives and a Minister of the Crown.
Early ...
(Western Maori).
The first Māori woman MP was
Iriaka Rātana
Iriaka Matiu Rātana (née Te Rio; 25 February 1905 – 21 December 1981) was a New Zealand politician and Rātana morehu who won the Western Maori electorate for Labour in 1949. She succeeded her husband Matiu Rātana to become the first wo ...
, who represented the enormous Western Maori electorate. Like
Elizabeth McCombs
Elizabeth Reid McCombs (née Henderson, 19 November 1873 – 7 June 1935) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party who in 1933 became the first woman elected to the New Zealand Parliament. New Zealand women gained the right to vote in ...
, New Zealand's first woman MP, Rātana won the seat in a hotly contested by-election caused by the death of her husband
Matiu in 1949.
Elections
Currently Māori elections are held as part of
New Zealand general elections, but in the past such elections took place separately, on different days (usually the day before the vote for general electorates) and under different rules. Historically, less organisation went into holding Māori elections than general elections, and the process received fewer resources. Māori electorates at first did not require registration for voting, which was later introduced. New practices such as
paper ballots (as opposed to casting one's vote verbally) and
secret ballots also came later to elections for Māori electorates than to general electorates.
The authorities frequently delayed or overlooked reforms of the Māori electoral system, with Parliament considering the Māori electorates as largely unimportant. The gradual improvement of Māori elections owes much to long-serving Māori MP
Eruera Tirikatene
Sir Eruera Tihema Te Aika Tirikatene (5 January 1895 – 11 January 1967) was a New Zealand Māori politician of the Ngāi Tahu tribe. Known in early life as Edward James Te Aika Tregerthen, he was the first Ratana Member of Parliament and wa ...
, who himself experienced problems in his own election. From the
election of 1951 onwards, the voting for Māori and general electorates was held on the same day.
Confusion around the Māori electorates during the 2017 general election was revealed in a number of complaints to the Electoral Commission. Complaints included Electoral Commission staff at polling booths being unaware of the Māori roll and insisting electors were unregistered when their names did not appear on the general roll; Electoral Commission staff giving incorrect information about the Māori electorates; electors being given incorrect voting forms and electors being told they were unable to vote for the
Māori Party
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
unless they were on the Māori roll.
Calls for abolition
Periodically there have been calls for the abolition of the Māori electorates. The electorates aroused controversy even at the time of their origin, and given their intended temporary nature, there have been a number of attempts to abolish them. The reasoning behind these attempts has varied – some have seen the electorates as an unfair or unnecessary advantage for Māori, while others have seen them as discriminatory and offensive.
Early 20th century
In 1902, a consolidation of electoral law prompted considerable discussion of the Māori electorates, and some MPs proposed their abolition. Many of the proposals came from members of the
opposition
Opposition may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars
* The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band
* '' The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Com ...
, and possibly had political motivations – in general, the Māori MPs had supported the governing
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
, which had held power since 1891. Many MPs alleged frequent cases of corruption in elections for the Māori electorates. Other MPs, however, supported the abolition of Māori electorates for different reasons –
Frederick Pirani
Frederick Pirani (3 December 1858 – 26 October 1926) was a New Zealand politician. He was Member of the House of Representatives for Palmerston from 1893 to 1902, first as a Liberal, then as an Independent. He was part of the Liberal Party's ...
, a member of the Liberal Party, said that the absence of Māori voters from general electorates prevented "
pākehā
Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non- Māori New Z ...
members of the House from taking that interest in Māori matters that they ought to take". The Māori MPs, however, mounted a strong defence of the electorates, with
Wi Pere
Wiremu "Wi" Pere (7 March 1837 – 9 December 1915), was a Māori Member of Parliament in New Zealand. He represented Eastern Māori in the House of Representatives from 1884 to 1887, and again from 1893 to 1905. Pere's strong criticism of th ...
depicting guaranteed representation in parliament as one of the few rights Māori possessed not "filched from them by the Europeans". The electorates continued in existence.
Just a short time later, in 1905, another re-arrangement of electoral law caused the debate to flare up again. The
Minister of Māori Affairs
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
,
James Carroll, supported proposals for the abolition of Māori electorates, pointing to the fact that he himself had won the general electorate of
Waiapu. Other Māori MPs, such as
Hōne Heke Ngāpua, remained opposed. In the end, proposals for the abolition or reform of Māori electorates did not proceed.
Mid 20th century
![Maori MPs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Maori_MPs.jpg)
Considerably later, in 1953, the first ever major re-alignment of Māori electoral boundaries occurred, addressing inequalities in voter numbers. Again, the focus on Māori electorates prompted further debate about their existence. The government of the day, the
National Party, had at the time a commitment to the assimilation of Māori, and had no Māori MPs, and so many believed that they would abolish the electorates. However, the government had other matters to attend to, and the issue of the Māori electorates gradually faded from view without any changes. Regardless, the possible abolition of the Māori electorates appeared indicated when they did not appear among the electoral provisions entrenched against future modification.
In the 1950s the practice of reserving electorates for Māori was described by some politicians "as a form of '
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
', like in South Africa".
In 1967, the electoral system whereby four electorate seats were reserved for representatives who were specifically Māori ended. Following the Electoral Amendment Act of 1967, the 100-year-old disqualification preventing Europeans from standing as candidates in Māori electorates was removed. Simultaneously, the act allowed Māori to stand in general electorates. Since 1967, therefore, there has not been any electoral guarantee of representation by candidates who have Māori descent. While this still means that those elected to represent Māori electors in the Māori electorates are directly accountable to those voters, those representatives are not required to themselves be Māori.
In 1976, Māori gained the right for the first time to decide on which electoral roll they preferred to enrol. Only 40% of the potential population registered on the Māori roll. This reduced the number of calls for the abolition of Māori electorates, as many presumed that Māori would eventually abandon the Māori electorates of their own accord.
However the 1977 electoral redistribution has been described as ''the most overtly political since the Representation Commission was established'' (through an amendment to the ''Representation Act'' in 1886); the option to decide which roll to go on was introduced by
Muldoon's
National Government. As part of the
1976 census, a large number of people failed to fill out an electoral re-registration card, and census staff had not been given the authority to insist on the card being completed. This had little practical effect for people on the general roll, but it transferred
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
to the general roll if the card was not handed in.
Current positions
A number of currently active political parties oppose, or have opposed, the existence of Māori electorates.
National Party
The National Party has advocated abolition of the Māori electorates, though the party is not opposed to the seats. National did not stand candidates in Māori electorate from the 2005 election through the 2020 election.
Bill English
Sir Simon William English (born 30 December 1961) is a New Zealand former National Party politician who served as the 39th prime minister of New Zealand from 2016 to 2017 and as the 17th deputy prime minister of New Zealand and minister of f ...
, the party's leader in 2003, said that "the purpose of the Māori seats has come to an end", and in 2004 party leader
Don Brash
Donald Thomas Brash (born 24 September 1940) is a former New Zealand politician who was Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party from October 2003 to November 2006, and the Leader of ACT New Zealand from April to ...
called the electorates an "anachronism".
National announced in 2008 it would abolish the electorates when all historic
treaty settlements have been resolved, which it aimed to complete by 2014. In 2014 though, then-Prime Minister
John Key
Sir John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is a New Zealand retired politician who served as the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016 and as Leader of the New Zealand National Party from 2006 to 2016. After resigning from bo ...
ruled out the abolition, saying he would not do it even if he had the numbers to do so as there would be "
hikois from hell". In 2020, party leader
Judith Collins
Judith Anne Collins (born 24 February 1959) is a New Zealand politician who served as the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party from 14 July 2020 to 25 November 2021. She was the second female Leader of the Natio ...
announced that "I am not opposed to the Māori seats. The National Party has had a view for many years now that they should be done away with. But I just want people to feel that they all have opportunities for representation". In 2021, it was revealed that the National Party intended to run candidates in Māori electorates in the next general election.
ACT Party
The
ACT Party opposes the Māori electorates. Its leader, David Seymour, has called for their abolishment as recently as 2019.
Hobson's Pledge, a lobby group founded by former ACT Party leader
Don Brash
Donald Thomas Brash (born 24 September 1940) is a former New Zealand politician who was Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party from October 2003 to November 2006, and the Leader of ACT New Zealand from April to ...
, advocates abolishing the allocated Māori electorates, seeing them as outdated.
New Zealand First
New Zealand First, who once held all Māori seats (see
Tight Five
The Tight Five was a nickname given to the five Māori MPs elected to the New Zealand Parliament in 1996 from the centrist/populist New Zealand First party.
Formation
New Zealand First had been founded in 1993 by Winston Peters, a former N ...
), has advocated for abolition of the separate electorates but says that the Māori voters should make the decision. During the
2017 election campaign, the New Zealand First leader
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020, ...
announced that if elected his party would hold a binding referendum on whether Maori electorates should be abolished. During post-election negotiations with the Labour Party, Peters indicated that he would consider dropping his call for a referendum on the Māori electorates due to the defeat of the
Māori Party
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
at the 2017 election. In return for forming a government with the
Labour Party, New Zealand First agreed to drop its demand for the referendum.
Number of electorates
From 1868 to 1996, four Māori electorates existed (out of a total that slowly changed from 76 to 99).
They comprised:
#
Eastern Maori
Eastern Maori was one of New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Northern Maori, Western Maori and Southern Maori. In 1996, with the introduction of MMP, the Maori electorates were updated, an ...
#
Northern Maori
Northern Maori was one of New Zealand, New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Eastern Maori, Western Maori and Southern Maori. In 1996 New Zealand general election, 1996, with the MMP in New Ze ...
#
Southern Maori
Southern Maori was one of New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Eastern Maori, Western Maori and Eastern Maori. In 1996, with the introduction of MMP, the Maori electorates were updated, an ...
#
Western Maori
Western Maori was one of New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Northern Maori, Eastern Maori and Southern Maori. In 1996, with the introduction of MMP, the Maori electorates were updated, ...
With the introduction of the
MMP electoral system after 1993, the rules regarding the Māori electorates changed. Today, the number of electorates floats, meaning that the electoral population of a Māori seat can remain roughly equivalent to that of a general seat. In the first MMP vote (the
1996 election), the Electoral Commission defined five Māori electorates:
#
Te Puku O Te Whenua
Te Puku O Te Whenua or "the belly of the land" was one of the five new New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorates created in 1996 for MMP. It was replaced in the 1999 election.
Population centres
The electorate included the following populati ...
(''The belly of the land'')
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Te Tai Hauauru (''The western district'')
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Te Tai Rawhiti (''The eastern district'')
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Te Tai Tokerau
Te Tai Tokerau () is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate that was created out of the Northern Maori electorate ahead of the first Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election in 1996. It was held first by Tau Henare representing New Ze ...
(''The northern district'')
#
Te Tai Tonga
Te Tai Tonga is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was established for the 1996 general election, replacing Southern Maori. The current MP for Te T ...
(''The southern district'')
A sixth Māori electorate was added for the second MMP election in
1999:
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Hauraki
Hauraki is a suburb located on the southern North Shore of Auckland, the largest metropolitan city in New Zealand. It is under the local governance of the Auckland Council.
History
The traditional name for the western coastline in Hauraki wa ...
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Ikaroa-Rawhiti
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Te Tai Hauāuru
Te Tai Hauāuru electorate boundaries used since the
Te Tai Hauāuru is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives, that was first formed for the . The electorate ...
#
Te Tai Tokerau
Te Tai Tokerau () is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate that was created out of the Northern Maori electorate ahead of the first Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election in 1996. It was held first by Tau Henare representing New Ze ...
#
Te Tai Tonga
Te Tai Tonga is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was established for the 1996 general election, replacing Southern Maori. The current MP for Te T ...
#
Waiariki
Since
2002, there have been seven Māori electorates. For the 2002 and
2005 elections, these were:
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Ikaroa-Rāwhiti
Ikaroa-Rāwhiti is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate. It was formed for the and held by Parekura Horomia of the Labour Party until his death in 2013. A by-election to replace him was held on 29 June 2013 and was won by Labour's Me ...
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Tainui
Tainui is a tribal waka confederation of New Zealand Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa and Waikato.
There are ...
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Tāmaki Makaurau
Tāmaki Makaurau is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was first formed for the . The electorate covers the Auckland area and was first held by Labour ...
(roughly equivalent to greater
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
)
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Te Tai Hauāuru
Te Tai Hauāuru electorate boundaries used since the
Te Tai Hauāuru is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives, that was first formed for the . The electorate ...
#
Te Tai Tokerau
Te Tai Tokerau () is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate that was created out of the Northern Maori electorate ahead of the first Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election in 1996. It was held first by Tau Henare representing New Ze ...
#
Te Tai Tonga
Te Tai Tonga is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was established for the 1996 general election, replacing Southern Maori. The current MP for Te T ...
#
Waiariki
From
2008, Tainui was largely replaced by Hauraki-Waikato, giving the following seven Māori electorates:
#
Hauraki-Waikato
Hauraki-Waikato is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate first established for the . It largely replaced the electorate. Nanaia Mahuta of the Labour Party, formerly the MP for Tainui, became MP for Hauraki-Waikato in the 2008 general ...
– North Western
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
, includes
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
and
Papakura
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Ikaroa-Rāwhiti
Ikaroa-Rāwhiti is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate. It was formed for the and held by Parekura Horomia of the Labour Party until his death in 2013. A by-election to replace him was held on 29 June 2013 and was won by Labour's Me ...
– East and South
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
, includes
Gisborne and
Masterton
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Tāmaki Makaurau
Tāmaki Makaurau is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was first formed for the . The electorate covers the Auckland area and was first held by Labour ...
– Roughly equivalent to greater
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
#
Te Tai Hauāuru
Te Tai Hauāuru electorate boundaries used since the
Te Tai Hauāuru is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives, that was first formed for the . The electorate ...
– Western
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
, includes
Taranaki
Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont.
The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth D ...
and
Manawatū-Whanganui regions
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Te Tai Tokerau
Te Tai Tokerau () is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate that was created out of the Northern Maori electorate ahead of the first Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election in 1996. It was held first by Tau Henare representing New Ze ...
– Northernmost seat, includes
Whangārei
Whangārei () is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. It is part of the Whangārei District, a local body created in 1989 from the former Whangārei City, Whangārei County and Hikurangi Town coun ...
and North and West
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
#
Te Tai Tonga
Te Tai Tonga is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was established for the 1996 general election, replacing Southern Maori. The current MP for Te T ...
– All of
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
and nearby islands. Largest electorate by area
#
Waiariki – Includes
Tauranga
Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by ...
,
Whakatāne
Whakatāne ( , ) is the seat of the Bay of Plenty region in the North Island of New Zealand, east of Tauranga and north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatāne River. Whakatāne District is the encompassing territorial authority, ...
,
Rotorua,
Taupo
While seven out of 72 (9.7%) does not nearly reflect the proportion of voting-age New Zealanders who identify as being of Māori descent (about 14.8%), many Māori choose to enroll in general electorates, so the proportion reflects the proportion of voters on the Māori roll.
For maps showing broad electoral boundaries, see selected links to individual elections at
New Zealand elections
New Zealand is a representative democracy in which members of the unicameral New Zealand Parliament gain their seats through elections. General elections are usually held every three years; they may be held at an earlier date (a "snap" electi ...
.
Former
Māori Party
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
co-leader
Pita Sharples
Sir Pita Russell Sharples (born Peter Russell Sharples, 20 July 1941) is a New Zealand Māori academic and politician, who was a co-leader of the Māori Party from 2004 to 2013, and a minister outside Cabinet in the National Party-led governme ...
proposed the creation of an additional electorate, for
Māori living in Australia, where there are between 115,000 and 125,000 Māori, the majority living in
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
.
Party politics
As Māori electorates originated before the development of
political parties in New Zealand
New Zealand national politics have featured a pervasive party system since the early 20th century. Usually, all members of Parliament's unicameral House of Representatives belong to a political party. Independent MPs do not occur often.
While ...
, all early Māori MPs functioned as
independents. When the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
formed, however, Māori MPs began to align themselves with the new organisation, with either Liberal candidates or Liberal sympathisers as representatives. Māori MPs in the Liberal Party included
James Carroll,
Āpirana Ngata
Sir Āpirana Turupa Ngata (3 July 1874 – 14 July 1950) was a prominent New Zealand statesman. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have served in Parliament in the mid-20th century, and is also known for his work ...
and
Te Rangi Hīroa
Sir Peter Henry Buck (ca. October 1877 – 1 December 1951), also known as Te Rangi Hīroa or Te Rangihīroa, was a New Zealand doctor, military leader, health administrator, politician, anthropologist and museum director. He was a prominen ...
. There were also Māori MPs in the more conservative and rural
Reform Party;
Maui Pomare
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th largest island in the United S ...
,
Taurekareka Henare
Taurekareka "Tau" Henare (1878 – 12 January 1940) was a Māori member of the New Zealand Parliament from 1914 to 1938, sitting for the Reform Party for most of that time, until it merged with the United Party to form the National Party in 1 ...
and
Taite Te Tomo
Taite Te Tomo (1871 or 1872 – 22 May 1939) was a Māori and Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.
Te Tomo was probably born in 1871 or 1872 near Ōtaki.
He won the Western Maori electorate in a 1930 by-election after the de ...
.
Since the
Labour Party first came to power in
1935, however, it has dominated the Māori electorates. For a long period this dominance owed much to Labour's alliance with the
Rātana Church
The Rātana movement ( mi, Te Haahi Rātana) is a church and pan-''iwi'' political movement founded by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana in early 20th-century New Zealand. The Rātana Church has its headquarters at the settlement of Rātana Pā near ...
, although the Rātana influence has diminished in recent times. In the
1993 election, however, the new
New Zealand First party, led by
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020, ...
– who himself held the general seat of
Tauranga
Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by ...
from 1984 to 2005 – gained the Northern Māori seat (electing
Tau Henare
Raymond Tau Henare (born 29 September 1960) is a former New Zealand Māori parliamentarian. In representing three different political parties in parliament—New Zealand First, Mauri Pacific and the National Party—Henare served as a Member o ...
to Parliament), and in the
1996 election New Zealand First captured all the Māori electorates for one electoral term. Labour regained the electorates in the following election in the
1999 election.
A development of particular interest to Māori came in 2004 with the resignation of
Tariana Turia
Dame Tariana Turia (born 8 April 1944) is a New Zealand politician. She was first elected to Parliament in 1996. Turia gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy in 2004, and eventually broke with the Labour P ...
from her ministerial position in the Labour-dominated coalition and from her
Te Tai Hauāuru
Te Tai Hauāuru electorate boundaries used since the
Te Tai Hauāuru is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives, that was first formed for the . The electorate ...
parliamentary seat. In
the resulting by-election on 10 July 2004, standing under the banner of the newly formed
Māori Party
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, she received over 90% of the 7,000-plus votes cast. The parties then represented in Parliament had not put up official candidates in the by-election. The new party's support in relation to Labour therefore remained untested at the polling booth.
The Māori Party aimed to win all seven Māori electorates in
2005. A
Marae-Digipoll survey of Māori-roll voters in November 2004 gave it hope: 35.7% said they would vote for a Māori Party candidate, 26.3% opted for Labour, and five of the seven electorates appeared ready to fall to the new party. In the election, the new party won four of the Māori electorates. It seemed possible that Māori Party MPs could play a role in the choice and formation of a governing coalition, and they conducted talks with the
National Party. In the end they remained in Opposition.
Similarly in
2008, the Māori Party aimed to win all seven Māori electorates. However, in the election, they managed to increase their four electorates only to five. Although the National government had enough MPs to govern without the Māori Party, it invited the Māori Party to support their minority government on confidence and supply in return for policy concessions and two ministerial posts outside of Cabinet. The Māori Party signed a confidence and supply agreement with National on the condition that the Māori electorates were not abolished unless the Māori voters agreed to abolish them. Other policy concessions including a review of the
Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004
The Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 is a former Act of the Parliament of New Zealand. It overruled the 2003 decision of the Court of Appeal in '' Ngati Apa v Attorney-General.'' Its passage arose out of, and further fueled, the New Zealand fo ...
, a review of New Zealand's constitutional arrangements, and the introduction of the
Whānau Ora
Whānau Ora (Māori for "family health") is a major contemporary indigenous health initiative in New Zealand, driven by Māori cultural values. Its core goal is to empower communities and extended families () to support families within the comm ...
indigenous health initiative.
Discontentment with the Māori Party's support agreement with National particularly the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011, Marine and Coastal Areas Bill 2011 led the party's
Te Tai Tokerau
Te Tai Tokerau () is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate that was created out of the Northern Maori electorate ahead of the first Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election in 1996. It was held first by Tau Henare representing New Ze ...
Member Hone Harawira to secede from the Māori Party and form the radical left-wing Mana Movement. During the 2011 New Zealand general election, 2011 general election, the Māori Party retained three of the Māori electorates while Labour increased its share of the Māori electorates to three, taking
Te Tai Tonga
Te Tai Tonga is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was established for the 1996 general election, replacing Southern Maori. The current MP for Te T ...
. The Mana Movement retained Te Tai Tokerau. Tensions between the Māori Party and Mana Movement combined with competition from the Labour Party fragmented the Māori political voice in Parliament.
In the 2014 New Zealand general election, 2014 election, Mana Movement leader Hone Harawira formed an electoral pact with the Internet Party (New Zealand), Internet Party, founded by controversial Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom and led by former Alliance (New Zealand political party), Alliance MP Laila Harré known as Internet Party and Mana Movement, Internet MANA. Hone was defeated by Labour candidate Kelvin Davis (politician), Kelvin Davis, who was tacitly endorsed by the ruling National Party, New Zealand First, and the Māori Party.
During the 2014 election, Labour captured six of the Māori electorates with the Māori Party being reduced to co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell's Waiariki (New Zealand electorate), Waiariki electorate. The Māori Party managed to bring a second member co-leader Marama Fox into Parliament as their party vote entitled them to one further list seat.
During the 2017 New Zealand general election, 2017 general election, the Māori Party formed an electoral pact with the Mana Movement leader and former Māori Party MP Hone Harawira not to contest
Te Tai Tokerau
Te Tai Tokerau () is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate that was created out of the Northern Maori electorate ahead of the first Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election in 1996. It was held first by Tau Henare representing New Ze ...
as part of a deal to regain the Māori electorates from the Labour Party. Despite these efforts, Labour captured all seven of the Māori electorates with Labour candidate Tāmati Coffey unseating Māori Party co-leader Flavell in Waiariki.
![2020 New Zealand Māori electorates](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/2020_New_Zealand_M%C4%81ori_electorates.svg)
2020 New Zealand general election, Three years later, despite a historic landslide to the Labour party, Māori party candidate Rawiri Waititi successfully unseated Coffey, returning the Māori Party to Parliament. Special votes raised the Māori Party vote from a provisional result of 1% to a final party vote of 1.2%, thus allowing co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, to enter Parliament as a List MP.
Outside New Zealand
The scheme has inspired some policymakers as a potential solution for other underrepresented indigenous peoples.
In Australian politics, Australia, some have put forward the idea of dedicating seats to Australian Aboriginals. In 1983, Frank Walker (Australian politician), Frank Walker, the then New South Wales, NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (New South Wales), Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, proposed that each state send one Aboriginal Senator to the federal Parliament, and also the creation of four Aboriginal electorates for the NSW Legislative Assembly.
In 1995, MLC Franca Arena moved the Parliament of New South Wales to an inquiry and report on the idea of providing seats dedicated to people of Aboriginal Australians, Aboriginal background, modeled on the Māori electorates, so as to allow for hitherto unseen indigenous representation in that Parliament. The Standing Committee on Social Issues, of which she wasn't part, released a report on the merits of the system in November 1998. The report is said to have been well-researched, with a thorough discussion of the systems' mechanics, and through which paths it could come to light.
The NSW Government members, however, did not conclude the proposal appropriate and leaned towards other measures to facilitate Aborigine representation.
Another report was released in 2003 by the Legislative Assembly of Queensland's Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee,
inquiring how to help indigenous self-determination. The idea of dedicated seats, however, although deemed to help reconciliation, was not suggested by the report because of strong opposition from some members of the committee.
See also
* Māori politics
*
New Zealand elections
New Zealand is a representative democracy in which members of the unicameral New Zealand Parliament gain their seats through elections. General elections are usually held every three years; they may be held at an earlier date (a "snap" electi ...
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maori electorates
Māori electorates,
Māori politics, Electorates
Parliament of New Zealand
Race relations in New Zealand