In
New Zealand politics
The politics of New Zealand () function within a framework of an Independence of New Zealand, independent, unitary state, unitary, parliamentary democracy. The system of government is based on the Westminster system, and the legal system is ...
, 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 in the Holy Roman Empire until 1806
* An electoral district
...
that give
reserved positions to representatives of
Māori in the
New Zealand Parliament
The New Zealand Parliament () is the unicameral legislature of New Zealand, consisting of the Monarchy of New Zealand, Sovereign and the New Zealand House of Representatives. The King is usually represented by his Governor-General of New Zeal ...
. 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 New Zealand Parliament, 4th Parliament.
All subsequent Māori elections were always held as part of the general elections.
History
New ...
were held in the following year during the term of the
4th New Zealand Parliament
The 4th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand.
Elections for this term were held in 61 electorates between 12 February and 6 April 1866 to elect 70 MPs. Parliament was prorogued in late 1870. During the term of this ...
. 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 distinctive feature of the New Zealand political system.
Organisation
Māori electorates operate much as do general electorates, but have as electors people who are
Māori, or of Māori descent, (''see '') and who choose to place their names on a separate
electoral roll 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 , knowledge of , skills and confidence on the . 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.
Since 31 March 2023, Māori electors have been able to change rolls at any time, except in the three months preceding 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 after lengthy debate, and during a period of warfare between the government and some North Island Māori
hapū
In Māori language, 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 was seen as a way to reduce conflict between cultures. Its primary aim was to enfranchise Māori who were indirectly excluded from parliament by the land ownership requirement. To vote, a person had to be male, a subject of the monarch, have title to land of at least 25 pounds, and not be in prison. Very few Māori qualified because of the
property qualification - the land they owned was held in common and not by Crown grant: native title was not acceptable. Concern was raised that, indirectly, this ran contrary to section III of the
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi (), sometimes referred to as ''Te Tiriti'', is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, Constitution of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the tr ...
which made all Māori subjects of the monarch with corresponding voting and representation rights. 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 a per-capita basis at the time.
Some MPs, such as
James FitzGerald, regarded the concessions given to Māori as insufficient, while others disagreed. In the end, the setting up of Māori electorates separate from existing electorates assuaged the conservative opposition to the bill. The bill was intended as a temporary measure, giving specific representation to Māori until the land ownership issue was resolved. However, the Māori seats continued to become a permanent feature of the New Zealand parliament.
The first four Māori members of parliament, elected in
1868, were
Tāreha Te Moananui (
Eastern Maori),
Frederick Nene Russell (
Northern Maori) and
John Patterson (
Southern Maori), who all retired in 1870; and
Mete Kīngi Te Rangi Paetahi (
Western Maori) who was defeated in 1871. These four men were the first New Zealand-born members of the New Zealand Parliament. The second four members were
Karaitiana Takamoana (Eastern Maori);
Wi Katene
Wiremu Katene (died 1 November 1895), also known as Wi Katene, was a New Zealand politician.
In 1872 he became the first Māori to be appointed to the Executive Council, becoming the first indigenous Minister of the Crown. He was also a ...
(Northern Maori);
Hōri Kerei Taiaroa (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 people, Māori and Pākehā descent. During the 1870s he was a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, House o ...
(Western Maori).
The first Māori woman MP was
Iriaka Rātana, who represented the Western Maori electorate. Like
Elizabeth McCombs, New Zealand's first woman MP, Rātana won the seat in a 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 ballot
The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vote ...
s 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, 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
Te Pāti Māori (the Māori Party) unless they were on the Māori roll.
Switching between rolls
In June 2022, the
Justice Minister
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
Kris Faafoi
Kristopher John Faafoi (born 23 June 1976) is a former New Zealand television journalist and Labour Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for the Mana electorate from 2010 until 2020, when he became a list MP. Faafoi held a numbe ...
of the incumbent
Labour Party introduced a bill to allow people of Māori descent to switch between the general and Māori electoral rolls at any time. At the time, Māori were only allowed to switch between the two rolls every five years. To pass into law, the bill needed 75% majority support in Parliament. In addition, Māori Party co-leader
Rawiri Waititi introduced a member's bill which proposed automatically placing Māori on the Māori electoral roll and renaming the "general electoral district" the "non-Māori electoral district."
On 15 November 2022, the opposition
National Party abandoned its opposition to the Māori Electoral Option bill after the
Labour Government agreed to allow people of Māori descent to switch between the general and Māori rolls at any time except the three month period before general and local elections; giving the Government the 75% majority need to pass the bill into law. Te Pāti Māori criticised the compromise, with Waititi and fellow co-leader
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer describing the changes as "second-rate" and a "half pie ka pai" respectively. Waititi's member bill had already been voted down in early November.
The
Electoral (Māori Electoral Option) Legislation Act 2022 came into force on 31 March 2023; allowing people of Māori descent to switch between the general and Māori rolls at anytime until the three month period before elections. The
Electoral Commission
An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
subsequently launched a campaign to encourage non-voters to register with either the general or Māori rolls. For the
2023 New Zealand general election
The 2023 New Zealand general election was held on 14 October 2023 to determine the composition of the 54th New Zealand Parliament, 54th Parliament of New Zealand. Voters elected 122 members to the unicameral New Zealand House of Representatives ...
, the cutoff date was set at midnight 13 July 2023. By 3 July 2023, over 12,000 people had switched between the Māori and general rolls; with 6,662 people shifting from the general to Māori rolls and 5,652 switching vice versa. Political expert and academic Dr Rawiri Taonui and journalist Tommy de Silva described that the increase of voters on the Māori roll as a form of strategic voting that reinforced the relevance of the Māori seats and Māori vote to New Zealand politics.
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, 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. For example, while the political systems ...
, 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, a member of the Liberal Party, said that the absence of Māori voters from general electorates prevented "
pākehā
''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
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 people, Māori Member of Parliament in New Zealand. He represented Eastern Māori in the New Zealand House of Representatives, House of Representatives from 1884 to 1887, and ag ...
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 government w ...
,
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

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
National Party government of the day had a commitment to the assimilation of Māori, and had no Māori MPs, and 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: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
', 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 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 be Māori themselves.
In 1976, the
National Government introduced the option for Māori to decide whether to enrol individually on the general electoral roll or the Māori roll. A large number of people (Māori and non-Māori) failed to fill out an electoral re-registration card that was distributed with the
1976 census, with census staff lacking authority to insist on the card being completed. This had little practical effect for non-Māori, but it transferred Māori to the general roll if the card was not handed in. 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.
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, 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 (New Zealand), Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party, leader of the New Zealand National Party from ...
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 National Party from 2006 to 2016.
Following his father's death when ...
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 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 abolition 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 (New Zealand), Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party, leader of the New Zealand National Party from ...
, advocates abolishing the allocated Māori electorates, seeing them as outdated.
New Zealand First
New Zealand First, whose "
Tight Five" once held all Māori seats, has advocated for abolition of the separate electorates, while emphasising that the decision should be made by Māori voters. During the
2017 election campaign, the New Zealand First leader
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician. He has led the political party New Zealand First since he founded it in 1993, and since November 2023 has served as the 25th Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand), ...
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.
The party has not stood candidates in the Māori electorates since the
1999 New Zealand general election
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalitio ...
.
Individual electorates
From 1868 to 1996, four Māori electorates existed (out of a total that slowly changed from 76 to 99).
They comprised:
#
Eastern Maori
#
Northern Maori
#
Southern Maori
#
Western Maori

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. For the
1996 election, the first under MMP, the Electoral Commission defined five Māori electorates:
#
Te Puku O Te Whenua (''The belly of the land'')
#
Te Tai Hauauru (''The western district'')
#
Te Tai Rawhiti (''The eastern district'')
#
Te Tai Tokerau (''The northern district'')
#
Te Tai Tonga
Te Tai Tonga () is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorates, Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand New Zealand House of Representatives, House of Representatives. It was established for the 1996 New Zeal ...
(''The southern district'')
Major changes were made and a sixth Māori electorate was added for the second MMP election in
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
:
#
Hauraki
#
Ikaroa-Rawhiti
#
Te Tai Hauāuru
#
Te Tai Tokerau
#
Te Tai Tonga
Te Tai Tonga () is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorates, Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand New Zealand House of Representatives, House of Representatives. It was established for the 1996 New Zeal ...
#
Waiariki
Since
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
, there have been seven Māori electorates. For the 2002 and
2005 elections, these were:
#
Ikaroa-Rāwhiti
#
Tainui
#
Tāmaki Makaurau (roughly equivalent to greater
Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
)
#
Te Tai Hauāuru
#
Te Tai Tokerau
#
Te Tai Tonga
Te Tai Tonga () is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorates, Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand New Zealand House of Representatives, House of Representatives. It was established for the 1996 New Zeal ...
#
Waiariki
From
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, Tainui was largely replaced by Hauraki-Waikato, giving the following seven Māori electorates:
#
Hauraki-Waikato – north-western
North Island
The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...
, including
Hamilton
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
and
Papakura
Papakura is a suburb of South Auckland, in northern New Zealand. It is located on the shores of the Pahurehure Inlet, approximately south of the Auckland CBD, Auckland City Centre. It is under the authority of the Auckland Council.
The ar ...
#
Ikaroa-Rāwhiti – eastern and southern North Island, including
Gisborne and
Masterton
Masterton () is a large town in the Wellington Region, Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand that operates as the seat of the Masterton District (a territorial authority or local-government district). It is the largest town in the Wairarapa ...
#
Tāmaki Makaurau – southern and central Auckland, and parts of western Auckland
#
Te Tai Hauāuru – western North Island, including
Taranaki
Taranaki is a regions of New Zealand, region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, Taranaki Maunga, formerly known as Mount Egmont.
The main centre is the ...
and
Manawatū-Whanganui regions
#
Te Tai Tokerau – northernmost seat, including
Whangārei
Whangārei () is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the largest settlement of the Northland Region. It is part of the Whangarei District, created in 1989 from the former Whangarei City, Whangarei County and Hikurangi Town councils to admi ...
, northern Auckland and parts of western Auckland
#
Te Tai Tonga
Te Tai Tonga () is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorates, Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand New Zealand House of Representatives, House of Representatives. It was established for the 1996 New Zeal ...
– all of the
South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
,
Stewart Island / Rakiura
Stewart Island (, 'Aurora, glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura, formerly New Leinster) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait.
It is a roughly triangular island wit ...
,
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands ( ; Moriori language, Moriori: , 'Misty Sun'; ) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island, administered as part of New Zealand, and consisting of about 10 islands within an approxima ...
, and most of
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
. Largest electorate by area.
#
Waiariki – includes
Tauranga
Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...
,
Whakatāne
Whakatāne ( , ) is a town located in the Bay of Plenty Region, Bay of Plenty Region in the North Island of New Zealand, east of Tauranga and northeast of Rotorua. The town is situated at the mouth of the Whakatāne River. The Whakatāne Dis ...
,
Rotorua
Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
,
Taupō
Taupō (), sometimes written Taupo, is a town located in the central North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the edge of Lake Taupō, which is the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand. Taupō was constituted as a borough in 1953. It h ...
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 enrol 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.
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 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
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
.
Party politics
As Māori electorates originated before the development of
political parties in New Zealand, 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. For example, while the political systems ...
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 and
Te Rangi Hīroa. There were also Māori MPs in the more conservative and rural
Reform Party;
Māui Pōm,
Taurekareka Hēnare and
Taite Te Tomo.
Since the
Labour Party first came to power in
1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...
, however, it has dominated the Māori electorates. For a long period this dominance owed much to Labour's alliance with the
Rātana Church, 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. He has led the political party New Zealand First since he founded it in 1993, and since November 2023 has served as the 25th Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand), ...
– who himself held the general seat of
Tauranga
Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...
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 people, Māori parliamentarian. In representing three different political parties in parliament—New Zealand First, Mauri Pacific and the New Zealand National Party, Na ...
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 (née Woon; 8 April 1944 – 3 January 2025) was a New Zealand Māori protest movement, Māori rights activist and politician. She was first elected to New Zealand Parliament, Parliament in 1996 as a representative of the Ne ...
from her ministerial position in the Labour-dominated coalition and from her
Te Tai Hauāuru 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
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
. 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
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, 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, a review of New Zealand's constitutional arrangements, and the introduction of the
Whānau Ora indigenous health initiative.
Discontentment with the Māori Party's support agreement with National particularly the
Marine and Coastal Areas Bill 2011 led the party's
Te Tai Tokerau Member
Hone Harawira to secede from the Māori Party and form the radical left-wing
Mana Movement
The Mana Movement, originally known as the Mana Party, was a political party in New Zealand. The party was led by Hone Harawira who formed it in April 2011 following his resignation from the Māori Party. Harawira won the 2011 Te Tai Tokerau by- ...
. During the
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 electorates, Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand New Zealand House of Representatives, House of Representatives. It was established for the 1996 New Zeal ...
. 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 election, Mana Movement leader Hone Harawira formed an electoral pact with the
Internet Party, founded by controversial Internet entrepreneur
Kim Dotcom and led by former
Alliance
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or sovereign state, states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an a ...
MP
Laila Harré known as
Internet MANA. Hone was defeated by Labour candidate
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 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 general election, the Māori Party formed an electoral pact with the
Mana Movement
The Mana Movement, originally known as the Mana Party, was a political party in New Zealand. The party was led by Hone Harawira who formed it in April 2011 following his resignation from the Māori Party. Harawira won the 2011 Te Tai Tokerau by- ...
leader and former Māori Party MP
Hone Harawira not to contest
Te Tai Tokerau 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.
Three years later, despite a historic landslide to the Labour party, Māori party candidate
Rawiri Waititi successfully unseated Coffey, returning the Māori Party – now calling itself Te Pāti Māori – to Parliament.
Special votes raised Te Pāti Māori's 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.
Following the
2023 general election, Te Pāti Māori won a record six of the seven Māori electorates, unseating Labour from all but one of the seats.
Influence outside New Zealand
The scheme has inspired some policymakers as a potential solution for underrepresented
indigenous peoples
There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
.
Australia
In Australia, some have put forward the idea of dedicating seats to
Aboriginal Australians
Aboriginal Australians are the various indigenous peoples of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland and many of its islands, excluding the ethnically distinct people of the Torres Strait Islands.
Humans first migrated to Australia (co ...
. In 1983,
Frank Walker, the
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
The Parliament of New South Wales, formally the Legislature of New South Wales, (definition of "The Legislature") is the bicameral legislative body of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). It consists of the Monarch, the New South Wa ...
to an inquiry and report on the idea of providing seats dedicated to people of Aboriginal background, modelled on the Māori electorates, to create opportunity for
Indigenous representation in that parliament.
The Standing Committee on Social Issues, of which she was not 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 system's mechanics, and through which paths it could come to fruition.
The NSW Government members, however, did not conclude the proposal appropriate and leaned towards other measures to facilitate Aboriginal representation.
Another report was released in 2003 by the
Legislative Assembly of Queensland
The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly ...
's Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee,
inquiring how to help Indigenous
self-determination
Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage.
Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...
. 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
*
Māori King Movement
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 ...
*
2025 New Zealand local referendums on Māori wards and constituencies
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maori electorates
Electorates
Parliament of New Zealand
Race relations in New Zealand