Tapihana Paraire "Dobbie" Paikea (26 January 1920 – 7 January 1963), also known as Dobson, was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

politician and Ratana morehu who won the Northern Maori electorate for Labour in 1943. He was a

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 ...

Te Roroa Te Roroa is a Māori iwi from the region between the Kaipara Harbour and the Hokianga Harbour in Northland, New Zealand. They are part of the Ngāti Whātua confederation of tribes. In the early 19th century Te Roroa fought a series of wars wit ...

, Te Parawhau and Ngāti Whātua descent. He was elected following the death of his father

Paraire Karaka Paikea Paraire Karaka Paikea (1 June 1894 – 6 April 1943) was a New Zealand Māori politician. Early life Of Te Uri-o-Hau and Ngāti Whātua descent, Paraire Karaka Paikea was born in Otamatea, in the Kaipara area of Northland. An ordained Met ...

who had been the MP, and he held the parliamentary seat until his own death in 1963.

Early life

A foundation pupil of the Ratana Pa school, Paikea started work in the Native Affairs Ministry. He led the Ratana Morehu Brass Band, and organised the special train which took the Ratana followers from the Tai Tokerau area in the Far North to Ratana for the annual festivals. In 1940 he played some senior matches for the

Manukau Manukau (), or Manukau Central, is a suburb of South Auckland, New Zealand, centred on the Manukau City Centre business district. It is located 23 kilometres south of the Auckland Central Business District, west of the Southern Motorway, so ...

rugby league club in Auckland.

Political career

Paikea was elected to replace his father at the 1943 general election on 24 September 1943. A by-election was to have been held on 19 June 1943, with two candidates, Paikea and Mr Samuel W. Maioha of Russell. But when the government announced a September general election, the requirement to hold a by-election was then avoided by a special Act of Parliament; th
By-elections Postponement Act 1943
passed on 11 June 1943. Paikea promoted Ratana and Maori issues. His maiden speech covered the economic and social contribution of the Maori war effort, Maori cultural pride and equal treatment for Maori and Pakeha. As a Member of Parliament for the Far North and based in Auckland, Paikea had a special emphasis for Tai Tokerau land claims and the needs of Maori moving to the city. During the

Second Labour Government The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds eac ...

(1957–60) Labour held a working majority of one causing the party whips to impose strict discipline for attendance in the house to avoid the government losing a division. Media speculated that Paikea may be a weak link in this regard as his health was known to be poor and his attendance record in the previous parliament was not good. A well-worn joke in caucus was that senior whip

Henry May Henry May may refer to: *Henry May (American politician) (1816–1866), U.S. Representative from Maryland *Henry May (New Zealand politician) (1912–1995), New Zealand politician * Henry May (VC) (1885–1941), Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cr ...

was responsible for 38 members plus himself while junior whip

Ritchie Macdonald Ritchie Macdonald (8 September 1895 – 14 March 1987) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. Biography Early life and career He was born in Scotland. In 1930 he married Gertrude Wilson. After farming in the Waikato, he worked at ...

was tasked with checking only on Paikea. During the three years of the government Paikea never put a foot wrong and not only had impeccable attendance but chaired the Maori Affairs select committee with skill. National MP

Norman Shelton Norman Leslie Shelton, (28 June 1905 – 14 July 1980) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. Biography Early life and career Shelton was born on 27 June 1905 in Taihape and was subsequently educated at Fielding Technical School. ...

remarked on the change in attendance habits to which Paikea responded "In opposition, I was the only one worrying about my health. Now there are 40 others praying for me every night." He remained a Member of Parliament for Northern Maori until his own death on 7 January 1963.

Notes

References

* Henderson, James Mcleod (1963). ''Ratana The Man, The Church, The Movement'' (1st ed.) A.H & A.W. Reed Ltd . {{DEFAULTSORT:Paikea, Tapihana Paraire Paikea,Tapihana Paraire Paikea,Tapihana Paraire New Zealand Rātanas New Zealand Labour Party MPs New Zealand MPs for Māori electorates Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives 20th-century New Zealand politicians New Zealand Māori people