Rawiri Waititi

Rawiri Wikuki Waititi (born 1980 or 1981) is a New Zealand politician. He is co-leader of the Māori Party and has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Waiariki since 2020.[2] A member of the Māori Party, his election to the New Zealand Parliament returned the party to parliamentary politics following their defeat at the 2017 general election.

Rawiri Waititi MP
Co-leader of the Māori Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 28 October 2020 Co-leader with Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Preceded by	John Tamihere
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Waiariki
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 October 2020
Preceded by	Tamati Coffey
Majority	836
Personal details
Born	1980/1981 (age 39–41)[1] Ōpōtiki, New Zealand
Political party	Māori (2016–present) Labour (until 2016)
Spouse(s)	Christina Tamihere-Waititi
Children	5
Relatives	Hoani Waititi (great-uncle) June Mariu (aunt) John Tamihere (father-in-law)
Website	Māori Party profile

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate	List	Party
2020–present	53rd	Waiariki	2	Māori

Labour Party, 2014–2016

In the 2014 election, Waititi ran for the Labour Party in Waiariki.[3] As he was not placed on the Labour Party list, his only way to Parliament was to win Waiariki, however, he lost the seat of Waiariki to Māori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell.[4]

Defection to the Māori Party

In 2016, following Kīngi Tūheitia Paki's speech backing the Māori Party,[5] Waititi announced he would be supporting the Māori Party.[6]

2020 general election

On 23 February 2020, Waititi was announced as the Māori Party candidate for Waiariki for the 2020 election. Following his nomination, Waititi said that there was "an imminent need, now more than ever that Māori have a voice who solely prioritises their aspirations and their needs and that is unapologetic about doing so. The Māori Party is the only party who can do that."[7] At the 2020 election, Waititi successfully unseated the Labour MP Tāmati Coffey, winning by 836 votes, and became the MP for Waiariki.[8]

The final election results showed that the Māori Party had won 1.2% of the party vote, entitling them to two seats, so Waititi's electorate win meant not only his entry to Parliament, but also that of female co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.[9][10] Of the forty-two new MPs elected to the 53rd Parliament,[11] two are from the Māori Party.[2][12][13]

Under the Māori Party's constitution, its co-leaders must be drawn from its MPs first, with one male and one female co-leader.[14] At a special general meeting of the party on 28 October 2020, Waititi was confirmed as the male co-leader, replacing his father-in-law, John Tamihere.[15]

First term

Before being sworn in to the 53rd parliament, Waititi performed a waerea to protest being required to pledge allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II without reference to the Treaty of Waitangi.[16] On 26 November, Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer walked out of Parliament after the Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard declined his motion that the Māori Party be allowed to speak for 15 minutes during the opening on Parliament on the grounds that MPs from smaller parties were not scheduled to deliver their maiden speeches until the following week. Waititi described Mallard's decision and the parliamentary system as unfair.[17]

In late December 2020 and early January, Waititi participated in negotiations with 16 prisoners who were involved in unrest at Waikeria Prison stemming from allegations of inhumane and unhygienic conditions at the prison. Several of the prisoners had requested the presence of a Māori leader such as Waititi as a prerequisite to ending the unrest. He stated "that these men belong to whanau... that they deserve the right to be treated humanely, with fresh water, food and clean clothing and they deserve to have someone advocating for them."[18] Following five days of unrest, the prisoners surrendered to the authorities following negotiations involving Waititi.[19][20]

On 9 February, Waititi was ejected from Parliamentary proceedings by Speaker Mallard for refusing to wear a neck tie in line with Parliament's business attire dress core. Waititi instead wore a hei tiki neck tie, which he described as Māori business attire. Waititi had earlier criticised wearing neckties, describing it as a "colonial noose" during his maiden speech last year. When Waititi attempted to ask Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis a supplementary question, Mallard denied him permission to speak since he was not wearing a tie. When Waititi sought a point of order, Mallard ordered him to leave. Waititi was supported by fellow Māori Party MP Ngawera-Packer, who wore a tie in mockery of the rules.[21][22]

Personal

Rawiri Wikuki Waititi is of the Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāi Tai, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Ranginui iwi. He is a father of five[23] and husband to Kiri Tamihere-Waititi, the daughter of John Tamihere.[24] He is the grandnephew of Hoani Waititi.[3]

References

1. "Waiariki electorate". Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
2. "Election 2020: The 40 diverse new MPs entering Parliament". The New Zealand Herald. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020 – via Newstalk ZB.
3. Shanks, Katee (12 September 2014). "Election Profile: Rawiri Waititi". Rotorua Daily Post. The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
4. "Official Count Results – Waiariki". Electoral Commission. 10 October 2014. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
5. Forbes, Mihingarangi (21 August 2016). "Māori King rejects Labour in unscripted speech closing". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
6. "Former Labour candidate for Te Waiariki Rawiri Waititi on Paakiwaha". Waatea News. 1 September 2016. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
7. "Waititi To Stand For Māori Party In Waiariki". Scoop (Press release). Māori Party. Archived from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
8. "Waiariki – Official Result". Electoral Commission. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
9. "2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result". Electoral Commission. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
10. "Special votes: National loses two MPs, one each to Labour, Māori Party". Radio New Zealand. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
11. Lynch, Jenna (6 November 2020). "NZ Election 2020: Judith Collins will 'definitely not' stand down as leader despite National's crushing defeat". Newshub. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
12. Lynch, Jenna (6 November 2020). "NZ Election 2020: Judith Collins will 'definitely not' stand down as leader despite National's crushing defeat". Newshub. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
13. Moir, Jo (6 November 2020). "Special votes: National loses two MPs, one each to Labour, Māori Party". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
14. "Māori Party Constitution" (PDF). 12 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
15. "Māori Party's Rawiri Waititi replaces John Tamihere as co-leader". Radio New Zealand. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
16. Wade, Amerlia (25 November 2020). "From a top hat to an oath race: The 53rd Parliament is sworn in". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
17. Patterson, Jane (26 November 2020). "Māori Party MPs walk out of Parliament in protest". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
18. "Waikeria Prison unrest: Protesters leave rooftop to meet Waititi". Radio New Zealand. 31 December 2020. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
19. "Waikeria Prison surrender: Family members claim complaints about 'disgusting' conditions made, despite Corrections saying otherwise". Stuff. 3 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
20. "Waikeria Prison rioters surrender after six-day stand-off; jail conditions not reason for unrest, says Kelvin Davis". The New Zealand Herald. 3 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
21. Cooke, Henry (9 February 2021). "Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi kicked out of House for refusal to wear a tie". Stuff. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
22. Walls, Jason (9 February 2021). "Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi enters Parliament without tie, is kicked out by Mallard". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
23. "Rawiri Waititi ~ Waiariki". Māori Party. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
24. "Rawiri Waititi: Unapologetically Māori". E Tangata. Retrieved 18 October 2020.

External links

• Māori Party profile
• Profile at New Zealand Parliament website