Tariana Turia

Dame Tariana Turia DNZM (born 8 April 1944) is a New Zealand politician. She gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy, and eventually broke with her party as a result. She resigned from parliament, and successfully contested a by-election in her former electorate as a candidate of the newly formed Māori Party. She retired from Parliament in 2014.

The Honourable Dame Tariana Turia DNZM
1st Minister for Whānau Ora
In office 8 April 2010 – 8 October 2014
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Office Established
Succeeded by	Te Ururoa Flavell
2nd Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector
In office 15 August 2003 – 30 April 2004
Prime Minister	Helen Clark
Preceded by	Steve Maharey
Succeeded by	Rick Barker
In office 19 November 2008 – 12 December 2011
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Ruth Dyson
Succeeded by	Jo Goodhew
Minister for Disability Issues
In office 13 June 2009 – 8 October 2014
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Paula Bennett
Succeeded by	Nicky Wagner
Co-leader of the Māori Party
In office 7 July 2004 – September 2014 Co-leading with Pita Sharples
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Marama Fox
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Labour Party List
In office 12 October 1996 – 27 July 2002
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Te Tai Hauāuru
In office 27 July 2002 – 20 August 2014
Preceded by	Nanaia Mahuta
Succeeded by	Adrian Rurawhe
Personal details
Born	8 April 1944
Political party	Māori Party (2004–present)
Other political affiliations	Labour (until 2004)
Spouse(s)	George Turia

Early work

Turia was born in 1944 to an American (probably Native American) father[1] and Māori mother. Her Māori roots are Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru, and Tūwharetoa iwi, among others.

She was married to George Turia, who has died. They have 4 children, 2 whāngai,^a 28 grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Before entering politics, she had considerable involvement with a number of Māori organisations, working with Te Puni Kōkiri (the Ministry of Māori Development) and a number of Māori health providers. She also had associations with the Te Kura Kaupapa and kohanga reo movements.

^^a Child adopted though Māori customary practice of adoption within the extended family, or whānau

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate	List	Party
1996–1999	45th	List	20	Labour
1999–2002	46th	List	16	Labour
2002–2004	47th	Te Tai Hauāuru	None	Labour
2004–2005	47th	Te Tai Hauāuru		Māori
2005–2008	48th	Te Tai Hauāuru	1	Māori
2008–2011	49th	Te Tai Hauāuru	1	Māori
2011–2014	50th	Te Tai Hauāuru	7	Māori

Turia entered the New Zealand Parliament in the 1996 election as a list MP for the Labour Party, ranking 20th on the party list. In the 1999 election, she remained a list MP, but ranked sixteenth. In the 2002 election, however, she contested the Te Tai Hauāuru Māori electorate, and opted not to place herself on the party list at all. Te Tai Hauāuru (roughly, the Māori voters of the west of the North Island) returned her as their member of parliament.

Although never a member of Cabinet, Turia has held a number of non-Cabinet ministerial roles. From Labour's electoral victory in 1999, she served as Associate Minister of Māori Affairs, Associate Minister of Social Services and Employment, Associate Minister of Health, and Associate Minister of Housing. In 2002, she also became Associate Minister of Corrections. After the formation of the Labour-Progressive coalition in 2002, she dropped the Corrections role and gained full ministerial rank as Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector.[2]

Foreshore and seabed legislation

When debate about ownership of New Zealand's foreshore and seabed broke out in 2003, and the Labour Party proposed vesting ownership in the state, Turia voiced dissatisfaction. Along with many of her supporters in Te Tai Hauāuru, she claimed that Labour's proposal amounted to an outright confiscation of Māori land. When it became publicly known that Turia might vote against Labour's bill in parliament, tensions between Turia and the Labour Party's leadership increased. The hierarchy strongly implied that if Turia did not support Labour policy, she could not retain her ministerial roles.

By-election

On 30 April 2004, after a considerable period of confusion about Turia's intentions, she announced that she would resign from parliament on 17 May. This precipitated a by-election being called in Te Tai Hauāuru, which Turia contested as a member of the new Māori Party that formed around her. On the same day that Turia announced her resignation, Prime Minister Helen Clark sacked her from her ministerial posts.[3]

Her supporters see Turia as having bravely defied her party in order to stand up for her principles. The Labour Party has criticised Turia for putting the foreshore and seabed issue before the party's wider policies for Māori development, and says that she has unreasonably focused on a single issue. Helen Clark said that Turia had shown "an astonishing lack of perspective".[3] Turia described the Te Tai Hauāuru by-election of 10 July 2004 as a chance to test her mandate, and to ensure that she had the support of her voters, but doubts remained about the significance of the by-election, since none of the major parties put forward candidates. Labour called the event "a waste of time and money", although the by-election was required by waka-jumping law in force at the time.[4]

Turia received 92.74% of the vote in the by-election,[5] and resumed her seat in Parliament on 27 July 2004.

2005 general election

Turia and Pita Sharples in 2005

On 17 September 2005, the Māori Party contested the general election with electoral candidates in all seven of the Māori seats. Turia was re-elected in Te Tai Hauāuru and that night three more Māori Party candidates won parliamentary seats, Pita Sharples (co-leader) in Tāmaki Makaurau, Hone Harawira in Te Tai Tokerau and Te Ururoa Flavell in Waiariki. The winning of the four seats resulted in celebration for their supporters who anticipated seeing an independent, Māori voice in parliament. However, the Māori Party share of the party vote across the country was 2.1 percent, placing them sixth out of the eight parties in parliament by party vote. This was attributed to voters in the Māori electorates mainly giving their party vote to the incumbent Labour government.

2008 general election and ministerial posts

Support for the Māori Party in the 2008 general election increased with the party gaining an additional seat.[6] National won most seats overall, to form a minority government with support from the Māori Party as well as ACT New Zealand and United Future. In return for Māori Party support in confidence and supply, John Key agreed to not abolish the Māori seats without the consent of Māori.[7] It was also agreed to review the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 and to consider Māori representation in a wider constitutional review which began in 2010.[8] Turia and co-leader Sharples were both made Ministers, although like other support party members both remained outside Cabinet. Turia was given the portfolios of Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Associate Minister of Health and Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment, while Sharples was made Minister of Māori Affairs.[9]

When Paula Bennett stepped down as Minister for Disability Issues on 30 June 2009, Key appointed Turia the new minister.[10] In 2010, the National and Māori Parties announced Whānau Ora, a taskforce designed to streamline social service resources. Turia was announced Minister responsible for the implementing of the scheme.[11]

On 7 April 2011, during the term of the 49th New Zealand Parliament, the composition of the Abortion Supervisory Committee was debated. Turia moved that an anti-abortion Pacific Island doctor, Ate Moala, be appointed to the ASC. The vote was lost 70–30 against, with twenty absences or abstentions.[12]

Turia confirmed in November 2013 that she would retire at the 2014 election.[13]

Honours

In the 2015 New Year Honours, Turia was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services as a Member of Parliament.[14]

References

1. "Michele Hewitson interview: Tariana Turia". New Zealand Herald. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
2. • Profile at New Zealand Parliament
   • Releases and speeches at Beehive.govt.nz
3. Berry, Ruth; Tunnah, Helen (30 April 2004). "Turia quits Labour, stripped of portfolios". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
4. Professor Andrew Geddis. "Who controls the past now, controls the future". Retrieved 11 January 2017.
5. "By-Election Results – Te Tai Hauauru". Chief Electoral Office. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
6. "Party vote status 2008". Archived from the original on 9 February 2009.
7. Trevett, Claire (17 November 2008). "Maori Party takes 'sensible position'". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
9. "Key's Government". The New Zealand Herald. 17 November 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
10. "Minister drops Disability Issues" (Press release). New Zealand Labour Party. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
11. "Whanau Ora: Turia to head welfare shake-up". The New Zealand Herald. 8 April 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
12. "Politics, latest political news and analysis – National". The New Zealand Herald.
13. Small, Vernon (5 November 2013). "Tariana Turia set to go". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
14. "New Year honours list 2015". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2018.

External links

• Te Tai Hauāuru
• Profile at Māori Party
• Tariana Turia interviewed on Radio New Zealand Matangireia, 26 September 2019