The fourth of the Whakaata Māori Whakatau 2023 debates will see one of the longest-serving Māori MPs come face to face with the voice of rangatahi.
Labour’s Nanaia Mahuta first entered Parliament as list MP in 1996. She won the former Te Tai Hauāuru seat in 1999, and although the seat has had a few boundary and name changes since, Mahuta has been one of the mainstays of the centre-left.
Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke is 21 but has a strong whakapapa claim to Māori activism movements that has undoubtedly seen her destined to enter the political fray.
Before joining Te Pāti Māori, the then 18-year-old Maipi-Clarke joined her grandfather, Taitimu Maipi in the campaign for Māori wards to be introduced at the Hamilton City Council. She is named after her great aunt Hana Te Hemara, who delivered the Māori language petition to Parliament in 1972.
Although separated by age, the two strong Waikato wāhine are almost a mirror image of each other.
Both are from Rāhui Pōkeka, attended Te Wharekura o Rākaumangamanga, have strong whānau connections to Taniwharau Rugby League Club and are strong voices in the advocacy for kaupapa Māori.
Ministerial posts
In the 2020 election Mahuta held the seat from Te Pāti Māori candidate Donna Pokere-Phillips, who is now standing for Freedoms NZ.majority of more than 9,000 - the largest in any of the Māori electorates.
In 2005, under Helen Clark, Mahuta picked up a number of ministerial warrants, including customs, youth affairs, associate minister of local government and associate minister for the environment.
She would later become the minister of local government, a portfolio she picked up again under the leadership of Jacinda Ardern. She oversaw one of the most significant, and divisive, infrastructure reforms in local government for many years with the introduction of the “Three Waters” legislation to assist in upgrading, maintaining and developing freshwater, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure. It also allowed for Māori representation in the management of the regional water entities.
Political ‘attacks’
That saw Mahuta draw a lot of criticism, professional and personal, from people who labelled the move as anti-democratic and separatist.
Maipi-Clarke, despite only being on the campaign trail for a matter of weeks has also been subjected to politically motivated attacks. As she was confirmed as a candidate at just 20 years old, comments on social media questioned her life experience as being sufficient enough for Parliament.
In recent weeks she has reported an alleged burglary at her home, which she says was committed by supporters of right-wing parties who have been critical of Te Pāti Māori.
While she has shown respect for Mahuta, Maipi-Clarke has been unashamed in targeting what she calls the missing 70 per cent, the 70 per cent of Māori aged under 40.
In the 2020 election Mahuta held the seat from Te Pāti Māori candidate Donna Pokere-Phillips, who is now standing for Freedoms NZ. Mahuta won a majority of more than 9,000 - the largest in any of the Māori electorates.
Join Tina Wickliffe tonight at 7:00 PM on Whakaata Māori, MĀORI+, and on teaonews.co.nz as one of the youngest candidates in this election takes on a Minister who has seen it all.
