With electoral boundaries shifting and over 3000 new voters added to the Māori roll, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi is looking forward to next year’s elections.

“Mai te hīkoi, tae noa rā mai ki tēnei rā, anō rā te nui me te kaitā me te mātatoru o te iwi Māori, kua peke ki runga i te rārangi Māori, nō reira, mehemea ka pērā, ka whiwhi tātou i tētahi tūru atu i ngā tūru e whitu,” he told Te Ao Māori News.

“Ka whiwhi i ngā nama ināianei tonu nei, ka riro i a tātou tētahi atu tūru hou.”

Currently, all six Te Pāti Māori MPs hold one of the seven Māori electorates, with Labour MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel looking after Ikaroa-Rāwhiti.

Ahead of the 2026 general elections, Waititi wants more Māori to step forward for this year’s local elections.

“Me parakati tātou i tērā tūāhuatanga i tēnei tau tonu ki roto i ngā whakahaere mō ngā kaunihera. Kaua e waiho mā te Pākehā tonu tātou e tohutohu i roto i wērā tūāhuatanga katoa me tū atu tātou ki roto i ngā pōti mō te kaunihera.”

‘Ko Luxon te karetao, and koinā hoki te mate o tēnei coalition’

With over a year until the elections, changes within the current government are already underway, with Act Leader David Seymour set to become the new Deputy Prime Minister - something Waititi isn’t too excited about.

“Koia te kaikaretao, ko Luxon te karetao, and koinā hoki te mate o tēnei coalition, ko David Seymour kei te whakahaere i ngā whakarite katoa o tēnei kāwanatanga, kei te kite tātou.”

He said in the next elections Te Pāti Māori will do the opposite of what National, Act, and NZ First has done.

“Me āhua maroke wēnei kōrero ki wētahi, engari ki a au kei reira kē te rongoā. Ko te nuinga o te tāke e utuhia ki te kāwanatanga nei, nā te hunga pōhara, nā te hunga pōhara, ehara nā te hunga whai rawa, nō reira ko tā Te Pāti Māori, pīrangi mātou te aruaru i te hunga whai rawa, nā rātou anō hoki ngā tāke utu.”