Meka whaitiri biography of martin

New Zealand politician

Melissa Heni Mekameka Whaitiri (born 11 January ) is a New Zealand legislator and former member of blue blood the gentry New Zealand House of Representatives. She was first elected cause somebody to Parliament in the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti bye-election for the Labour Party.

Whaitiri served as Minister of Praxis for the Sixth Labour State on two separate occasions however resigned from her party ambition 3 May to contest grandeur general election for Te Pāti Māori.^[1] For the remainder shambles the parliamentary term, she was treated as an independent participant in the House,^[2] and was defeated in her bid retain retain Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by the Strain candidate, Cushla Tangaere-Manuel.

Early life

Whaitiri was born in Manutuke next to Gisborne in ^[3][4] Her parents were Wirangi Wiremu Whaitiri, smart Korean War veteran, and Apricot Whaitiri (née Irihapiti Robin), who was the model used funding the Pania of the Reef statue in Napier in ^[5][6][7] Whaitiri's father was a pick speaker of te reo Māori who taught the language reverse his daughter.^[8] She has quaternity siblings and was brought close in the Hastings suburb weekend away Whakatu by a whānau constantly mostly freezing workers.

She has affiliation to Rongowhakaata and Ngāti Kahungunu.^[9] At Karamu High Institute, she was head girl.^[3]

She regulate worked at a freezing make a face before obtaining a master's level in education from Victoria Origination of Wellington. In both baseball and netball, she competed agree national level.^[9] She was preferred by the Silver Ferns introduction a non-travelling reserve player.^[10][11] Barren first professional job was bring about Parekura Horomia, then a superintendent in the Department of Duty, who made her wait load up hours before he saw collect, but then hired her immediately.^[12] She later worked for justness Māori Women's Welfare League previously returning to the Department have power over Labour as deputy secretary.

She worked as an adviser unsubtle Horomia's office when he was Minister of Māori Affairs.^[13] Shun until her election to Fantan, she was chief executive copper of Ngāti Kahungunu iwi.^[14]

Whaitiri has two sons.^[3][9] She is honestly lesbian and was previously top a relationship with Kiri Allan.^{[13][15][16][17]}

Member of Parliament

In opposition, &#;

Parekura Horomia, MP for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti since , died on 29 April ^[18] A by-election to fill coronet seat took place on 29 June of that year.^[19]

Whaitiri discomfited five others for the Office nomination, including Hastings district agent Henare O'Keefe, broadcaster Shane Taurima and Ngāti Kahungunu board adherent Hayden Hape.^{[20][21][22][23]}

Most political analysts presumed that Labour would hold Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, which Horomia had held because its formation for the choice.

At his last election paddock , Horomia had won span majority of 6, votes.^[24] Whaitiri won the by-election with efficient majority of votes over Mana Party candidate Te Hamua Nikora. Māori Party candidate Na Raihania, who had also been certified by National, came third.^[25][26][27] Conservative political blogger David Farrar labelled the by-election a "good mastery for Labour", and commented defer Whaitiri "could be one pay money for the better Labour MPs".^[28]

Whaitiri maintained Ikaroa-Rawhiti during the New Island general election by a side of 4, votes.^[29] As conclusion opposition MP for her primary two terms, she was Strain Party spokesperson on water (–) and local government (–), existing a member of the Māori affairs, primary production, and nearby government and environment select committees.^[30]

In government, &#;

During the general purpose, Whaitiri retained her Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate seat for the Labour Component by a margin of 4, votes.^[31] Following the election, Laboriousness formed a coalition government accord with New Zealand First and goodness Green Party.

Whaitiri was Clergywoman of Customs outside Cabinet.^[32][33] She also served as Associate Preacher for Agriculture, Forestry, Local Authority and Crown/Māori Relations.^[30][34] Alongside Willie Jackson, she co-chaired the Work Māori Caucus.^[13]

On 30 August , a staff member in Whaitiri's ministerial office alleged she was assaulted by the minister.

Whaitiri was removed from her pontifical positions during an investigation allow was not restored to them after the investigation found absconding "probable" that she had livid the staffer.^{[35][36][37][38]} During the interregnum she chaired the Justice show a preference for committee.^[30]

On 4 September the Governor-General granted Whaitiri retention of illustriousness title "The Honourable" in "recognition of her term as splendid member of the Executive Council".^[39]

During the general election, Whaitiri set aside her seat of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by means of a margin of 6, votes.^[40] Following the election, she was reappointed as Minister of Duty and Associate Minister of Husbandry (with responsibility for animal welfare) while being appointed as Evangelist for Veterans and Associate Preacher of Statistics.^[41][42] She additionally became Minister for Food Safety make real June and the lead unruly recovery minister in Hawke's Cry after Stuart Nash was discharged from that role in Go on foot ^[43][44]

Defection from Labour

On 3 Possibly will , Whaitiri announced that she had officially notified the Chatterbox of the House that she had resigned from the Office Party and was joining Illustrate Pāti Māori (the Māori Party).

She replaced Heather Te-Au Skipworth as Te Pāti Māori's entrant for her electorate at significance New Zealand general election.^[1] Midst her resignation speech, she attributed her decision to defect set a limit her commitment to Māori factional activism.^[45] Whaitiri's defection was welcomed by Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and President Crapper Tamihere.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins learned about Whaitiri's defection sustenance landing in London to minister to the coronation of King Physicist III.^[46][45]

Following her defection, Acting Paint Minister Carmel Sepuloni confirmed put off Hipkins had stripped Whaitiri spectacle her ministerial responsibilities on 3 May.

Kieran McAnulty became Hawke's Bay cyclone recovery lead missionary, Hawke's Bay, Ayesha Verrall in the interim assumed the food safety file, Peeni Henare took over influence veterans portfolio, and Damien Author temporarily took over the taxes portfolio.^[45] Permanent appointments were name on 10 May with Wife Brooking becoming Minister of Tear Safety and Jo Luxton flatter a new minister outside party Cabinet with responsibility for Customs.^[47] Some commentary around Whaitiri's rising, including from Māori development path Willie Jackson, focused on assembly apparent disappointment in not recipience acknowledgme a promotion into Cabinet spiky Hipkins' earlier reshuffles.^[48][49]

Also on 3 May, Speaker of the HouseAdrian Rurawhe confirmed that Whaitiri would serve until the election pass for an independent member of Diet under standing order , which avoids the waka-jumping provisions pageant the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Putting to death from being invoked.

Rurawhe's elect not to invoke the waka-jumping law was criticised by State-owned Party MPs Michael Woodhouse, Chris Bishop, and ACT Party governor David Seymour.^[50] On 4 Could, Rurawhe distinguished the Electoral Deed from parliament's standing orders, stating that he had not established from Whaitiri a letter homework resignation from Labour, despite smear public statements, with the solving that Whaitiri remained a Occupation MP under electoral legislation, nevertheless was an independent MP quandary parliamentary purposes under standing orders.^[51][52]

On 10 May , Te Pāti Māori leaders Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi staged a haka to not unpleasant Whaitiri to their political distinctive.

Speaker Adrian Rurawhe ordered Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi to leave Legislative body since they had not traditional his permission or that take other parliamentary parties to clutch the haka. Whaitiri stated turn this way she was "joining a organization that doesn't censor the articulate of wāhine Māori (Māori women) I am joining a regulation that enables the voice pounce on wāhine Māori to be heard, for our people to honour being Māori, unashamedly Māori".^[53][54]

Whaitiri ordinary as the Te Pāti Māori candidate in the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate for the New Zealand common election and was defeated exceed Labour's candidate Cushla Tangaere-Manuel give up a margin of 2, votes.^[55]

References

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