Rawiri Waititi | |
|---|---|
 Waititi in 2024 | |
| Co-leader ofTe Pāti Māori | |
| Assumed office 28 October 2020 Co-leader with Debbie Ngarewa-Packer | |
| Preceded by | John Tamihere |
| Member of theNew Zealand Parliament forWaiariki | |
| Assumed office 17 October 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Tāmati Coffey |
| Majority | 15,891 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 October 1980 or 1981 (age 43–44)[1] Ōpōtiki,Bay of Plenty, New Zealand |
| Political party | Te Pāti Māori (2016–present) Labour (until 2016) |
| Spouse | Kiri Tamihere-Waititi |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Hoani Waititi (grand-uncle) Dame June Mariu (aunt) Kahurangi Waititi (relation) Taika Waititi (relation) Tweedie Waititi (relation) Rob Ruha (relation) John Tamihere (father-in-law) |
| Profession | Politician andRingatū Minister |
| Website | Māori Party profile |
Rawiri Wikuki Waititi (born 17 October 1980 or 1981)[1] is a New Zealand politician andiwi leader. He has been co-leader ofTe Pāti Māori since 2020, alongsideDebbie Ngarewa-Packer. He has served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forWaiariki since2020,[2] when his election returned Te Pāti Māori to theNew Zealand Parliament following their defeat at the2017 general election.
Born and raised in the easternBay of Plenty, Waititi traces his lineage to manyiwi but has firm links toTe Whānau-ā-Apanui andNgāti Porou. An advocate ofprogressive political policies,[3] Waititi is a fluentMāori speaker, and is also aniwi leader,Ringatū minister, andkapa haka exponent.[4] He has been prominent and vocal in his opposition to the policies towards Māori of theSixth National Government of New Zealand since the2023 general election.
Waititi was born inŌpōtiki,[5] the eldest of four children. His birthday is 17 October.[6] He spent his first 12 years living in Whangaparāoa, in the easternBay of Plenty nearCape Runaway, and was schooled under the guidance of his kaumātua (elders) and hishapū, Te Whānau a Kauaetangohia. There he went tokōhanga reo and Te Kura Mana Māori o Whangaparāoa, before he moved toWest Auckland when he was 13[5] to live with his paternal aunt,June Mariu, inTe Atatū North (now Te Atatū Peninsula). He did his secondary schooling atRutherford High School[5] (now Rutherford College) alongside another politician,Simon Bridges.[citation needed]
Waititi is of theTe Whānau-ā-Apanui,Ngāi Tai,Te Whakatōhea,Ngāi Tūhoe,Ngāti Awa,Te Arawa,Ngāti Tūwharetoa,Ngāi Te Rangi andNgāti Ranginuiiwi, and also has "firm links" toNgāti Porou.[7] He is a father of five[8] and husband to Kiri Tamihere-Waititi, the daughter ofJohn Tamihere.[5] He is the grandnephew ofHoani Waititi.[9]
| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–2023 | 53rd | Waiariki | 2 | Te Pāti Māori | |
| 2023–present | 54th | Waiariki | 2 | Te Pāti Māori | |
In the2014 election, Waititi ran for theLabour Party in Waiariki.[9] 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 toMāori Party co-leaderTe Ururoa Flavell.[10]
In 2016, followingKīngi Tūheitia Paki's speech backing the Māori Party,[11] Waititi announced he would be supporting the Māori Party.[12]
On 23 February 2020, Waititi was announced as the Māori Party candidate for Waiariki for the2020 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."[13] He was endorsed by Te Kapa Haka o Te Whānau a Apanui.[14]
At the 2020 election, Waititi successfully unseated the Labour MPTāmati Coffey, winning by 836 votes, and became the MP for Waiariki.[15]
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-leaderDebbie Ngarewa-Packer.[16][17] Of the forty-two new MPs elected to the53rd Parliament,[18] two are from the Māori Party.[2][19][20]
Under the Māori Party's constitution, its co-leaders must be drawn from its MPs first, with one male and one female co-leader.[21] 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.[22]
Before being sworn in to the 53rd parliament, Waititi performed a waerea to protest being required to pledge allegiance toQueen Elizabeth II without reference to theTreaty of Waitangi.[23] On 26 November, Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer walked out of Parliament after theSpeaker of the HouseTrevor 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.[24]
In late December 2020 and early January, Waititi participated in negotiations with 16 prisoners who were involved inunrest atWaikeria 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, "these men belong towhanau... 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."[25] Following five days of unrest, the prisoners surrendered to the authorities following negotiations involving Waititi.[26][27]
On 9 February, Waititi was ejected from the debating chamber by Speaker Mallard for refusing to wear anecktie in line with Parliament's business attire dress core. Waititi instead wore ahei tiki necklace, which he described as Māori business attire. Waititi had earlier criticised wearing neckties, describing them as "colonial noose[s]" during his maiden speech last year. When Waititi attempted to askCorrections MinisterKelvin Davis a supplementary question, Mallard denied him permission to speak since he was not wearing a tie. When Waititi sought apoint of order, Mallard ordered him to leave. Waititi was supported by fellow Māori Party MP Ngarewa-Packer, who wore a tie in mockery of the rules.[28][29] The following day, a Standing Orders meeting accepted a Māori Party submission proposing the elimination of neckties from Parliament's business attire. As a result, Mallard announced that it would no longer be compulsory to wear ties in the chamber.[30]
On 12 May, Waititi was ejected from parliamentary proceedings following a heated argument with the oppositionNational Party leaderJudith Collins about the proposed creation of aMāori Health Authority. In the past two weeks, National had alleged the Labour Government was promoting a "separatist agenda" through the Māori Health Authority and other policies seeking to fulfil partnership responsibilities under the Treaty of Waitangi. Waititi accused Collins of racism and sought to raise a point of order about indigenous rights. When his point of order was denied by the Speaker Mallard, Waititi performed ahaka in protest, prompting the Speaker to order him to leave Parliament. Waititi left with Māori Party co-leader Ngarewa-Packer and Green MPTeanau Tuiono, who expressed solidarity with him.[31][32]
In October 2021, Waititi criticised the Government's abandonment of its previous COVID-19 elimination strategy and expressed concerns that the newCOVID-19 Protection Framework was insufficient in protecting Māori and boosting the Māori vaccination rate.[33]
In September 2022, Waititi and fellow Māori Party MP Ngarewa-Packer voted against theQueen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Act 2022, which created a once-off public holiday on 26 September to commemorate thedeath of Elizabeth II. Waititi objected to the holiday on the grounds that no similar event had taken place for any deceased Māori leaders and claimed it was "example ofcolonialism in practice". Waititi further stated after a week of avoiding commenting onrepublicanism that New Zealand "must acknowledge the brutal genocidal and ongoing impact of colonialism, of the imperial project that was overseen by theHouse of Windsor and its forebears". Waititi's remarks were criticised as insensitive and disrespectful byNational Party MPsMichael Woodhouse and Judith Collins.[34][35]
In May 2023, Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer were ordered to leave Parliament by SpeakerAdrian Rurawhe after they staged ahaka (dance) to welcome former Labour MPMeka Whaitiri. The Māori Party caucus had not sought permission from the Speaker or other parties to hold the haka.[36][37]
In mid July 2023, Waititi joked about poisoningACT Party leaderDavid Seymour during Te Pati Māori's annual conference. While referring to thekaraka seedpod necklace around his neck, Waititi said: "These are karaka berries and they've still got the poison in them. So next time I go into Parliament this is what I'm going to do. When David Seymour's not looking, I'm going to go like this into his water... There you are, re-indigenise yourself with some native seeds." Waititi's remarks were condemned by Seymour, who demanded an apology.[38][39]
On 29 August 2023, Waititi was suspended from Parliament for 24 hours after referring to suppressed court proceedings while asking a question during parliamentary proceedings. Though Waititi asked the question underparliamentary privilege, his reference to the court proceedings breached two parliamentary Standing Orders. In addition, Speaker Rurawhe referred a "general question" of breaching court suppressions to Parliament's Privileges Committee.[40][41] As punishment, Waititi was barred from voting, sitting on a committee or entering the debating chamber for 24 hours. On 28 August 2024, Parliament's Privileges Committee chairperson Judith Collins upheld Speaker Rurawhe's disciplinary action against Waititi for breaching the court suppression order, stating "that free speech came with a responsibility not to frustrate the court's jurisdiction."[42]
During an interview with TVNZ journalistJack Tame 10 September 2023, Waititi advocated a wealth tax and removingGST from food, defendedTe Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority), and advocated a policy ofneutrality.[43] Waititi also denied that his party's sports policy' comments about "Māori genetic makeup being stronger than others" were racist. These comments were subsequently deleted from Te Pāti Māori's website. When challenged by Tame, he said that Te Pāti Māori was "trying to empower people that are climbing out from the bottom of the bonnet of colonial violence for the last 193 years" by encouraging pride in their heritage.[43][44]
In the2023 general election, Waititi again contested the Waiariki electorate. He received 21,500 votes out of 28,958 for an outright majority.[45][46] Waititi performed a haka in the chamber prior to swearing his oath of allegiance to KingCharles III.[47]
In mid-December 2023, Waititi retained his position as Te Pāti Māori co-leader and joined Parliament's finance & expenditure select committee. He also became the party's finance, economic development, trade & enterprise, revenue, procurement, defence, foreign affairs, intelligence, Māori performance arts, and arts, culture & heritage spokesperson.[48]
In mid-March 2024, Waititi introduced a member's bill to amend the Goods and Services Tax Act to remove theGoods and Services Tax from all food products and non-alcohol products.[49] The bill was defeated at its first reading on 22 March 2024, with only Te Pāti Māori supporting it.[50]
On 14 November 2024, Waititi along with Ngarewa-Packer and Labour MPPeeni Henare joined fellow Te Pāti Māori MPHana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke in performing an impromptu protesthaka, which disrupted parliamentary proceedings during the first reading of theTreaty Principles Bill. On 10 December, Waititi and the other three MPs were referred to Parliament's Privileges Committee for their involvement in the haka.[51]
On 1 April 2025, Waititi, Ngarewa-Packer and Maipi-Clark declined to appear before the Privileges Committee, claiming they had been denied key legal rights such as a joint hearing, restrictions on their legal representationChristopher Finlayson, expert testimony fromtikanga (Māori culture) expert Tā Pou Temara denied, hearing scheduling conflicts being ignored and concerns about disciplinary action against Maipi-Clarke.[52] On 2 April, the Privileges Committee's chairpersonJudith Collins confirmed that the privileges hearing would go ahead regardless of whether the three TPM MPs turned up.[53] In response, Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer announced that Te Pāti Māori would boycott the hearing and hold its own "alternative independent hearing," dismissing the Privileges Committee as a "kangaroo court."[54]
On 14 May 2025, the Privileges Committee censured Waititi and his colleagues for "acting in a manner that could have the effect of intimidating a member of the House in the discharge of their duty" during the haka protest. He and Ngarewa-Packer were suspended from Parliament for 21 days while Maipi-Clark was suspended for a week. Te Pāti Māori issued a statement denouncing the verdict as "the worst punishment handed down ever in our history."[55] On 20 May 2025, Parliament adoptedLeader of the HouseChris Bishop's motion that the parliamentary debate on the TPM MPs' suspension be delayed until 5 June, allowing them to participate in thebudget debate on 22 May.[56] On 5 June, parliament voted to suspend Maipi-Clark, Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi for 21 days.[57]
A RNZ-Reid Research poll found that, a majority supported the punishment or thought it should be stronger. 37.0% said it was "about right"; 17.2% said it was "too lenient", and 36.2% said it was "too harsh".[58]
Waititi voted in favour of theContraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Act 2022, which established safe zones around abortion providers.[59]
Waititi has supported theConversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022, which bannedconversion therapy. During the Bill's first reading in August 2022, he claimed that conversion therapy was based on European colonial ideas about gender and sexuality that were alien toMāori people.[60]
In March 2022, Waititi supported theRussia Sanctions Act 2022, which created an autonomous sanctions regime in response to the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. While condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he also questioned New Zealand's failure to condemn the United States' invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Israeli occupation of Palestine.[61]
He later called the conflict a "proxy war for theUnited States", stating that New Zealand should stay out of the conflict.[62] He said that New Zealand was acting like apuppet state of the United States, a statement that saw disagreement from then Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern and other political leaders across the aisle.[63] He supported a position of neutrality.[64] In aFacebook post on 21 March 2023, he stated that New Zealand should be the "Switzerland of the South Pacific", saying (in reference to the conflict) that Māori should not fight "other indigenous peoples on theirwhenua."[65]
In February 2024, Waititi has advocated for Māoriself-governance, stating that Māori have a right to govern themselves. He has also called for the establishment of a Māori Parliament.[66]
Rawiri Waititi ... Age 39
| New Zealand Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Waiariki 2020–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Co-leader of the Māori Party 2020–present Served alongside:Debbie Ngarewa-Packer | Incumbent |
