Tangi Utikere | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theNew Zealand Parliament forPalmerston North | |
| Assumed office 17 October 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Iain Lees-Galloway |
| 5thDeputy Mayor of Palmerston North | |
| In office 26 October 2016 – 18 October 2020 | |
| Mayor | Grant Smith |
| Preceded by | Duncan McCann |
| Succeeded by | Aleisha Rutherford |
| Palmerston North City Councillor | |
| In office 9 October 2010 – 18 October 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Orphée Mickalad |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1979 or 1980 (age 45–46) Palmerston North, New Zealand |
| Political party | Labour |
Tangi William Edward Utikere (bornc. 1980) is a New Zealand politician, andMember of Parliament forPalmerston North since 2020. He was the deputymayor of Palmerston North from 2016 to 2020, being the first non-Pākehā to serve in that role.[1][2]
Utikere was born and educated in Palmerston North and is ofCook Islands descent.[3] In 1997 he was a member of theNew Zealand Youth Parliament, selected to represent List MPJill White.[4] In 2002, he completed a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Politics and Social Policy at Massey University. The following year, Utikere attained a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary).[5] He later taught atFreyberg High School as a history teacher, and is also aJustice of the peace and marriage celebrant.[3] On 2 June 2020, Utikere was appointed as a member of theNew Zealand Criminal Cases Review Commission.[6][7]
| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–2023 | 53rd | Palmerston North | none | Labour | |
| 2023–present | 54th | Palmerston North | 25 | Labour | |
Utikere unsuccessfully contested the Labour nomination for thePalmerston North electorate following the retirement ofSteve Maharey in 2008, losing toIain Lees-Galloway.[8]
He was first elected to thePalmerston North City Council in 2010, and was re-elected in 2013.[9] In 2015 he unsuccessfully ran forMayor, coming second behindGrant Smith.[10] He was re-elected to the City Council in 2016[11] and in 2019 was re-elected as the city's highest polling city councillor.[12] In 2016 he was appointed as deputy mayor.[13]
On 26 July 2020 Utikere was selected as Labour's candidate for the Palmerston North electorate following the announcement that Iain Lees-Galloway would not be standing.[14] During the election campaign he donated his deputy mayor's salary to the city's Mayoral Relief Fund.[15]
During the2020 New Zealand general election held on 17 October, Utikere won the Palmerston North seat, retaining it for Labour by a margin of 12,508 votes and nearly doubling Lees-Galloway's lead during the2017 New Zealand general election.[16][17]
In February 2021 a by-election was held to fill his vacant seat on the city council, it was won by Orphée Mickalad.[18]
In July 2021, his Member's Bill requiring all local council elected members to publicly declare their pecuniary interests on a Register, was drawn from the ballot.[19] It was passed into law by Parliament in May 2022.[20]
Having served on Parliament's Governance and Administration and Environment select committees, Utikere became the Chairperson of the Health Select Committee on 4th May 2022.[21] In a January 2023 Cabinet reshuffle, Prime MinisterChris Hipkins appointed Utikere as Chief Government Whip.[22]
During the2023 New Zealand general election, Utikere retained the Palmerston North electorate by a margin of 3,087 votes.[23] He became Chief Whip, spokesperson for transport, oceans and fisheries, and associate spokesperson for education (Pacific) in theShadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins.[24] Following Grant Robertson's announcement that he was retiring from politics Utikere picked up the Racing portfolio.[25]
Following acabinet reshuffle in early March 2025, Utikere retained the transport and racing portfolios and gained the local government and small business portfolios. He lost the Oceans and Fisheries, and Associate Education (Pacific) portfolios. He moved up in ranking from 19th to 12th place.[26]
| New Zealand Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Palmerston North 2020–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Duncan McCann | Deputy Mayor of Palmerston North 2016–2020 | Succeeded by Aleisha Rutherford |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Senior Whip of the Labour Party 2023–present | Incumbent |
