 Wyllie in 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Tutekawa Wyllie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1954-10-24)24 October 1954 (age 70) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Manutuke, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 69 kg (152 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Gisborne Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Victoria University of Wellington | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of theNew Zealand Parliament forTe Tai Tonga | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1996–1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | New constituency | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Mahara Okeroa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 285 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | New Zealand First | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tutekawa "Tu"Wyllie (born 24 October 1954) is a formerNew Zealand politician andrugby union player. Afirst five-eighth, Wyllie representedWellington at a provincial level, and played one match for the New Zealand national side, theAll Blacks, in 1980. He was theNew Zealand First Member of Parliament forTe Tai Tonga from 1996 to 1999.
Born inManutuke,[1] Wyllie affiliates to theNgāi Tāmanuhiri,Ngāti Ruapani andRongowhakaataiwi.[2] He was educated atGisborne Boys' High School where he played rugby for the 1st XV.[1] He then went toVictoria University of Wellington, where he studied law.[3] He worked as a bus driver, court clerk, teacher trainee and as a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Education, Iwi Transition Agency and the Department of Health.[4][5]
While at Victoria, Wyllie played rugby league for New Zealand Universities between 1975 and 1977. He then played representative rugby union forWellington from 1978 to 1983 andNew Zealand Māori from 1979 to 1982.[1] In the off-seasons he played overseas, in Ireland, the United States, Germany and France.[5] His sole appearance for theAll Blacks came in 1980, when he played against the touring Fijian side, scoring a try.[1] The game was not recognised as a full international.
| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–1999 | 45th | Te Tai Tonga | 36 | NZ First | |
Wyllie representedTe Tai Tonga as a member of Parliament from 1996 to 1999 for theNew Zealand First Party.
He defeated 29-year parliamentary veteranWhetu Tirikatene-Sullivan with a majority of 285 votes[6] enabling New Zealand First to capture all fiveMāori electorates in the 1996 election (including Te Tai Tonga). When theTight five led byTau Henare splintered from New Zealand First and created theMauri Pacific party, Wyllie chose to remain loyal to the party core. During the1999 election he sought re-election as MP for Te Tai Tonga, but chose not to stand on the party list. He was defeated byMahara Okeroa of theLabour Party by 4522 votes.[7]
During his term in Parliament, Wyllie also played for the parliamentary rugby team.[8]
Following his defeat in the1999 election Wyllie returned to Gisborne in an effort to assistNgai Tamanuhiri to prevent the sale ofYoung Nick's Head (Te Kuri), a place of historical, and spiritual significance to local Māori. Wyllie stated that "It is the absolute jewel in the crown because Young Nick’s Head, or Te Kuri as we know it, is our equivalent to Hikurangi for Ngati Porou and Aorangi or Aoraki for Ngāi Tahu. It is our mountain, it is what identifies us as an iwi and we have some real issues about what’s going to happen to it in the future.".[9] Ngai Tamanuhri tribal members led by Wyllie conducted a protest march and pitched their tents on the grounds ofNew Zealand Parliament.[10]
He later lost his mandate as iwi spokesperson after he filed a judicial application to overturn Michael Cullen's decision to approve the sale of the landmark.[11] Young Nicks Head was consequently sold to American millionaire John Griffin.
| New Zealand Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tonga 1996–1999 | Succeeded by |