Whetu Tirikātene-Sullivan became the first female Māori Cabinet minister when she was sworn in as Minister of Tourism in Norman Kirk’s third Labour government
Maori MPs
Events In History
29 November 1949
Iriaka Rātana was elected as New Zealand’s first female Māori MP.
15 April 1868
The Maori Representation Act 1867 established four Māori seats in the House of Representatives, initially for a period of five years. The act gave the vote to all Māori males aged 21 and over.
Articles
Māori War Effort Organisation
The Maori War Effort Organisation was formed during the Second World War to assist with recruitment for the forces and war-related service. Read the full article
Page 2 - Origins
Assisted by two other Ratana-Labour MPs, Eruera Tirikatene and H.T. Ratana, Paraire Paikea drafted a scheme for an organisation to handle Maori recruitment and war-related
Page 3 - Difficult times
When the Maori War Effort Organisation was established, the government had estimated that it would have a six-month life at a cost of £7,000. In 1943 Paikea asked that the
Page 4 - An uneasy compromise
Minister of Native Affairs Rex Mason, wanting to curb the Maori War Effort Organisation's expansion or entrenchment, in 1944 initiated moves to introduce to the Native
Parliament Buildings
Parliament buildings have been modified, destroyed by fire, half-built and restored; the parliamentary places and spaces have formed an important part of New Zealand's history. Read the full article
Page 4 - Current buildings
Parliament Buildings are made up of the Edwardian neo-classical Parliament House and the Beehive – its name inspired by a brand of
Parliament's people
Today there are usually between 120 and 123 MPs in New Zealand's Parliament, which is a far cry from the 37 who met for the first time in Auckland in 1854. Read the full article
Page 1 - Parliament's people
Today there are usually between 120 and 123 MPs in New Zealand's Parliament, which is a far cry from the 37 who met for the first time in Auckland in
Page 3 - Māori MPs
Leaders of Māori society have represented their people in the House, including Māui Pōmare, James Carroll, Matiu Rata and, most famously, Apirana
Parliament's culture and traditions
Explore Parliament's rich history and its colourful culture and traditions. Read the full article
Page 6 - Parliament in te reo
Te reo (the Māori language) came into Parliament with the first Māori MPs, who were elected in
Māori and the vote
Between April and June 1868 the first four Māori MPs were elected to New Zealand's Parliament. Despite ongoing debate, the Māori seats remain a distinctive feature of this country's electoral landscape almost 150 years later. Read the full article
Page 1 - Māori and the vote
Between April and June 1868 the first four Māori MPs were elected to New Zealand's Parliament. Despite ongoing debate, the Māori seats remain a distinctive feature of this
Page 2 - Setting up the Māori seats
Early Māori representation in New Zealand
Page 3 - Change in the 20th century
The fall and rise of Māori seats in the 20th
The road to MMP
In 1993 New Zealanders voted to replace their traditional first past the post (FPP) voting system with mixed member proportional representation (MMP). Eighteen years on, as Kiwis voted in a new electoral referendum, we explore how and why that dramatic reform came about. Read the full article
Page 5 - 1996 and beyond - the road to MMP
The three years following the 1993 referendum, before the first MMP election in 1996, were ones of transition and
Biographies
Cabinet Minister and twice acting Prime Minister, James Carroll’s main aim in Parliament was to empower Maori and secure a role for them in the economic life of the country.
Hēnare Kaihau become deeply interested in Māori politics, and strongly supported the King movement, becoming a principal adviser to Mahuta, the third Māori King.
Hōne Heke Ngāpua was elected to Parliament in 1893 and represented the people of Northern Māori almost continuously until his death in 1909.
Elected to Parliament as the member for Western Māori in 1871, Wiremu Parata, took part in several high-profile court claims over Māori land.
Wi Pere was a strong critic of the government's Maori land policies during his 15 years as a Member of Parliament for Eastern Maori
Biography of doctor, politician and anthropologist Peter Buck (Te Rangi Hīroa)
Te Uri-o-Hau Methodist minister and Rātana leader, Paraire Paikea, played a leading role in forging the historic alliance between the Rātana movement and the Labour Party. He was minister in charge of the Māori war effort during the Second World War.
Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana, of Ngāti Apa and Ngā Rauru, founded the Rātana Church, which remains a major religious and political force today.
Ngāi Tahu politician Eruera Tirikātene became the first Member of Parliament to represent the Rātana religious and political movement in 1932.
The first Māori woman to be elected to Parliament, Iriaka Matiu Rātana was a passionate advocate for the welfare of her people.
