Election 2023: Te Pāti Māori announces list, may elect 20yo Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke as NZ's youngest MP

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, aged 20, is at number four on the Te Pāti Māori list.
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, aged 20, is at number four on the Te Pāti Māori list. Photo credit: Erica Sinclair / Supplied via RNZ

RNZ

Te Pāti Māori has announced its candidate list rankings for the October election, and based on current polling it may elect New Zealand's youngest MP in 170 years.

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, 20, is at number four on the list, just below sitting MPs Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi, and Meka Whaitiri.

Maipi-Clarke - Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Porou, Te Atiawa and Ngāi Tahu - is a published author and expert in maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar.

She is also a descendent of Hana Te Hemara, who spearheaded the Māori language petition 50 years ago.

"Hana has every chance of becoming Aotearoa's youngest MP at the next election," the party said in announcing their list.

If elected she would become the youngest MP in 170 years, since James Frederick Stuart-Wortley was elected in 1853 at age 20 and seven months.

"Governments change every three years, but Te Pāti Māori is intergenerational," co-leader Rawiri Waititi said in a statement.

"We are laying the blueprint for an Aotearoa hou and are putting our money where our mouth is. Hana is our succession plan. She embodies the future of this country.

"Our rangatahi are more politically engaged than any other generation," co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said.

"It's time we listen to them and make way for them. When we talk about an Aotearoa hou we are talking about people like Hana.

"We have put together a formidable candidate list, stacked with rangatahi who will lead us into the election. We will be running a two-tick campaign to make this happen.

"Today is the beginning of our succession plan for an Aotearoa hou," Waititi said.

As of now Te Pāti Māori is averaging about 3 percent in the party vote according to RNZ's polling average but they are likely to win an electorate seat.

The party is running in all seven Maori electorate seats as well as in Rotorua, currently held by National's Todd McClay.

Meka Whaitiri won Ikaroa-Rāwhiti for Labour before defecting to Te Pāti Māori in May. The seat has been held by Labour since 2013.

All the major parties have now announced their lists for the 14 October election.

Te Pāti Māori Candidate List

1. Debbie Ngarewa-Packer

2. Rawiri Waititi

3. Meka Whaitiri

4. Hana Maipi

5. Tākuta (Doc) Ferris

6. Takutai Kemp

7. Mariameno Kapa-Kingi

8. Merepeka Raukawa-Tait

9. Eru Kapa-Kingi

10. Keanu Flavell

11. Hilda Peters

12. Arabela Boatwright

13. Pere Huriwai-Seger

14. Hoera Kereama

15. Te Ao Kapa

16. Bridget Bell

17. Te Whakapono Waikare

18. Rivah Hura

19. Conor Watene-O'Sullivan

20. Dame Rangimārie Naida Glavish

21. Lady Tureiti Moxon

22. Dedrie Hemingway

23. Nancy Tuaine

24. Teresa Butler

25. Kyla Campbell-Kamariera

26. Jacqui Harema

27. Te Waka Ruapounamu McLeod

28. John Tamihere

29. Elijah Pue

30. Rangi Mclean

RNZ