The Labour Party have confirmed Peeni Henare as their candidate to contest the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election.
In a statement, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Henare, who has won the seat three times before, says he is exactly the leader Tāmaki Makaurau needs.
“He has the experience and track record to deliver real solutions for working families, rangatahi, kaumātua and our most vulnerable whānau.”
Henare says the key priorities for people in the electorate are clear. Jobs, access to quality and affordable health services, affordable housing and relief from the rising cost of living.
“Tāmaki Makaurau is where I was born and is my home. I know the challenges that many whānau are facing. The cost of living is putting significant pressure on whānau just to put kai on the table.” he said.
“My focus is clear. To fight for real solutions so our people can flourish.
Henare first entered Parliament in 2014, winning the Tāmaki Makaurau seat for Labour. He successfully defended it in both 2017 and 2020 however, in 2023, Henare lost the seat by just 42 votes to Kemp, in one of the tightest Māori electorate races of the election.
He returned to Parliament as a list MP.
On Thursday, Te Pāti Māori announced that former broadcaster Oriini Kaipara will be their candidate to contest the seat.
Kaipara was raised in and around Hoani Waititi Marae, a place known for cultivating unapologetic Māori leadership.
She recently became a grandmother, which she described as a key motivation for entering politics, alongside the growing pressures many whānau are facing.
“As a mum and as a kuia now, it’s bloody hard. The cost of living is atrocious. Just getting by and making ends meet — even for someone like me with a modest but decent income — is a daily struggle. Rent prices, the cost of living, the dream of owning a home in Tāmaki Makaurau… It’s just out of reach for so many,” she said.
A date for the by-election is yet to be set.
