Following her confirmation as Te Pāti Māori’s candidate for the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate, Haley Maxwell is setting out her priorities and the issues she says are at the forefront of her mind.
“Kia nui ake te pūtea ki ngā kōhanga reo me ngā kaupapa hauora, pēnei i ngā kaupapa e whakahaeretia ana e Tāpeta me Annette Wehi. Koinei ngā kaupapa whakaora i te iwi kia kaua e tatari rā anō, kia tae ki te wā haere ki te tākuta.”
“Me whakaora tātou i a tātou anō.”
Maxwell has been a prominent face in recent Toitū Te Tiriti activations, rallied supporters in Gisborne following anti-rainbow protests, and led demonstrations in support of Palestine.
While Māori issues remain her priority, she says she also intends to use her platform to amplify the voices of Indigenous peoples globally.
“Ka kaha kōrero au, ka kaha whawhai ahau mo ngā iwi taketake o te ao. Paratinia mai, Awherika mai, ngā iwi o te Moana Nui-a-Kiwa, ā tātou whanaunga.”
Maxwell, of Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa descent, was raised in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa.
A māmā, nanny and longtime advocate for rangatahi justice and reo revitalisation, she enters the race pledging to tackle cost-of-living pressures, housing unaffordability, and low incomes across the electorate.
“This wasn’t a choice, it was a calling,” Maxwell said.
“Te Pāti Māori has been the unapologetic voice for our people when Te Tiriti, our reo and our haka have come under attack. I’m stepping forward for every whānau who feels forgotten, for our mokopuna who deserve to live proud and free, and for the rangatahi who will one day pick up this mantle and carry it further.”
Maxwell was part of organising and leading the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti from Te Tai Rāwhiti through Kahungunu and has championed marae-based justice initiatives such as Te Kōti Rangatahi.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi described Maxwell as someone who “has stood on the marae, in the courts and on the streets for our people.”
“Parliament will be a stronger house with her voice echoing the roar of Te Tai Rāwhiti,” he said.
“She embodies the fierce compassion and courage that Ikaroa-Rāwhiti is famous for.”
Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer added, “Haley is a mover, a shaker, and a fierce champion for our people. She will fight for tino rangatiratanga, for our rangatahi, affordable homes, liveable incomes and a justice system that heals rather than harms.”
The Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat stretches from Te Matau-a-Māui to the East Coast and Wairarapa.
It is currently held by Labour’s Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, the only MP to win a Māori electorate outside of Te Pāti Māori in the 2023 election.
“I acknowledge the Te Pāti Māori candidate announcement of Haley Maxwell and commend her for putting herself forward.
“Ikaroa-Rawhiti deserves to have choices and will ultimately choose their voice in Parliament. In the meantime, it’s my honour to continue to serve our people.” Tangaere-Manuel said in a statement.
Tangaere-Manuel won the seat from former Labour MP Meka Whaitiri, who had dramatically defected to Te Pāti Māori ahead of the last election. The move shocked many but ultimately failed to translate into electoral success for Whaitiri, who lost the seat she had held since 2013.