Sitting at his home in Pūtiki, Whanganui, nestled close to his marae, Tāwhiao McMaster says his decision to step into politics comes from being raised in leadership spaces grounded in listening, accountability and service.
“I tupu au i roto i te ao o ngā rangatira, me te maha hoki o ngā aunties me ngā kuia hei kaha tautoko ana,” he said.
He described growing up in Whanganui as being shaped by marae life and iwi governance, “he ao o te kīhini, he ao o te paepae, he ao o te whakapae,” where listening came first and speaking carried responsibility.
“Ko te noho whakarongo i te tuatahi, kōrero i te tuarua, engari i te wā e kōrero ana me kaha te kōrero, me pono, me tika,” he said.
McMaster said his motivation to enter politics came from seeing the impact of political decisions on Māori communities, and specifically his own people.
“Ko te maha o ngā kino o tēnei ao tōrangapū ki runga i a mātou o te ao Māori. Nō reira ko tāku noa iho te haramai me te awhi kia whakatika,” he said.
Now confirmed as Labour’s unchallenged candidate for Te Tai Hauāuru, McMaster said the decision to stand was mutual rather than one party approaching the other.
“I think it was both ways,” he said. “It just kinda fell in place… a ‘do you think this is a good idea?’ and then, ‘okay, you’ve got no choice now’.”
McMaster said his whānau’s longstanding relationship with Labour also played a role in his decision to stand under the party’s banner.
“Kaha rawa Te Pāti Reipa ki te tautoko i ngā mokopuna nei,” he said, adding that internal issues within other parties made Labour the better fit for him.
“Waiho ngā raruraru o ērā atu kia whakapaipai i tā mātou ake marae.”
McMaster also spoke at length about the historic and ongoing relationship between the Rātana faith and the Labour Party, describing it as deeply embedded in the life of Rātana Pā.
“The Labour Party and Rātana faith at Rātana Pā is legendary,” he said.
“The history has been so embedded within the society of Rātana Pā that those who are there have grown into the normality of following politics.”
He said Labour governments had played a key role in supporting development at the pā.
“The primary party that has enabled it, who assisted in the developments, who has helped with the builds, the infrastructure, has been from a Labour government,” he said.
McMaster whakapapa to the Rātana faith through his grandmother.
He said leadership within the faith, including guidance from the tumuaki, offered lessons for politics.
“I think we can learn quite a lot from the Hāhi Rātana within politics at this point in time,” he said.
Asked what he would bring as a candidate, McMaster said he was direct and solution-focused.
“If there’s something wrong, I’ll just say it,” he said. “But more than that, I’m a person that looks to construct solutions with others together.”
McMaster said he had strong backing within Labour and had the blessing of former speaker and Labour’s Adrian Rurawhe, who is leaving politics.
“I’ve got the most support that has ever been given to someone in Te Tai Hauāuru,” he said.
Despite the strong connection between Labour and Rātana, the Te Tai Hauāuru seat is currently held by Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, who won the electorate by a majority of more than 9,000 votes at the last election.
She was up against Labour candidate Soraya Peke-Mason at the time.
McMaster said he had respect for Ngarewa-Packer and described her as whānau.
“I love my Aunty,” he said. “There will not be a time when I’ll speak ill of my Aunty.”
He said she had played an important role in encouraging rangatahi participation.
“She has sung the waiata of promoting and ensuring rangatahi come in,” he said.
At Rātana, Ngarewa-Packer welcomed seeing a new face put themselves forward.
“I think it’s really great to see our young one putting themselves forward, so I’m really looking forward to be able to see who else, who the other parties are putting forward, and again the stretch of whanaungatanga that we do to propose an alternative to this revolting government that we have at the moment,” she told Te Ao Māori News.
However, McMaster said there was a noticeable shift happening among young voters.
“There’s a huge shift within te hunga rangatahi. It’s massive. Everyone sees it, everyone knows it. We’re just not speaking about it.”
McMaster said Labour’s openness to rangatahi who had not previously been embedded in the party was significant.
“What’s most interesting to me is the openness of allowing rangatahi to come in who haven’t actually been embedded in the Labour Party.
“Most of my cousins that supported the party Māori, now they’re turning to a brighter side of things.
“They know how to run it, they’ve got the energy. We’ve got the activation points, we know how to do the things that we need to do to activate our people,” he said.
McMaster may also be alluding to new Labour candidates yet to be announced. Te Ao News understands the party is looking at younger talent to come through the ranks in the coming months.
On whether he felt ready for Parliament, McMaster said the pressure of marae and hapū hui was more humbling and challenging.
“Come to one of our rūnanga hapū hui. That’s way more testing,” he said. “So I think it’s gonna be a piece of cake.”
McMaster outlined a long working background, starting on farms and in meatworks before studying law.
“I pretty much knew how to do most things on a farm by the age of 13,” he said.
After boarding school at Te Aute College, he worked in meatworks while studying at Waikato University, before working in Māori and corporate law firms and later the public sector.
He returned home to Whanganui around three years ago to raise his whānau and work with and for his people.
“The worst parts have changed [here],” he said. “It’s the poverty, it’s the education… it’s sad to see.”
Asked about his priorities, McMaster said mahi was his number one focus.
“Mahi is number one, getting more mahi within Te Tai Hauāuru,” he said, stressing the importance of sustainable, environmentally responsible employment.
“We’re the most connected to our taiao here,” he said.
Housing and health were his next priorities.
“There’s a growing amount of homelessness within Te Tai Hauāuru,” he said, pointing to opportunities for partnerships between the Crown and iwi.
On health, McMaster said understanding the health system was critical, pointing to “a huge, huge gap of misinformation”.
“You can’t really become ora if you don’t know what oranga is.”
Responding to commentary that Labour lacked inspiration, McMaster said Labour leader Chris Hipkins created space for people to be themselves.
“Uncle Chippie would be one of the best Prime Ministers because he allows us Māori to be ourselves,” he said.
His candidacy, which is currently unchallenged for the electorate, will be confirmed on February 1.
