Prominent northern leader and former politician, Hone Harawira, could be standing for Te Tai Tokerau for Te Pāti Māori in this year’s general election.
It comes after Mariameno Kapa-Kingi announced she was officially leaving Te Pāti Māori and starting the new Te Tai Tokerau party yesterday.
Te Ao News understands a meeting was held last night with potential candidates to discuss the future of Te Pāti Māori.
It is also understood the Te Tai Tokerau executive has also resigned following Kapa-Kingi’s departure.
Hone Harawira says he can’t confirm or deny if he will be the candidate, but a process is underway.
Other prominent names are being touted as also potentially putting their hat in the ring for the position.
Harawira told Te Ao News that his primary focus is to help rebuild the party and its membership in Te Tai Tokerau, and candidacy, whoever it might be, will follow.
Hone Harawira’s political legacy
Hone Harawira’s political legacy stretches across decades of Māori activism and politics.
A long-time activist involved with groups such as Ngā Tamatoa and the Waitangi Action Committee, he later helped lead the 2004 hīkoi opposing the Foreshore and Seabed Act, a movement that helped spark the creation of the Māori Party.
Harawira entered Parliament in 2005 as Te Tai Tokerau MP for the Māori Party and held the seat until 2014.
He split from the party in 2011 over its relationship with the National-led Government, forming the Mana Party and winning a by-election to return to Parliament.
He later lost Te Tai Tokerau to Labour’s Kelvin Davis in 2014 and made an unsuccessful comeback attempt in 2017.
The Mana Movement later endorsed the Māori Party in 2020, before formally dissolving in 2021.
