54th Parliament: 34 Māori MPs started, 39 served, 32 remain

The 54th Parliament made history in 2023, with more MPs of Māori descent than any previous Parliament.

Although initial reports counted 33 Māori MPs at the beginning of the term, there were actually 34, making up about 28 percent of Parliament.

However, across the parliamentary term, 39 Māori MPs have sat in the House.

As the term comes to an end, 32 Māori MPs remain, two fewer than at the beginning of the 54th Parliament.

Those changes have all occurred among opposition parties, while the three coalition parties have retained their Māori MPs throughout the term.

In most cases where a Māori MP left Parliament, they were replaced by another Māori MP. Labour was the exception, contributing to the overall decline in Māori representation by the end of the term.

Labour Party

The first Māori MP to leave was Rino Tirikatene, the former Te Tai Tonga MP who sat in that electorate from 2011 to 2023. He left on 28 January 2024. He is now a NZ First member but isn’t running in the upcoming election.

Just a little over a week later on Waitangi Day, Kelvin Davis retired from politics after losing the Te Tai Tokerau seat, which he had sat on since 2014.

Davis was replaced by Shanan Halbert as a list MP.

The next Labour Māori MP to resign would be at Waitangi 2026, with Adrian Rurawhe, who was replaced by Georgie Dansey.

A month later, Labour saw the loss of Peeni Henare, who resigned on 16 March.

Overall, Labour saw four Māori MPs resign, and gained two new Māori MPs.

Green Party

Compared to Labour, the Green Party Māori MPs who left didn’t have a clean exit.

On 8 July 2024, Darleen Tana became an Independent MP after resigning from the Greens following a suspension from the party after allegations of migrant exploitation at her husband’s bicycle shop.

She would later be expelled from Parliament after the Green Party invoked the waka-jumping legislation against her.

Benjamin Doyle replaced Tana on 22 October 2024.

Doyle would stay on as a Green MP until the following year, when they would resign due to “baseless and violent accusations” as well as the “onslaught of hate, vitriol and threats of real-world violence” directed at them and their whānau.

This was after a New Zealand First Member launched a social media campaign targeting the MP over a post on their private Instagram page in 2023, which led to the Police charging over 10 people for threats or actions against Doyle.

Doyle’s last day was on 3 October 2025. They were replaced by Mike Davidson.

Te Pāti Māori

Although Te Pāti Māori had a great beginning of the term, holding six of the seven, the winds would come and shake their waka.

Following the sudden loss of Tāmaki Mākaurau MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp on 26 June 2025, a by-election for the Māori electorate was held.

It saw ex-broadcaster Oriini Kaipara retain the seat for Te Pāti Māori on 6 September 2025.

A month later, infighting within the party would spill into public view, which ultimately led to two of its MPs being expelled from Te Pāti Māori.

On 10 November 2025, Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris became independent.

Kapa-Kingi would fight it in court, ultimately winning the case, reentering the party on 10 March 2026.

She would later become independent again on 12 May 2026, announcing her new political party, named Te Tai Tokerau Party, for the upcoming election.

Te Pāti Māori started with six Māori seats but was left with only four by the end of the term.

Coalition government

Although the coalition government had none of its Māori MPs leaves during its time in parliament, National’s Shane Reti chose to retire at the end of the term instead of re-running in the 2026 elections.

In his valedictory speech in late August, Reti said: “We come to Parliament to make a difference, and I hope, in some small way, that I’ve achieved this”.

“I am the first Māori to win the Whangārei seat, and the 15th Māori to win a general seat. Serving the people of Whangārei has been a privilege.

“Wellington can be tough, and the beltway can be narrow. When the rigours of Wellington has impacted, returning to the electorate each week has anchored me and reminded me of my purpose, especially with my squash mates.

“To the people of Whangārei, I came here to do something, not be something, and I gave it my all.”

During his time, Reti held multiple portfolios and was a cabinet minister, but after a reshuffle in April 2026, he became just the Whangārei MP.

There are multiple Māori MPs who held ministerial roles within the current government till the end.

Current sitting Māori MPs

This election year is also seeing something new, with Māori holding prominent leadership positions across all four of Parliament’s minor parties.

NZ First and ACT both have Māori in their leader and deputy leader positions, while the Greens have Marama Davidson as co-leader and Teanau Tuiono at number three on their party list. Te Pāti Māori, meanwhile, has Māori throughout its leadership and caucus.