Mahara Okeroa

Mahara Okeroa (born 1946) is a former New Zealand politician of the New Zealand Labour Party. He represented the Te Tai Tonga Māori electorate as a Member of Parliament from 1999 to 2008.

The Honourable

Mahara Okeroa
Okeroa in 2018
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Te Tai Tonga
In office
27 November 1999 – 8 November 2008
Preceded byTutekawa Wyllie
Succeeded byRahui Katene
Personal details
Born1946 (age 74–75)
NationalityNew Zealand
Political partyLabour
ProfessionTeacher, public servant, MP

Early life and career

Okeroa was born in Waitara, Taranaki and grew up in Parihaka. He has iwi affiliations to Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Taranaki, Ngāti Ruanui and Ngā Rauru.[1][2] He trained and worked as a teacher before joining the Ministry of Education as a Māori education advisor and Te Puni Kōkiri as director for the Taranaki region.

Member of Parliament
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
1999–2002 46th Te Tai Tonga none Labour
2002–2005 47th Te Tai Tonga 33 Labour
2005–2008 48th Te Tai Tonga 22 Labour

Okeroa contested Te Tai Tonga, the Māori electorate covering the South Island and Wellington city, for the Labour Party at the 1999 general election. He was successful, defeating the incumbent Tu Wyllie of the New Zealand First Party. Okeroa held the electorate in 2002 and 2005.

In his first term as an MP, Okeroa was deputy chair of the Social Services select committee and a member of the Māori Affairs committee. In his second term, he was chair of the Māori Affairs committee and a member of the law and order committee. From July 2004, he held additional appointments as parliamentary under-secretary to the Minister of Māori Affairs and to the Minister of Education.

After the 2005 general election, Okeroa was appointed a minister outside of Cabinet holding associate ministerial portfolios for Arts, Culture and Heritage; Conservation and Social Development and Employment.

In the 2008 general election, Rahui Katene of the Māori Party out-polled Okeroa by a margin of 1,049 votes.[3] Okeroa's party list placement of 40 meant he was not able to immediately be elected as a list MP. He declined to re-enter Parliament as a list MP after the resignation of Darren Hughes in 2011[4] and did not stand for the general election later that year. He was succeeded as Labour's Te Tai Tonga candidate by Rino Tirikatene.[5]

Post-parliamentary career

Okeroa was elected to the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust in 2009[6] and succeeded Sir Ngātata Love as chair in October 2012 after the latter was removed, following a Serious Fraud Office investigation.[7] Okeroa held the chair until October 2013 when he was replaced by Neville Baker.[8] Okeroa's resignation from the Trust was announced the following year.[9]

He has also been a trustee of the Wellington Tenths Trust.[1]

References
  1. "Mahara Okeroa". Wellington Tenths Trust. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  2. "Okeroa, Mahara (Hon), 1946-". Okeroa, Mahara (Hon), 1946- | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 1946. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  3. Election results - Te Tai Tonga Archived 24 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Louisa Wall replaces Darren Hughes in Labour". Stuff. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  5. "New MP follows whanau". RNZ. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  6. "Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust". 25 December 2010. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  7. "Okeroa replaces Love as chairman of trust". Stuff. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  8. "Neville Baker to chair embattled trust". www.waateanews.com. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  9. "Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Tutekawa Wyllie		 Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tonga
1999–2008		 Succeeded by
Rahui Katene
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