Meka Whaitiri

Melissa Heni Mekameka Whaitiri (born 11 January 1965) is a politician of the Labour Party and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the Maori electorate of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti. Having previously worked in senior advisory and management roles, she won the 2013 Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by-election, succeeding Labour's Parekura Horomia, and has gone on to hold the seat in the 2014 and 2017 general elections.

The Honourable

Meka Whaitiri

MP
63rd Minister of Customs
Assumed office
6 November 2020
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byJenny Salesa
In office
26 October 2017 – 30 August 2018
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byTim Macindoe
Succeeded byKris Faafoi
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti
Assumed office
29 June 2013
Preceded byParekura Horomia
Personal details
Born (1965-01-11) 11 January 1965
Children2
ProfessionCEO

Early life

Whaitiri was born in Manutuke near Gisborne[1] in 1965,[2] and brought up in the Hastings suburb of Whakatu by a whānau of mostly freezing workers. She has affiliation to Rongowhakaata and Ngāti Kahungunu.[3] At Karamu High School, she was head girl.[1]

She first worked at a freezing works herself before obtaining a master's degree in education from Victoria University of Wellington. In both softball and netball, she competed to national level.[3] She was selected by the Silver Ferns as a non-travelling reserve player.[4][5] Her first professional job was for Parekura Horomia, who made her wait eight hours before he saw her, but then hired her immediately for the Department of Labour.[6]

She was a negotiator for Rongowhakaata's treaty settlement. From 2007 to 2009, she was a senior adviser for the Minister of Māori Affairs Office, and thus advised Hon Parekura Horomia while he was the Minister. Since 2009, she has been the chief executive officer of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi.[7]

Whaitiri's mother, Mei Whaitiri (née Irihapiti Robin), was the model used for the Pania of the Reef statue in Napier in 1954.[8] Whaitiri has two teenage sons.[1][3] She has been listed as one of Labour's gay MPs by media,[9][10] and has been described by Stuff as "openly lesbian."[11]

Member of Parliament
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
2013–2014 50th Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Labour
2014–2017 51st Ikaroa-Rāwhiti 19 Labour
2017–2020 52nd Ikaroa-Rāwhiti none Labour
2020–present 53rd Ikaroa-Rāwhiti 28 Labour

In opposition, 2013–2017

Horomia's death on 29 April 2013 triggered a by-election,[12][13] which took place on 29 June of that year. Most political analysts predicted that Labour would hold Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, which Horomia had held since its formation for the 1999 election – Horomia had won a majority of 6,541 votes (29.1%) at the previous election in 2011.[14]

Whaitiri won the by-election[15] with a majority of 1659 votes [16] and was sworn in as a Member of Parliament on 30 July 2013.[17]

Before the by-election, some media recorded anonymous speculation that members of the Labour Party Parliamentary caucus had put Labour Leader David Shearer on notice[18] and a decisive win in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti was regarded as important for his survival. Right-wing political blogger David Farrar called the by-election a "good victory for Labour", and commented that Whaitiri "could be one of the better Labour MPs".[19]

Whaitiri won the 2014 election with 9,753 votes, defeating television presenter Te Hamua Nikora of the Mana Movement.[2]

In Government, 2017–present

With 12,274 votes helping her hold the seat in 2017, Whaitiri returned to Parliament and was appointed Minister of Customs following Labour's formation of a coalition government with New Zealand First and the Greens.[20][21] She also served as Associate Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Local Government and Crown/Māori Relations.[22][23]

Alongside colleague, Willie Jackson, she co-chaired the Labour Māori Caucus during the sixth Labour Government.

On 30 August 2018, Whaitiri had to "stand aside" from her ministerial portfolios during an investigation into an allegation that she assaulted a staff member in her ministerial office. Fellow Labour MP Kris Faafoi assumed the role of Minister of Customs while her associate ministerial portfolios were assumed by their lead ministers.[24][25][26]

On 4 September 2020 the Governor-General granted Whaitiri retention of the title "The Honourable" in "recognition of her term as a member of the Executive Council".[27]

During the 2020 general election, Whaitiri retained her seat of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by a final margin of 6,045 votes, defeating the Māori Party's candidate Heather Te Au-Skipworth and the Green Party's Elizabeth Kerekere.[28]

In early November 2020, Whaitiri was reappointed as Minister of Customs and Associate Minister of Agriculture (with responsibility for animal welfare) while being appointed as Minister for Veterans and Associate Minister of Statistics.[29]

References
  1. "Meka Whaitiri". New Zealand Labour Party. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  2. Laing, Doug (20 September 2014). "Meka Whaitiri wins Ikaroa-Rawhiti". Hawke's Bay Today. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  3. "Labour selects Meka Whaitiri". The New Zealand Herald. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  4. "Meka Whaitiri : Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). Scoop. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  5. "Waatea News Update". Waatea 603 AM. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  6. Rutherford, Hamish (1 July 2013). "Successor's first job was for Horomia". The Press. p. A7. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  7. "Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election: Sprint nears end". Hawke's Bay Today. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  8. "Labour's Pania of the Reef". Newshub. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  9. "New Zealand is on track to elect the 'gayest parliament in the world'". SBS News. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  10. Young, Audrey (29 October 2013). "Labour to look at 'fairly representing' gay members in Parliament". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  11. Sheppard, Nicholas (8 October 2014). "Labour's gay conundrum". Stuff. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  12. "Labour MP Parekura Horomia dies". The New Zealand Herald. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  13. Chapman, Kate (8 May 2013). "June by-election for Horomias-seat". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  14. Small, Vernon (27 May 2013). "Iwi CEO beats broadcaster as seat candidate". Waikato Times. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  15. "Ikaroa-Rawhiti goes to the vote". stuff.co.nz. 29 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  16. "Majority drops slightly in final by-election result". Radio New Zealand. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  17. "Te Manu Korihi: New Ikaroa-Rawhiti sworn in". Radio New Zealand. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  18. Gower, Patrick (27 June 2013). "Shearer put on notice by Labour MPs". TV3 News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2013. Labour leader David Shearer has been put on two months' notice by his own MPs – if the poll ratings don't improve, his leadership will be challenged.
  19. Farrar, David (30 June 2013). "Ikaroa-Rawhiti byelection: a good victory for Labour". National Business Review. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  20. "Who's in? Who's out?". Radio NZ. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  21. "Ministerial List". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  22. "Hon Meka Whaitiri". New Zealand Labour Party. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  23. "Hon Mek Whaitiri". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  24. "Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri stands down from all ministerial portfolios over alleged assault on staff member". 1 News. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  25. Hurley, Emma; Lynch, Jenna (30 August 2018). "PM Jacinda Ardern accepts Govt Minister Meka Whaitiri's offer to stand aside". Newshub. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  26. "Labour MP stands down amid assault allegation". Radio New Zealand. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  27. "Retention of the title 'The Honourable'". New Zealand Gazette. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  28. "Ikaroa-Rāwhiti – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  29. "Ministerial List for Announcement on Monday" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2 November 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Parekura Horomia		 Member of Parliament for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti
2013–present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Tim Macindoe		 Minister of Customs
2017–2018

2020-present		 Succeeded by
Kris Faafoi
Preceded by
Jenny Salesa		 Incumbent
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