Rahui Katene

Rahui Reid Katene (née Hippolite, born 1954) is a New Zealand politician. She was elected to the 49th New Zealand Parliament at the 2008 general election representing the Māori Party in the seat of Te Tai Tonga, but lost in the 2011 general election to Labour's Rino Tirikatene.

Rahui Katene
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Te Tai Tonga
In office
8 November 2008 – 26 November 2011
Preceded byMahara Okeroa
Succeeded byRino Tirikatene
Majority1,049 (45.73%)
Personal details
Born
Rahui Reid Hippolite

1954 (age 66–67)[1]
Nelson, New Zealand
Political partyMāori Party
Spouse(s)Dr Selwyn Katene
Children5

Early life and family

The daughter of activist John Hippolite,[1] Katene is of Ngati Koata, Ngati Kuia, Ngati Toa and Kai Tahu descent. She grew up in Nelson and was educated at Waimea College and Church College of New Zealand.[1] A lawyer, she spent six years as managing solicitor at Te Ratonga Ture / Māori Legal Services.[2] Katene is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[3]

Member of Parliament
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2008–2011 49th Te Tai Tonga 7 Māori

Prior to the 2008 general election, Katene initially missed out on the Māori Party candidacy for Te Tai Tonga to Monte Ohia. However she became the candidate following Ohia's death.[4]

She defeated incumbent Labour MP Mahara Okeroa with an election night majority of 684.[5]

In 2009 her Te Rā o Matariki Bill/Matariki Day Bill, which would have made Matariki a public holiday, was drawn from the member's ballot.[6] The bill was defeated at its first reading.[7]

In 2010, her member's bill to remove Goods and Services Tax from healthy food was drawn from the member's ballot.[8] The bill gathered support although Labour leader Phil Goff favoured a simpler exemption on just fruit and vegetables.[9] It was defeated at its first reading: National, ACT and United Future voted against the bill while Labour, the Greens, the Māori Party and the Progressive Party supported it.[10][11]

Since leaving Parliament Katene has remained active in the Māori Party and was briefly in the media spotlight for failing to remove her designation as an MP from social media, a revelation discovered after she appeared in new articles criticising her replacement, Rino Tirikatene who she argued was not listening to the electorate.[12] In early 2013 Katene put her hat in the ring to replace retiring co-leader Tariana Turia who had announced she would step down before the 2014 General election.[13] However, Marama Fox was subsequently chosen as Turia's replacement following the general election.[14]

Katene has also been working for the New Zealand Māori Council as a spokeswomen, supporting its legal challenge to the sale into mixed ownership of Crown-owned assets.[15]

References
  1. Neal, Tracy (26 August 2008). "Maori candidate claims strong support in region". Nelson Mail. p. 2.
  2. "Turia: Wahine Purotu Evening 2008 Maori Women". Scoop Independent News. 2 October 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  3. The Māori Party (30 March 2009). "Speech: Katene - Te Hui Amorangi o Te Wai Pounamu". Scoop.
  4. Rahui Katene to stand for Māori Party in Te Tai Tonga
  5. Election results 2008 Archived 24 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Te Rā o Matariki Bill/Matariki Day Bill". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  7. New Zealand Parliamentary Debates 656 5703.
  8. "Goods and Services Tax (Exemption of Healthy Food) Amendment Bill". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  9. "Interview with Rahui Katene and Phil Goff". Q+A with Paul Holmes. TVNZ. 18 July 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  10. "Bid to remove GST from healthy food fails". NZPA. 9 September 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  11. "Support for scrapping GST on healthy food". ONE News. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  12. Levy, Danya (30 May 2012). "Facebook page listed Katene as MP". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  13. "Flavell, Katene want Maori Party co-leadership". 3News. 23 January 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  14. Trevett, Claire (1 November 2014). "Fox elected as new co-leader". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  15. Bennett, Adam (1 February 2013). "Crown pressed over redress for Maori". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Mahara Okeroa		 Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tonga
2008–2011		 Succeeded by
Rino Tirikatene
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