Maori Party’s Rawiri Waititi arrives at Parliament in style

By Te Aniwa Hurihanganui for RNZ

Rawiri Waititi of the Maori party, wearing a white cowboy hat, landed in Parliament yesterday for the first time since he won the Waiariki electorate.

He narrowly beat Labor’s Tamati Coffey for the seat in a thrilling finale, winning by just over 400 votes, though his place in Parliament is not guaranteed with special votes yet to be counted.

He said getting there was humiliating and discouraging.

“I entered here before in other capacities, but in a capacity where you have the privilege and honor to represent your people, there is a sense of pride and excitement, but there is also anxiety … now I know how a Pākehā feels to walk towards a marae, “he said.

“It’s a bit overwhelming because they have different tikanga, but we have to make sure that we stay true to ourselves, we stay true to our kaupapa and we stay true to our people, that’s the most important thing.”

If Waititi is elected, he will be only the second MP to wear a full-face mataora or moko.

He said that gave him an immense sense of pride and meant that he would never be alone in Parliament.

“There is a kōrero at home … we stand on the shoulders of our tīpuna, of giants, but we carry the dreams and aspirations of our tamariki and mokopuna.”

Whatever happens after the special votes are counted, the Maori clearly want to see change, he said.

“The rejuvenation of our Maori movement is really at stake. We are lucky to have one here now, but in 2023 there will be a great challenge and the game will begin and we will have more Maori with a Maori Voice on camera.

“The impacts I would like to make here are systemic impacts and roll back what I think are Tikanga that are foreign to our people. So look at this space, and our job is to hold the Maori Labor Party caucus to account.”

Waititi also wore his cowboy hat proudly today, saying there was a reason he carried it with him wherever he went.

“The reason I’m wearing the hat is because in our part of the country, our East Coast C Company men were known as Ngā Kaupoi (cowboys), so this is an acknowledgment to my koroua who went to the war and also an acknowledgment of our kuia who stayed home and looked after the farms and the whānau.

“So there’s a reason I wear the hat, it’s not just because it makes me look good,” she laughed.

The final count, including special votes, will take place on November 6.