Nanaia Mahuta

Nanaia Cybelle Mahuta[3] (born 21 August 1970) is a New Zealand politician who currently serves as the Minister for Māori Development and Minister for Local Government. She was previously a cabinet minister in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand, serving then as Minister of Customs, Minister of Local Government, Minister of Youth Development, Associate Minister for the Environment, and Associate Minister of Tourism.[4] She has strong links to the Māori King Movement, being the daughter of Sir Robert Mahuta, who was the adopted son of King Korokī and the elder brother of Māori Queen Te Atairangikaahu. She has an MA (Hons) in social anthropology.[5] In 2016, she acquired a Māori facial tattoo and became the first female MP to wear one in the New Zealand parliament.[6] In 2018, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women.[7]

The Honourable Nanaia Mahuta MP
Mahuta in 2019
44th Minister for Māori Development
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 October 2017
Prime Minister	Jacinda Ardern
Preceded by	Te Ururoa Flavell
12th Minister of Local Government
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 October 2017
Prime Minister	Jacinda Ardern
Preceded by	Anne Tolley
In office 19 October 2005 – 24 November 2008
Prime Minister	Helen Clark
Preceded by	Chris Carter
Succeeded by	Rodney Hide
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Te Tai Hauāuru
In office 1999–2002
Preceded by	Tukuroirangi Morgan
Succeeded by	Tariana Turia
Majority	6,233[1]
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Tainui
In office 2002–2008
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Majority	3,430[1]
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Hauraki-Waikato
Incumbent
Assumed office 2008
Preceded by	New constituency
Majority	1,046[2]
Personal details
Born	(1970-08-21) 21 August 1970 New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Website	nanaiamahuta.org.nz

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate	List	Party
1996–1999	45th	List	8	Labour
1999–2002	46th	Te Tai Hauāuru	10	Labour
2002–2005	47th	Tainui	19	Labour
2005–2008	48th	Tainui	none	Labour
2008–2011	49th	Hauraki-Waikato	10	Labour
2011–2014	50th	Hauraki-Waikato	12	Labour
2014–2017	51st	Hauraki-Waikato	6	Labour
2017–present	52nd	Hauraki-Waikato	none	Labour

Mahuta was first elected to Parliament in the 1996 elections, when she became a list MP. In the 1999 elections, she won the Te Tai Hauauru electorate, and in the 2002 elections, she won Tainui. Before the 2008 general election the electorate boundaries were changed and it was renamed Hauraki-Waikato. She held the seat with a majority of 888.[2]

Foreshore and seabed controversy

In 2004, she joined Tariana Turia, another Labour MP, in voting against the first reading of her party's legislation on the controversial foreshore and seabed issue. She did not, however, join Turia when she quit Labour to found the Māori Party. In the bill's second reading, she again voted against her party, but in the third reading, she changed her position and supported it, saying that while it had "serious flaws, ... at the end of the day, it was the right thing to do".

Cabinet Minister: 2005–2008

In the 2005 general election Mahuta held her electorate seat of Tainui. Subsequently, Mahuta as part of the Labour-Progressive coalition government, was Minister of Customs, Youth Development, Local Government and Associate Environment. Mahuta lost her portfolios when Labour were defeated in the 2008 general election.

In opposition: 2008–2017

Following the defeat of the Labour government in the 2008 election, Phil Goff appointed Mahuta as spokesperson for Maori Social Development.[8]

In 2009 Mahuta's Resource Management (Enhancement of Iwi Management Plans) Amendment Bill, which proposed giving more weight to Māori in resource-management decisions, was drawn from the members' ballot.[9] The bill was defeated at its first reading in August.[9]

On 15 June 2010, Opposition Leader Phil Goff appointed Mahuta as Portfolio Spokesperson for Energy and as Associate Portfolio Spokesperson for Law and Order. (Shane Jones had previously held the energy portfolio). At the same time, in addition to the portfolio appointments, both Mahuta and Charles Chauvel moved to the parliamentary opposition front bench.

On 14 October 2014 Mahuta became a candidate in the 2014 Labour Party leadership election. She was unsuccessful, and Andrew Little became the leader of the Labour Party.[10]

Cabinet Minister: 2017–present

Mahuta currently serves as a cabinet minister in the Sixth Labour Government with the portfolios for Local Government and Maori Development.

References

1. "Elections NZ 2005: Official Count Results — Tainui" (PDF). Parliament.nz. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
2. "Hauraki-Waikato results 2008". 2008.electionresults.govt.nz. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
3. "New Zealand Hansard – Members Sworn [Volume:651;Page:2]". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
4. "Ministerial List for Announcement on 31 October 2007". Beehive.govt.nz (Press release). New Zealand Government. 31 October 2007. Archived from the original (DOC) on 1 October 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
6. Eleanor Ainge Roy in Dunedin (2016). "'This is who I am', says first female MP to wear Māori facial tattoo in NZ parliament | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
7. "BBC 100 Women 2018: Who is on the list?". BBC News. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
8. "Goff announces changes to shadow Cabinet and portfolio allocations". New Zealand Labour Party. 5 May 2009. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
9. "Resource Management (Enhancement of Iwi Management Plans) Amendment Bill". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
10. Small, Vernon & Gulliver, Aimee (18 November 2014). "Andrew Little new Labour Party leader – by a whisker". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 19 November 2014.

External links

• Official website

New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Tuku Morgan	Member of Parliament for Te Tai Hauāuru 1999–2002	Succeeded by Tariana Turia
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Tainui 2002–2008	Constituency abolished
	Member of Parliament for Hauraki-Waikato 2008–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Rick Barker	Minister of Customs 2005–2008	Succeeded by Maurice Williamson
Preceded by Chris Carter	Minister of Local Government 2005–2008 2017–present	Succeeded by Rodney Hide
Preceded by Anne Tolley		Incumbent
Preceded by Te Ururoa Flavell	Minister for Māori Development 2017–present