Labour has officially confirmed its final candidate to contest the seven Māori electorates in the upcoming general election, naming Te Puoho Katene as the party’s last hopeful to join the ticket.
Katene, a Fulbright scholar and the Kaihautū (Executive Director) of Te Pūtea Whakatupu Trust, confirmed he is standing for Parliament because he is a “Pā boy” and believes that strong advocacy is required now more than ever, citing the cost of living crisis as a key example.
“I’m excited to be part of a Labour government that brings positive change for Māori communities. Our Māori population is young and growing fast; I want to help create a future where whānau, hapū and iwi are thriving socially, culturally and economically,” Te Pūoho Kātene said.
“Our economy should reflect what we care about as a country; our people. Money should be like a kūmara; its true value lies in its ability to feed our people. Investment paves the way for Māori to use our resources wisely to help transform the lives of our whānau,” he said.
His candidacy finalises Labour’s line-up as the party continues its vigorous campaign to win back all the Māori seats, a goal Labour leader Chris Hipkins and senior MP Willie Jackson have strongly signalled. Labour has consistently stated its strategy of backing “real gun candidates” to challenge the incumbent Te Pāti Māori MPs.
Katene, who has affiliations to Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāti Tama, and Ngāti Whātua, brings a strong background in indigenous economics and leadership to the race. He completed a Master of Science in Management at Stanford University as a Fulbright-NPM Graduate in 2017, investigating social enterprises and Indigenous economies based on cultural values. He was also previously named an Obama Foundation Leader for the Asia-Pacific region.
Labour’s drive to reclaim the seats is set against a backdrop of internal disputes within their main rival, Te Pāti Māori, which Willie Jackson has suggested may not recover from. The contest for the Māori electorates is seen as a crucial generational battle, with Labour fielding new faces alongside candidates like Cushla Tangaere-Manuel in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti and Toni Boynton in Waiariki.
