Waiariki commentators, Maringi James and Charlie Rahiri joined Te ArawaFM Station Manager, Kereama Wright for a post debate analysis, following the Whakatau 2026 Waiariki Debate.
The audience was asked to raise their hands on who they thought won the debate with majority of hands being raised for Te Pāti Māori candidate, Rawiri Waititi and Green Party candidate, Tania Waikato.
Whakaata Māori surveyed 500 whānau from the Waiariki Electorate. Within the polls of the Candidate Vote shown on the night of the debate, Māori Party’s Rawiri Waititi is in the lead with 42%, following Waititi is Green Party’s Tania Waikato at 16%, Labour Party’s Toni Boynton at 14% and The Opportunity Party’s candidate, Pāpā Wharewera at 3%.
Commentators Charlie Rahiri and Maringi James were not surprised by the outcome of the polls.
“If the polls had been done this time last year, we would’ve seen that a lot of us (Waiariki) support Te Pāti Māori. I think people are just weighing up who to give their party vote to,” James says.
“I wasn’t surprised. I think if they had a poll a year ago, it would’ve been a different result. I think Rawiri has done a lot of work and I mean we saw the issues of the Māori Party play out quite publicly,” says Rahiri.
From a rangatahi perspective, James encouraged lowering the voting age to 16, noting most rangatahi are likely to put their votes toward the left rather than the right.
“I think if rangatahi were to vote, we’d all vote left anyways. So I think to make it compulsory, it would probably benefit us,” according to James.
Rahiri emphasised the importance of strategic voting, highlighting it could work for the Waiariki electorate.
“Our region is much too important not to be one inside Cabinet. Two, holding a ministerial portfolio,” Rahiri says.