Rawiri Waititi

Rawiri Waititi
MP
Waititi in 2024
Co-leader of Te Pāti Māori
Incumbent
Assumed office
28 October 2020
Co-leader with Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Preceded byJohn Tamihere
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Waiariki
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 October 2020
Preceded byTāmati Coffey
Majority15,891
Personal details
Born1980 or 1981 (age 42–43)[1]
Ōpōtiki, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Political partyTe Pāti Māori (2016–present)
Labour (until 2016)
SpouseKiri Tamihere-Waititi
Children5
RelativesHoani Waititi (grand-uncle)
Dame June Mariu (aunt)
Kahurangi Waititi (relation)
Taika Waititi (relation)
Tweedie Waititi (relation)
Rob Ruha (relation)
John Tamihere (father-in-law)
ProfessionPolitician and Ringatū Minister
WebsiteMāori Party profile

Rawiri Wikuki Waititi (born 17 October 1980 or 1981) is a New Zealand politician and iwi leader. He has been co-leader of Te Pāti Māori since 2020, alongside Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. He has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Waiariki since 2020,[2] when his election returned Te Pāti Māori to the New Zealand Parliament following their defeat at the 2017 general election.

Born and raised in the eastern Bay of Plenty, Waititi traces his lineage to many iwi but has firm links to Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and Ngāti Porou. An advocate of progressive political policies,[3] Waititi is a fluent Māori speaker, and is also an iwi leader, Ringatū minister, and kapa haka exponent.[4] He has been prominent and vocal in his opposition to the policies towards Māori of the Sixth National Government of New Zealand since the 2023 general election.

  1. ^ "Waiariki electorate". Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference 40 new MPs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "'We don't need divisive policies': Rawiri Waititi speaks from Wellington arm of protests". Newshub. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Rawiri Waititi will swear oath on Ringatū faith". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 7 August 2024.