‘I’m tired of being impartial’: Oriini Kaipara steps up for Te Pāti Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau

Friday, 11 July 2025

Kaipara has been confirmed as Te Pāti Māori’s candidate for the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election, pledging to prioritise te reo Māori, housing, and the wellbeing of Māori communities.

This video is part of The Hui’s interview with Oriini Kaipara. The full interview is at the bottom of this article. The reporting was produced by The Hui and has been published by Stuff with permission. For more from The Hui, click here.

Oriini Kaipara says she’s throwing herself into politics because she’s tired of biting her tongue and sitting on the sidelines.

The former broadcaster was confirmed as Te Pāti Māori’s candidate for the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election at a hui at Hoani Waititi Marae on Thursday evening.

Kaipara (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangitihi) told The Hui presenter Julian Wilcox that she had found it hard to remain impartial as a journalist, particularly when covering issues such as the Tūhoe raids.

“I’m getting tired. Tired of sitting on the sidelines and being impartial, being objective, having to bite my tongue when I see a huge hīkoi walking past me and I cannot actively voice my truth. Yeah, it did hurt.”

Speaking on The Hui, Kaipara said that while she may not be a career politician, her life has always been “absolutely political”.

Kaipara told Wilcox it was “heartbreaking” that only two percent of New Zealanders are able to hold a conversation in te reo Māori. She said she made no apology for prioritising the health of the language above all other issues facing the country, and hoped part of her legacy would be ensuring free access to te reo for all Māori.

“I get it, not everyone is for te reo. But this is who I am, and I will not push it aside.

Kaipara’s move into politics has been influenced by entering her forties and recently becoming a grandmother.

“There’s a very, very confronting statistic that affects all of us as Māori. We die seven years younger than everyone else.”

Within her own whakapapa, she has experienced deep personal loss - her mother and sister passed away within a month of each other.

“Far too many people, far too soon, far before their time. Our rangatira are leaving.”

Although she doesn't consider herself a rangatira, Kaipara said:

“Who is filling the gaps? Who is stepping up?”

Kaipara made history on Christmas Day 2019 as the first wahine with a moko kauae – a traditional lower chin tattoo worn by Māori women – to anchor a primetime news bulletin.

She added that while she may not be a career politician, her life has always been “absolutely political”.

In a statement announcing her selection, Te Pāti Māori said Kaipara would prioritise securing first right of refusal for mana whenua on culturally significant private land. She also aims to drive kaupapa Māori housing solutions to address the housing shortage for rangatahi, and to push for greater investment in kaupapa Māori education.

Kaipara also pledged to tackle Auckland’s cost-of-living crisis, with a focus on housing and rising food costs.

The Tāmaki Makaurau by-election follows the sudden death of sitting Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp on 26 June. Kemp narrowly won the seat from Labour’s Peeni Henare by just 42 votes in the 2023 election.

Speaking on The Hui, former broadcaster Oriini Kaipara explains her unapologetic stance on te reo Māori and her motivations for entering politics.

Labour is expected to announce its candidate in the coming days. The Green Party has said it will not contest the seat. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has yet to announce a date for the by-election, which is likely to take place in late August.

Made with the support of Te Māngai Pāho and New Zealand On Air.

**Watch The Hui’s full interview with *Oriini Kaipara:***