Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke
MP
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Hauraki-Waikato
Assumed office
14 October 2023
Preceded byNanaia Mahuta
Majority2,911
Personal details
BornSeptember 2002 (age 21)
Political partyTe Pāti Māori

Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke[1] (born 2002)[lower-alpha 1] is a New Zealand politician, representing Te Pāti Māori as a Member of Parliament since the 2023 New Zealand general election. She is the youngest MP since James Stuart-Wortley, who was elected in the 1853 election when he was aged 20 years and 7 months.

Background

Maipi-Clarke has ancestry in Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Te Āti Awa, and Ngāi Tahu.[4] The broadcaster Potaka Maipi is her father.[5] She is the grand-niece of Māori language activist Hana Te Hemara.[6] Taitimu Maipi, whose activism contributed to the removal of the Captain Hamilton statue in 2020, is her grandfather.[6] Wi Katene, the first Māori MP to be appointed to the Executive Council, was her great-great-great-great-grandfather.[7]

Maipi-Clarke received her education at Te Wharekura o Rākaumangamanga in Huntly.[8] Aged 17, she published a book Maahina about maramataka – the Māori lunar calendar.[4] She was inspired by Rangi Mātāmua to research the topic when he lectured about Matariki.[8] In 2023, she gave a training course to the New Zealand Warriors about maramataka and Matariki.[9]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2023–present 54th Hauraki-Waikato 4 Te Pāti Māori

During Te Wiki o te Reo Māori in September 2022, Maipi-Clarke gave a speech on the steps of Parliament House.[10][11] Several political parties approached Maipi-Clarke afterwards, asking her to consider joining them.[6]

Both Maipi-Clarke and her father were under consideration by Te Pāti Māori as candidates for the Hauraki-Waikato electorate. In the end, the party wanted a "youthful perspective"[12] and she was selected to contest the electorate at the 2023 election. She was 4th on the 2023 party list. Elected at 21 years old, she is New Zealand's youngest MP since James Stuart-Wortley, who was elected in the country's first general election in 1853 when he was aged 20 years and 7 months.[4][13] Had Stuart-Wortley not lied about his age (at the time, the minimum age requirement was 21 and he was thus not eligible to stand), she would have been New Zealand's youngest MP ever.[14][15]

During the campaign, Maipi-Clarke was subject to multiple alleged home invasions, which Te Pāti Māori referred to as politically motivated.[16] An elderly man alleged to be a well-known National Party campaigner was issued a trespass notice by police.[17]

During the 2023 general election held on 14 October, Maipi-Clarke unseated incumbent Labour MP Nanaia Mahuta by a margin of 2,911 votes. At the age of 21 years, Clarke became the youngest member of Parliament in New Zealand in 170 years.[18][19]

Views and positions

During her maiden speech in December 2023, Maipi-Clarke criticised the National-led coalition government, claiming that it had "attacked my whole world from every corner." She identified health, the environment, water, land, natural resources and children as key areas of disagreement with the Government.[20]

Voting age

Maipi-Clarke has supported lowering the voting age to 16 years. Following the landmark 2022 Supreme Court Make It 16 Incorporated v Attorney-General, she supported proposed legislation introduced by the Sixth Labour Government in August 2023 to lower the voting age to 16 years for local elections.[21]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Sources state that she was 20 in August 2023,[2] and 21 in September 2023.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Members Sworn". New Zealand Parliament. 5 December 2023.
  2. ↑ Manhire, Toby (20 August 2023). "Te Pāti Māori set to bring youngest MP to parliament for 170 years". The Spinoff. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "Te Pāti Māori says candidate Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke's home invaded, vandalised in 'politically motivated attack'". Newshub. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "Te Pāti Māori announces list, may elect NZ's youngest MP, aged 20". Radio New Zealand. 20 August 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  5. ↑ Los'e, Joseph (20 August 2023). "Te Pāti Māori promotes youth to Parliament list". Te Ao News. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Rolleston, Te Aorewa (29 June 2023). "Granddaughter of Hamilton statue activist to contest Hauraki-Waikato seat". Waikato Times. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  7. ↑ Husband, Dale (23 August 2023). "Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke – Te Pāti Māori Candidate for Hauraki Waikato". Waatea News. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  8. 1 2 Tyson, Jessica (3 July 2020). "17-year-old launches book about maramataka Māori". Te Ao News. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "Matariki explained to One New Zealand Warriors players". New Zealand Warriors. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Dewes, Te Kuru o te Marama (22 December 2022). "A momentous year for te reo Māori". The Spinoff. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  11. ↑ Hanly, Lillian (14 September 2022). "Powerful speeches at 50th Māori Language Petition anniversary". 1 News. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  12. ↑ Panapa, Maioha (19 May 2023). "Father and daughter weigh options to represent Te Pāti Māori in Hauraki-Waikato". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  13. ↑ "Youngest members of Parliament – New Zealand Parliament". parliament.nz. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  14. ↑ Sewell, Henry (1980). W. David McIntyre (ed.). The Journal of Henry Sewell 1853–7 : Volume I. Christchurch: Whitcoulls Publishers. ISBN 0-7233-0624-9.
  15. ↑ "Youngest members of Parliament – New Zealand Parliament". parliament.nz. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "Te Pāti Māori candidate's home invaded in 'politically motivated attack'". 1 News. 29 September 2023.
  17. ↑ Hewett, William (5 October 2023). "Election 2023: Te Pāti Māori says candidate Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke's home invaded again". Newshub.
  18. ↑ "Hauraki-Waikato – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  19. ↑ "Waikato election 2023 results". The New Zealand Herald. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  20. ↑ Doyle, Trent (12 December 2023). "Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke delivers powerful maiden speech, says new Government 'attacked my whole world'". Newshub. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  21. ↑ Sapkota, Rituraj (18 August 2023). "Will 16-year-olds be able to vote in local elections?". Te Ao Māori News. Māori Television. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
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