Western Maori

Western Maori was one of the four former New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorates, from 1868 to 1996.

Tribal areas

The Western Maori electorate extended from South Auckland and the Waikato to Taranaki and the Manawatu. The seat originally went to Wellington. With MMP it was replaced by the Te Tai Hauāuru electorate in 1996.

The electorate includes the following tribal areas: Tainui, Taranaki

History

The first member of parliament for Western Maori from 1868 was Mete Paetahi.^[1] At the nomination meeting in Wanganui, held at the Courthouse, Paetahi was the only candidate proposed.^[2] He was thus elected unopposed.^[3] He represented the electorate of Western Maori from 1868 to 1870. He contested the electorate again at the 1871 general election, but of the three candidates, he came last. He was defeated by Wiremu Parata, with Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui in second place.^[4]

From the 1890s to the 1930s the seat was held by various Reform Party MPs. In 1935, Toko Ratana the eldest son of the founder of the Ratana Church won the seat and became the second Ratana MP; he became a Labour MP following the Labour-Ratana pact. From this point until the abolition of the seat prior to the 1996 election the seat was held by Labour MPs.

Toko Ratana died in 1944 and was succeeded by his younger brother, Matiu Rātana. He died in 1949 shortly before the 1949 general election. His wife Iriaka Matiu Ratana stood in his stead, despite significant opposition from those supporting traditional leadership roles, with Te Puea Herangi speaking out against her claim to "captain the Tainui canoe". Only the strong backing of the Rātana church and her threat to stand as a Rātana Independent secured her the Labour Party nomination. She became the first woman Maori MP, getting a similar majority (6317) to her husband in 1946 (his majority then was 6491), but no less than seven independent candidates (and one Kauhananui candidate, K Nutana) stood against her; they got 116 to 326 votes each.^[5]

Candidates for the National Party (who usually came second) included Hoeroa Marumaru (1946, 1949 & 1951) and Pei Te Hurinui Jones (1957, 1960 and 1963; also earlier).

Members of Parliament

Western Maori was represented by 15 Members of Parliament:^[6]

Key

  Independent     Reform     Ratana     Labour  

Election	Winner
1868 Māori election		Mete Paetahi
1871 election		Wiremu Parata
1876 election		Hoani Nahi
1879 election		Wiremu Te Wheoro
1881 election
1884 election		Te Puke Te Ao
1886 by-election		Hoani Taipua
1887 election
1890 election
1893 election		Ropata Te Ao
1896 election		Henare Kaihau
1899 election
1902 election
1905 election
1908 election
1911 election		Maui Pomare
1914 election
1919 election
1922 election
1925 election
1928 election
1930 by-election		Taite Te Tomo
1931 election
1935 election		Toko Ratana
1938 election
1943 election
1945 by-election		Matiu Ratana[nb 1]
1946 election
1949 election		Iriaka Matiu Ratana
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election
1960 election
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election		Koro Wētere
1972 election
1975 election
1978 election
1981 election
1984 election
1987 election
1990 election
1993 election

Table footnotes:

1. Matiu Ratana died on 7 October 1949, shortly before the 1949 election. His wife stood for election instead.

Election results

Note that the affiliation of many early candidates is not known. There is contradictory information about the affiliation of Henare Kaihau. In Wilson's New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984, the authoritative work covering parliamentary history, Kaihau is listed as a Reform Party supporter from the party's inception in 1908.^[7] Kaihau does, however, appear on a poster of the Liberal Party in 1910.^[8] The New Zealand Herald, in its 1905 election reporting, also lists him as a government supporter, i.e. a Liberal.^[9]

Another example of contradictory reporting is for the 1911 election. Three newspapers, The Marlborough Express, The New Zealand Herald, and the Auckland Star reported political affiliations. Two papers have Maui Pomare as an independent, whilst the third has him as a Labour supporter. Henare Kaihau is given three different affiliations: independent, Liberal, and Reform. Pepene Eketone is categorised as Labour by two of the papers, whilst the third has him as a Liberal supporter. The Auckland Star lists another Labour supporter, but the name is a composite of first and last names of two of the candidates.^[10][11][12]

1931 election

General election, 1931: Western Maori[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Taite Te Tomo	4,172	53.54
	Ratana	Toko Ratana	2,736	35.11
	Independent	Rima Wakarua	394	5.06
		Pepene Eketone	293	3.76
		Hane Henare Piahana	103	1.32
	United	Timi Takirihi (James Douglas)	95	1.22
Majority			1,436	18.43
Turnout			7,793

1914 election

General election, 1914: Western Maori[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Maui Pomare	3,416	50.29	+15.05
	Liberal	Hema Ropata te Ao[pb 1]	1,309	19.27
	Liberal	Pepene Eketone	1,074	15.81	-5.21
	Liberal	Rangi Mawhete	703	10.35
	Independent	Hori Tiro Paora	166	2.44
	Reform	Tuwhakaririka Patena[pb 2]	125	1.84
Majority			2,107	31.02	+22.94
Turnout			6,793

Table footnotes:

1. Some sources have Hema Ropata te Ao as an Independent
2. Some sources have Tuwhakaririka Patena as an Independent

1911 election

General election, 1911: Western Maori[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Maui Pomare	2,464	35.24
		Henare Kaihau	1,899	27.16	-5.49
		Pepene Eketone	1,470	21.02	-1.22
		Tarapipipi Taingakawa	581	8.31
		Ngarangi Katitia	560	8.01
		Pomare Hetaraka	19	0.27
Majority			565	8.08	-2.33
Turnout			6,993

1908 election

General election, 1908: Western Maori[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Henare Kaihau	2,375	32.65	-17.49
		Pepene Eketone	1,618	22.24
		Tureiti Te Heuheu Tukino V	1,375	18.90	-3.27
		Hema Te Ao	1,178	16.19
		Eruera te Kahu	728	10.01	-6.41
Majority			757	10.41	-17.56
Turnout			7,274

1905 election

General election, 1905: Western Maori[17][9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Henare Kaihau	3,026	50.14	-2.91
	Independent	Tureiti Te Heuheu Tukino V	1,338	22.17	+8.76
	Liberal	Eruera te Kahu	991	16.42
	Independent	Pitiera Taipua	394	6.53
	Independent	Te Weraro Kingi	162	2.68	+1.47
	Independent	Hare Teimana	124	2.05
Majority			1,688	27.97	-9.85
Turnout			6,035

1902 election

General election, 1902: Western Maori[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Henare Kaihau	3,324	53.05	+0.36
		Ngarangi Katitia	954	15.23
		Tureiti Te Heuheu Tukino V	840	13.41	-3.73
		Eruera te Kahu	673	10.74
		Te One Teehi	399	6.37
		Te Weraro Kingi	76	1.21
Majority			2,370	37.82	+2.27
Turnout			6,266

1899 election

General election, 1899: Western Maori[19]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Henare Kaihau	2,685	52.69	+25.99
		Tureiti Te Heuheu Tukino V	873	17.13
		Te Aohau Nikitini	581	11.40	+4.23
		Waata Hipango	440	8.63
		Hone Patene	199	3.91
		Takarangi Mete Kingi	173	3.39
		Wiremu Ngapaki	145	2.85	-1.50
Majority			1,812	35.56	+23.40
Turnout			5,096

1896 election

General election, 1896: Western Maori[20]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Henare Kaihau	1,605	26.70
	Liberal	Ropata Te Ao	874	14.54	-28.10
		Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui	854	14.20
		Ngarangi Katitia	655	10.89	-6.54
		John Ormsby	575	9.56
		Te Aohau Nikitini	431	7.17
		Pepene Eketone	351	5.84	-32.11
		Wiremu Ngapaki	261	4.34
		Reha Aperahama	186	3.09	-11.21
		Te Remana Nutana	158	2.63
		Te Wirihana Hunia	37	0.62	-18.43
		Hohepa Horomona	8	0.13
Majority			731	12.16	+7.46
Turnout			6,012[mb 1]

Table footnotes:

1. The source says 6,022, but the votes add up to 6,012. Whilst the source states the count was final, McRobie states the number of votes cast as 6,072.^[21]

1893 election

General election, 1893: Western Maori[22][23]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ropata Te Ao	817	42.64
		Pepene Eketone	727	37.94
		Te Wirihana Hunia	365	19.05
		Ngarangi Katitia	334	17.43
		Reha Aperahama	274	14.30
		Eruera Whakaahu	224	11.69
Majority			90	4.70
Turnout			1,916

1890 election

General election, 1890: Western Maori[24][25]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Opposition	Hoani Taipua[ob 1]	'
		Pepene Eketone
		Kipa Te Whatanui[ob 2]
		Te Kahui Kararahe
		Tatana Te Whataupoko
Majority
Turnout			1,916[21]

Table footnotes:

1. Final results were not reported in contemporary media
2. Rankings from the third place down are based on preliminary results only

1887 election

General election, 1887: Western Maori[26][27]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Hoani Taipua	1,691	53.68	-2.98
	Independent	Wiremu Te Wheoro	1,067	33.87	+10.49
	Independent	Pepene Eketone	198	6.29
	Independent	John Ormsby	153	4.86
	Independent	Takarangi Mete Kingi	41	1.30
Majority			624	19.81	-13.48
Turnout			3,150

1886 by-election

Western Maori by-election, 1886[28][29]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Hoani Taipua	1,258	56.67
	Independent	Wiremu Te Wheoro	519	23.38	+12.40
	Independent	Henare Kaihau	225	10.14	+0.43
	Independent	Sydney Taiwhanga	148	6.67	+1.14
	Independent	Ngawaka Taurua	70	3.15
Majority			739	33.29	+28.19
Turnout			2,220

1884 election

General election, 1884: Western Maori[30]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Te Puke Te Ao	356	25.21
	Independent	Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui	284	20.11
	Independent	Wiremu Te Wheoro	155	10.98
	Independent	Wetere Te Rerenga	141	9.99
	Independent	Henare Kaihau	137	9.70
	Independent	Mita Karaka	136	9.63	-0.35
	Independent	Hamiora Mangakahia	125	8.85	-6.72
	Independent	Sydney Taiwhanga	78	5.52
Majority			72	5.10	-48.53
Turnout			1,412

1881 election

General election, 1881: Western Maori[31][32]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Wiremu Te Wheoro	991	69.20	-1.28
	Independent	Hamiora Mangakahia	223	15.57
	Independent	Mita Karaka	143	9.99
	Independent	William Hughes	75	5.24
Majority			768	53.63	+12.67
Turnout			1,432

1879 election

General election, 1879: Western Maori[33][34][35]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Wiremu Te Wheoro	1,053	70.48
	Independent	Hoani Taipua	441	29.52
Majority			612	40.96	+31.05
Turnout			1,494

1876 election

General election, 1876: Western Maori[36][37]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Hoani Nahi	671	46.24
	Independent	Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui	490	33.77	+2.72
	Independent	Wiremu Parata	290	19.99	-23.09
Majority			181	12.47	+0.45
Turnout			1,451

1871 election

General election, 1871: Western Maori[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Wiremu Parata	258	43.07
	Independent	Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui	186	31.05
	Independent	Mete Paetahi	155	25.88
Majority			72	12.02
Turnout			599

See also

• Eastern Maori
• Northern Maori
• Southern Maori

Notes

1. Wilson 1985, p. 225.
2. "Latest News from Wanganui". Wellington Independent XXII (2669). 18 April 1868. p. 5. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
3. Wilson 2003, p. 13.
4. "Result of the Maori Election". Wanganui Herald IV (1100). 23 February 1871. p. 2. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
5. Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946-1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. p. 402. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
6. Wilson 1985, p. 276.
7. Wilson 1985, p. 209.
8. "Members of the Liberal Party". NZ Liberal Party. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
9. "The Maori Election". The New Zealand Herald XLII (13055). 21 December 1905. p. 6. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
10. "The Maori Seats". The Marlborough Express XLV (296). 20 December 1911. p. 5. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
11. "The Candidates". The New Zealand Herald. XLVIII (14849). 28 November 1911. p. 9. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
12. "The Elections". Auckland Star XLII (287). 2 December 1911. p. 11. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
13. The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 6. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
14. "The General Election, 1914". National Library. 1915. pp. 31–33. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
15. "The General Election, 1911". National Library. 1912. pp. 1–14. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
16. "The General Election, 1908". National Library. 1909. p. 27. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
17. "The General Election, 1905". National Library. 1906. p. 6. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
18. "The General Election, 1902". National Library. 1903. p. 4. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
19. "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 3. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
20. "Untitled". Poverty Bay Herald XXIV (7816). 4 January 1897. p. 2. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
21. McRobie 1989, p. 133.
22. "The General Election, 1893". National Library. 1894. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
23. "Three Government Supporters". Auckland Star XXIV (303). 22 December 1893. p. 3. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
24. "Telegrams". Inangahua Times XV (20887). 1 December 1890. p. 2. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
25. "By Telegraph". The Southland Times (11568). 28 October 1890. p. 2. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
26. "The Maori Election". The Star (6036). 19 September 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
27. "The Maori Election". The Evening Post. XXXIV (69). 19 September 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
28. "Wanganui Herald". Wanganui Herald XXI (6117). 11 January 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
29. "The Western Maori Election". The Evening Post. XXXII (191). 30 December 1886. p. 2. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
30. "The Western Maori Election". Waikato Times. XXIII (1885). 5 August 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
31. "The Elections". The New Zealand Herald. XVIII (6266). 16 December 1881. p. 6. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
32. "Wellington". Wanganui Herald XV (4542). 13 December 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
33. "The Western Maori District". The New Zealand Herald XVI (5552). 2 September 1879. p. 4. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
34. "Speech by Mr. Te Wheoro, M.H.R.". The New Zealand Herald XVI (5566). 18 September 1879. p. 6. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
35. Scott, Gary. "Te Wheoro, Wiremu Te Morehu Maipapa". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
36. "Wanganui". Auckland Star VII (1850). 21 January 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
37. "Maori Election: Western District". Bay of Plenty Times IV (351). 19 January 1876. p. 3. Retrieved 15 March 2014.

References

• McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
• Wilson, John (9 November 2003). The Origins of the Māori Seats (PDF) (updated May 2009 ed.). Wellington: Parliamentary Library. Retrieved 27 August 2010.