Today, Te Pāti Māori announce Takuta Ferris will contest the Te Tai Tonga seat at this year’s General Election.

“Takura ran for the Te Tai Tonga seat for Te Pāti Māori in 2020. It takes tremendous courage and commitment to put your hand up for another round in the ring and we are honoured as a consequence we now have a battle-hardened candidate raring to go” said Te Pāti Māori President, John Tamihere.

“Takuta is not only a fine exponent of Kapahaka, having led his kapa Tamatea Arikinui to many Matatini, but he is an artist, a carver and highly sought after lecturer at Massey University”.

“As a descendant of Ngai Tahu and Ngāti Kuia, I am honoured to stand again as the candidate for Te Tai Tonga. I will be a staunch champion and advocate for Māori independence. The fight for our tamariki and mokopuna will be fierce, therefore, we must be resolute and relentless”, said Ferris.

“We have turned the ihu of the waka around and we are back moving in a powerful direction. I am excited to build on and strengthen the foundations of our Māori movement! Me tipu tonu te whakapono!”

“Our people have begun to believe again, to rebuild, to reclaim, and to stand in our mana as our mātua and kaumātua taught us to. Our younger generations are more culturally and politically aware than we have ever been before, the future is bright! The future is Māori”, said Ferris.

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