Election 2026: Te Pāti Māori launches election campaign at Gisborne marae
Haley Maxwell is “confident” in her campaign for the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat as Te Pāti Māori officially launched its 2026 election campaign in Gisborne.
The launch was held at Te Poho-o-Rāwiri marae, which belongs to the Ngāti Oneone hapū.
Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere and vice-president tāne Willie Te Aho said it was the first time an election campaign from any party had been launched in Tairāwhiti.
For Maxwell, the choice to launch the campaign at the Kaiti marae was deeply personal.
“This marae [has] nurtured my whānau for many generations,” she told the crowd.
“When I stand here, I can see where my nani and papa’s whare was – on Ranfurly Road, number five. We’re Kaiti hard.”
Speaking to the Gisborne Herald, Maxwell said she was “pretty confident” in her campaign.
“Why? Because I have been raised in this community in Gisborne. I’ve been a teacher, I have worked as a volunteer everywhere here to help uplift and encourage and engage our rangatahi.”
When asked why she felt she would be a better fit than incumbent Labour MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, she said: “I’m not a better fit than Cushla. The only difference between us is the party we represent.”
The launch was held at Te Poho o Rāwiri marae in Gisborne. Photo / Zoe Mills
Maxwell was joined on the stage by fellow candidates Oriini Kaipara (Tāmaki Makaurau), Lisa Marie Murch (Te Tai Tonga) and Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke (Hauraki-Waikato).
Addressing attendees, co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi shared their decision to campaign for winning Māori-only seats, and emphasised their focus on increasing Māori roll numbers.
A Tairāwhiti launch is a strategic move for Te Pāti Māori. The Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat is the only Māori electorate the party did not secure last election.
Labour has held the seat since 1999, and incumbent MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel shot up 11 places on Labour’s list in June.
Speaking to the media, Waititi made it clear: “We’ve come here to win this seat. I haven’t seen enthusiasm in Ikaroa Rāwhiti like this in the six years I have been actively campaigning as Te Pāti Māori. But we’ve absolutely come here to win this seat”.
Across the party, it appeared all focus was on Tairāwhiti.
Tamihere used his speech to address issues with under-resourcing at Gisborne Hospital.
“We often joke about Gisborne Hospital and Whakatāne Hospital, you know, because the people that do the greatest trade out of there are the funeral directors”, he told the crowd.
“We’ve gotta change that model, for goodness sakes, and give our people a chance. The larger the Māori population, the poorer the services”.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi made it clear in Gisborne over the weekend “we’ve come here to win this seat”. Screenshot / Zoe Mills
The guest list included community leaders such as Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson and activist Tame Iti.
The launch was followed by a campaign fundraiser for Maxwell in the form of an art auction with works by local artists, including Maxwell’s sister.
Next up for Maxwell is hitting the campaign trail. She is beginning her journey across the 600km length of the electorate this week.
“Our kaupapa is for all of us”, she told the crowd. “If you live in Kaiti, Te Pāti Māori is for you. If you live in communities like Kaiti, like Elgin, this kaupapa, Te Pāti Māori, speaks for you.”
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