Mariameno Kapa-Kingi

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi (born 1960 or 1961) is a New Zealand politician who was elected to the New Zealand parliament at the 2023 general election as the MP for Te Tai Tokerau representing Te Pāti Māori. After several decades in iwi social and health services, she first stood for parliament in the 2020 general election. Her electoral success in 2023 led to the retirement of her predecessor, Kelvin Davis, who had been Labour Party deputy leader since 2017.

Kapa-Kingi is of the Te Aupōuri and Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa iwi. She was born and grew up in Te Tai Tokerau.^[2] She worked in iwi health and social services for more than thirty years.^[3] She helped develop health provider Te Kohao in Hamilton, and worked in suicide prevention and homelessness services.^[3] Before entering Parliament, Kapa-Kingi was a project specialist for Te Rūnanga o Whaingaroa, Chief Executive of Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupōuri Trust, the post-settlement governance entity for her iwi, and was involved in the iwi response to COVID-19 in the Far North.^[3] She said it was her involvement in the community response to COVID-19 that inspired her to enter politics.^[3]

On 17 May 2020, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi was selected as the Māori Party candidate for Te Tai Tokerau in the 2020 election. She came second to Labour's Kelvin Davis, who won with a margin of more than 8000 votes.^[4] Davis had been Labour Party deputy leader since 2017.^[5]

Kapa-Kingi was selected again in 2023.^[6] The incumbent, Davis, had after the 2020 election become minister for children, and over several controversies, he faced strong criticism by the Māori Party.^[7] Kapa-Kingi advocated strongly for children, thus exploiting Davis' political vulnerability.^[8] Based on preliminary results published on election might, Davis had held the seat with 487 votes ahead of Kapa-Kingi.^[9] When final results were published on 3 November, the lead had been reversed and Kapa-Kingi was elected as the MP for Te Tai Tokerau, beating the incumbent by 517 votes.^[10][11] Davis was re-elected via Labour's party list, but in mid-December 2023 he announced his retirement from politics effective Waitangi Day 2024.^[12]

By mid-December 2023, Kapa-Kingi had become Te Pāti Māori's whip and joined Parliament's business select committee. She also became the party's housing, Oranga Tamariki, children, infrastructure, building and construction, transport, regional development, rural communities, local defence, civil government and small businesses spokesperson.^[13]

In early May 2024, Kapa-Kingi gave a speech in Parliament accusing the National-led coalition government of embarking on a "mission to exterminate Māori" by seeking to repeal Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989. During her speech, she said "I might be tempted to change tone and say: Pai ana, get rid of Section 7AA, and while you're at it get rid of the entire act and the rotten institution that is Oranga Tamariki, which should in fact be named matenga tamariki (killing children) because it and its predecessor has only caused strife and ruin." Kapa-Kingi's remarks drew criticism from National Party leader Christopher Luxon Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins, who described her rhetoric and language as "unhelpful." Labour MP Willie Jackson and Green MP Hūhana Lyndon criticised Kapa-Kingi's choice of words. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters also denounced her speech as "ignorant and offensive" while ACT Party leader David Seymour described her comments as "disgraceful," adding that the three coalition parties had Māori members. By contrast, Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer defended Kapa-Kingi's speech and accused the Government of seeking to exterminate Māori through its policies and processes.^[14][15]

Kapa-Kingi has triplet sons and a daughter. Her son, Eru Kapa-Kingi, was ranked two places lower than her on the Te Pāti Māori party list in the 2023 election.^[16]