Te Pāti Māori and Tāmaki Makaurau by-election

The story so far

Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp died in June 2025, aged 50, after a battle with kidney disease, which triggered a by-election for the Tāmaki Makaurau Māori seat.^{26 Jun 2025; 1 Jul 2025} Te Pāti Māori chose broadcaster Oriini Kaipara as its candidate, and Labour confirmed Peeni Henare, who had previously held the seat, to contest the vote on 6 September.^{10, 13 Jul 2025; 5 Aug 2025} The campaign drew attention to a heckling incident at a Māngere debate and to a gang patch remark by Henare, which Labour's deputy leader said was a mistake.^{21 Aug 2025} Kaipara won the by-election on 6 September, with preliminary counts showing she retained about 64 per cent of the vote, after Henare conceded.^{6, 7 Sep 2025} The result was overshadowed by a row over social media posts by Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris about non-Māori campaigners, which the party apologised for, but Ferris refused to retract, and Labour leader Chris Hipkins questioned whether Labour could work with the party.^{4, 9, 10, 12, 16 Sep 2025}

Latest

Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere has backed the substance of Ferris's remarks, while Hipkins said such a position would make working with the party difficult.^{16 Sep 2025} Ferris has declined to apologise, and Labour has said it is reviewing its strategy and its relationship with Te Pāti Māori.^{9, 12 Sep 2025}

What's next

Ferris is set to undergo a tikanga-based restorative process through a hui, with no date given.^{12 Sep 2025}

Key moments

1. 26 Jun 2025Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp dies in Auckland, triggering a by-election.
2. 10 Jul 2025Oriini Kaipara selected as Te Pāti Māori candidate at a Hoani Waititi Marae hui.
3. 13 Jul 2025Labour confirms Peeni Henare as its candidate for the by-election.
4. 21 Aug 2025Heckler removed from Māngere debate after protesting Hannah Tamaki's exclusion.
5. 4 Sep 2025Te Pāti Māori apologises and orders removal of MP's post on campaign workers' ethnicity.
6. 6 Sep 2025Kaipara wins by-election after Henare concedes at 80 per cent count.
7. 12 Sep 2025Ferris refuses to apologise, and faces a tikanga-based restorative process.
8. 16 Sep 2025Tamihere defends Ferris's remarks; Hipkins says this makes working together difficult.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.