KO WAI AU?

Rawiri is a current Member of Parliament and co-leader of Te Pāti Māori. He is a father of five, an iwi leader, Ringatū Minister, creative and kapa haka extraordinaire.

In 2020, Rawiri Waititi successfully won the seat of Waiariki putting Te Pāti Māori back in Parliament. He became co-leader of Te Pāti Māori alongside Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

Born on the East Coast, he spent much of his youth in Tāmaki Makaurau with his beloved aunty, Kahurangi June Mariu. Under her guidance Rawiri trained and worked as a teacher, and then a lecturer at Te Wānanga o Raukawa where he completed a master’s degree in mātauranga Māori. He has also worked in the health and social services sector, with Te Whānau o Waipareira.

Rawiri was heavily involved in the development of an integrated services approach later known as Whānau Ora. He was a key contributor in the creation of Te Pou Matakana.  This experience gave Rawiri a broad scope on the education, welfare, health, housing and justice sectors and how they can be integrated to empower whānau.

Prior to entering Parliament life, Rawiri returned home to Whangaparaoa to work for his people of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, as a representative on a number of boards including land and development trusts, local council boards and Government working groups.

Since becoming the MP for Waiariki, Rawiri has been putting pressure on the government, advocating for whānau, and channelling the voice of the rohe in parliament. Rawiri fights relentlessly to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ensuring that Māori are empowered to thrive on their own whenua.

As a tōhunga of the Ringatū Faith, Rawiri has said on many occasion “I dedicate my life to the wellbeing of Māori - from our tamariki mokopuna through to our pakeke.”