Mahara Okeroa
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand
politician Mahara Okeroa, a member of the Labour Party
, represented the voters of the Te Tai Tonga Māori electorate
as their Member of Parliament
from 1999 to 2008.
in 1946, Okeroa worked as a teacher
before entering politics.
He entered Parliament by defeating the incumbent Tu Wyllie
of the New Zealand First
Party in the 1999 general election
. He served as a Minister of State and Associate Minister of Arts, Culture & Heritage; Conservation and Social Development & Employment in the Clark
cabinet.
In the 2008 general election
, Rahui Katene
of the Māori Party
out-polled Okeroa by a margin of 1,049 votes.
Okeroa's low party-list placing of 40 has meant he will not return as a list Member of Parliament parliament unless a significant number of Labour list MPs retire.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
politician Mahara Okeroa, a member of the Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
, represented the voters of the Te Tai Tonga Māori electorate
Maori seats
In New Zealand politics, Māori electorates, colloquially also called Māori seats, are a special category of electorate that gives reserved positions to representatives of Māori in the New Zealand Parliament...
as their Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
from 1999 to 2008.
Career
Born in WaitaraWaitara, New Zealand
Waitara is the name of a town and a river in the northern part of the Taranaki Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Waitara is located just off State Highway 3, 15 km northeast of New Plymouth....
in 1946, Okeroa worked as a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
before entering politics.
He entered Parliament by defeating the incumbent Tu Wyllie
Tu Wyllie
Tutekawa Wyllie , generally called Tu Wyllie, is a former New Zealand politician and rugby union player, who represented his country.-Early years:...
of the New Zealand First
New Zealand First
New Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand that was founded in 1993, following party founder Winston Peters' resignation from the National Party in 1992...
Party in the 1999 general election
New Zealand general election, 1999
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance...
. He served as a Minister of State and Associate Minister of Arts, Culture & Heritage; Conservation and Social Development & Employment in the Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
cabinet.
In the 2008 general election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
, Rahui Katene
Rahui Katene
Rahui Katene is a New Zealand politician. She was elected to the 49th New Zealand Parliament at the 2008 general election representing the Māori Party in the seat of Te Tai Tonga, but lost in the 2011 general election to Labour's Rino Tirikatene.- Ancestry :...
of the Māori Party
Maori Party
The Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The Party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", or Party objectives. Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour Party where she had been a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour-led...
out-polled Okeroa by a margin of 1,049 votes.
Okeroa's low party-list placing of 40 has meant he will not return as a list Member of Parliament parliament unless a significant number of Labour list MPs retire.