Oriini Kaipara is the newest caucus member of Te Pāti Māori. The Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and Ngāti Rangitihi mother of four and kuia of Puaroa Te Kamaka, was elected to Parliament in October 2025, after claiming an overwhelming win to Labour’s Peeni Henare in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election.

The by-election was called after the sudden passing of our dearest colleague and member, Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp, known affectionately to us all as Tarsh. Tarsh carried the mana and mauri of the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate from October 2023 until her death in July 2025. The legacy of our whaea and friend remains firm within Te Pāti Māori and lives on in her whānau, hapori, and mahi rangatira she accomplished throughout her life.

Her successor, Oriini Kaipara, is no stranger to public life nor responsibility. An acclaimed journalist and news presenter, Oriini championed Māori news in Māori and English across all major television channels in Aotearoa. She is renown worldwide for advancing indigenous representation by becoming the first person in the world to anchor mainstream, primetime television news, and often injecting te reo and tikanga Māori into her presentations.

Prior to entering politics, Oriini pioneered te ao Māori at the Olympic Games, serving as the inaugural Pouwhiringa – Cultural Lead for the New Zealand Olympic Committee, which oversees the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams. She played a key role in the historic success of the New Zealand Team in Paris, which saw the largest ever inclusion of te ao Māori and New Zealand culture at an Olympic Games.

Oriini is the first ever graduate of the Māori language movement to be elected to Parliament. With her roots firmly grounded at West Auckland’s Hoani Waititi Marae, Oriini is passionate about protecting te ao Māori including te reo me ōna tikanga, culture and identity.

As MP for Tāmaki Makaurau and a key member of Te Pāti Māori, Oriini is committed to advocating for the rights of rangatahi, women, kaumātua, whaikaha, and our most vulnerable communities. Her portfolios include Housing, Infrastructure, Transport, Small Business, Employment & Training, Sports & Recreation, and Māori Development.