Photo: RNZ / Simon Rogers
This week Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp died, after a battle with kidney disease.
She is Ngā Rauru Rauru, Ngāti Rauru Tuwharetoa and Ngā Rauru iwi o Mōkai Patea. She was the former CEO of Manurewa Marae where she led the successful vaccination campaign during covid.
She will be remembered as a champion of community and whānau receiving an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to street dance and youth.
Takutai Tarsh Kemp won the Tāmaki Makaurau Māori electorate in the last election, beating Labour MP Peeni Henare by just 42 votes.
Her passing will now trigger a byelection, and will be the first test to see whether Māori voters still back Te Pāti Māori or have swung back to Labour.
Lara Greaves, an associate professor in politics at Victoria University, talks to Mihi.
