Māori King reaches out to the King of Tonga King

Manase Nehemaia Lua
Maungakiekie Candidate
Māori Party

Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII prior to the election made a royal decree to his people. His royal command was for Māori to support the Māori Party and not Labour. He believed that Labour has not done enough for Māori and abandoned them. To further reinforce his message, he reached across the Pacific to his fellow Royalty in the Kingdom of Tonga. He made a request for His Majesty King Tupou VI to ask his subjects living in Aotearoa to join and provide a Tongan candidate to stand for the Māori Party. The King of Tonga answered the call. The same request was also made to the Head of State in Samoa and Ariki of Rarotonga. All have answered the call, hence why we now have eight candidates from these Pacific Nations running.

This is not something new for Tonga. During the infamous Dawn Raid era, King Tupou IV issued a formal letter of concern to the New Zealand Government at the unfair and unjust treatment of his subjects particularly in Auckland. Despite people from the UK and Europe being the majority of overstayers at the time, Police were racially profiling Polynesians to check their legal status despite many Māori, Niuean, Tokulauan and Cook Islanders being automatic citizens in New Zealand, yet were targeted anyway. Furthermore, Police used brutal and inhuman tactics such as raiding Pacific homes before dawn with dogs (hence the “dawn raids”), to catch suspected overstayers. Many elderly, men, women and children were traumatised by these events. The Labour Government came up with the idea but enacted by National when they won the election. In the 1800’s King Tupou I sent his Warlord Ma’afu to govern the unruly Tongans living in the Fijian island group of Lau. Polynesians have involved themselves in politics for centuries across the Pacific, before even the era of European colonisation.

The union of the Pacific in Aotearoa led by our royal houses and chiefs is not something new. The Tongan Monarchy has had very close ties with the Kingitanga. In fact, HM Queen Salote Tupou III spent more time there, than in Auckland on some of her trips here in the 50’s and 60’s as Queen. The Royal family still maintain these close ties even today, and often visit Turangawaewae before any other official engagements. In the 80’s, the great chiefly heads of families and royalty proposed the formation of a Polynesian Association based on our historic ties and genealogical links across Moana Nui a Kiwa. These leaders included, HM Tupou IV of Tonga, HE Sir Ratu Kamisese Mara of Fiji, HM Māori Queen, Sir James Henare and HH Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa (See photo attached – Courtesy Malietau Malietoa).

Manase Nehemaia Lua is the chosen Tongan candidate blessed by the Royal Houses and as a Matapule of Ma’afu Tukui’aulahi has both the professional and traditional skills to represent Tongans in Aotearoa. Manase says: “Maungakiekie needs a strong, effective and informed voice in Parliament. I will ensure that the things that matter to you, matter to Parliament. Vote for me and I will fight for you. Vote for me and you will see real and meaningful change, for everyone in Maungakiekie.”

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