“I stepped down from the Presidency of Te Pāti Māori to concentrate on investing more time and energy with my whānau and business. Last night’s Special General Meeting was well attended and my vacancy was filled by John Tamihere with excitement and clear focus on our campaign. So, I am pleased to leave the Pāti with a President that was elected as the sole candidate and can help advance and lift our Pāti to the next level, ready for 2023” said Che Wilson.

He added, “I continue to tautoko our Pāti and our kaupapa as the only unapologetic expression of mana motuhake in the system and that truly expresses the promise of Te Tiriti o Waitangi”.

Newly elected President, John Tamihere stated “At a time when Te Pāti Māori was in total disarray following their defeat in the 2017 election, Che Wilson, Kaapua Smith, Elijah Pue and Matariki Cribb-Fox (later replaced by Rose Waetford) stood up to not only commit to raising the Pāti from the ashes but to build an enduring consistent Māori political force for the good of Aotearoa”.

Te Pāti Māori co-leaders, Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer applaud the addition of another rangatira to strengthen their waka. “Che helped to anchor Te Pāti Māori and he leaves big boots to fill, but we can think of no one better to strap them on. John Tamihere is a seasoned politician and one of our strongest advocates for Māori across multiple areas. We are heading towards next years election with more mana and strength than ever. We are ready to give our people what they need and what they deserve, a fairer and well represented government” said Co-Leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

John Tamihere is focused and ready for the challenge ahead saying, “Our people are awakening to their rights and we are seeing more Māori movement on the streets. We are here to show them they now have the voting alternative they always wanted when it comes to their voices, their needs and their rights, and that is Te Pāti Māori”.

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