Today, at a Waitangi ki Waititi concert hosted by Te Whānau o Waipareira at Hoani Waititi Marae, West Auckland; Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp was officially announced as Te Pāti Māori Candidate for Tāmaki Makaurau for the 2023 Election.

Hailing from the Iwi of Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngā iwi o Mōkai Pātea, Ngāti Tamakōpiri, Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Hinemanu and Ngāti Paki, Takutai Moana has spent most of her life in South Auckland. She is passionate advocate for her whānau, for Rangatahi, for iwi, for Ngai Māori and the community of of Tāmaki Makaurau, Takutai Moana has served in many leadership roles in South Auckland, from growing Māori leaders to world hip hop dancers and most recently as the CEO for Manurewa Marae and Director of Hip Hop International.

“This stand isn’t about me” says Kemp. “I’m here because there was a tono from a group of Rangatahi who asked me to stand for our hāpori of Tāmaki Makaurau. They said, “We believe in you”.

“Rangatahi were asking for a voice that they trusted, who they had seen show aroha, manaakitanga & leadership. Most importantly someone who believed in them. For too long our Rangatahi have been told to wait their time, now is their time.”

Te Pāti Māori President, John Tamihere says “Takutai is an outstanding example of leadership. Her commitment to projecting and protecting the voice of Rangatahi is unheard of and desperately needed. She is a ringa-raupā, a frontline soldier and has been relentless in her drive to support the wellbeing of her people.”

“Takutai has worked for decades in the health and community development sector and has an intimate understanding of the daily struggles our people face in Tāmaki. Without her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, South Auckland would have emerged worse for wear. She has migrated her way to leadership through hard work and has a track record to prove it” said Tamihere.

“Over the past two-years, I’ve seen first-hand the struggles our whanau face, especially through a global pandemic and now flooding. With the cost of living rising & many not being able to afford to put kai on the table, there’s literally no extra dollars for anything. I see the hardship, I come from the ground up and I work in the hāpori with our people.”

“Through my years of working with rangatahi & whanau in our hāpori, I’ve heard the vibrancies, I’ve seen solutions, I’ve seen the potential. It’s time for our people to rise and to have that belief in who we are as tangata whenua. To be brave, to be hopeful, to inspire, to take action and this is the time for our people to fight for what we believe in and take action,” said Kemp.

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