We have obtained expert legal advice that the 2023 Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua election is invalid and will need to be run again in 2024. The legal advice is attached.

After approval and instructions from Te Puni Kokiri in June 2023 to “don’t delay prepare and go ahead with the elections...” this year, it transpires that their directive was incorrect with the current election being run to early.

This means that the current Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua board will continue to serve its term to October 1st 2024. Those new candidates who were successful in the current election will have to run again in the new election in July 2024.

The confusion arises from the 2021 elections that were held in February of that year. While the results were made public in that month the sign off from the Ministry did not occur till October the 1st 2021 therefore the three-year rotation for service on the Runanga ends in October 2024 not February 2024 as previously stated. The Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua Order 2021 says the term is for three years from 1 October 2021.

“This is a major setback for the Iwi and our apologies to all our whanau who voted and to those new candidates who were successful and who now have to run again in 2024” says Antony Thompson, Board Secretary.

Currently the Rūnanga are working through the details of what has transpired with all parties concerned and will feed back to the iwi in the New Year with updates and planning around what needs to take place.

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