Tākuta Ferris
MP
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Te Tai Tonga
Assumed office
14 October 2023
Preceded byRino Tirikatene
Personal details
Born1978 (age 45–46)
Political partyMāori
RelativesPiri Sciascia (uncle)

Tākuta "Doc" Ferris (born 1978) is a New Zealand politician who was elected to the New Zealand parliament at the 2023 general election as the MP for Te Tai Tonga for Te Pāti Māori. A self-described fisherman, diver, and artist, his electoral success was one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 general election. His win was unexpected, with the family of the incumbent having held the Te Tai Tonga electorate for 72 of the last 91 years.

Personal

Ferris was born in 1978.[1] Piri Sciascia was his uncle.[2] Ferris has a degree in Māori design and art, as well as a degree in mātauranga Māori, both from Te Wānanga o Raukawa.[1][3] He is of the Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Porou iwi.[4] Ferris was a lecturer and adviser at Massey University's Manawatū campus.[3][5] He describes himself as "a fisherman, a diver, and an artist".[6]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2023–present 54th Te Tai Tonga 5 Te Pāti Māori

Ferris' campaign strategy targets younger voters, the rangatahi (literally the younger generation) because older people are "entrapped in the status quo". In 2023, he said that he looks at the next one to five election cycles (i.e. 3 to 15 years) for increasing support for himself from younger people as they grow up.[6]

On 10 May 2020, Tākuta Ferris was selected as the Māori Party candidate for Te Tai Tonga for the 2020 election. Ferris was quoted as saying that "the status quo is no longer acceptable. It is our responsibility to challenge it and change the development narrative for our tamariki and mokopuna."[4] Ferris was beaten by the incumbent, Rino Tirikatene, by a margin of over 6,800 votes.[3] Following the announcement of the proposed closure of the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter, Ferris called for the government to put whānau first, arguing that central and regional government should intervene with an aim for a more diversified regional economy.[7]

In the runup to the 2023 election, Ferris stood in for his party in The Press leaders' debate as neither co-leader of Te Pāti Māori[lower-alpha 1] was available; he had just two days' notice. Despite sparring against two senior politicians—Winston Peters and David Seymour—Ferris "stood out from the pack" and was "shining".[6][9]

Following the minor leader's debate, a journalist for The Press wrote that "he still has little chance of making it to Parliament".[6] Ferris was elected as the MP for Te Tai Tonga, which was unexpected, as opinion polls had the incumbent with a decisive lead. It was seen as one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 election and his win had not been predicted. Tirikatene had held the electorate since the 2011 election, and members of Tirikatene's family have represented the electorate (including its predecessor Southern Maori) for 72 of the last 91 years.[3] An opinion poll in late September 2023 had Tirikatene ahead with an 11-point margin.[10] According to provisional results, Ferris received 9,426 votes to 7,963 for Tirikatene.[11] Based on final results released on 3 November, Ferris received 12,828 votes to Tirikatene's 10,004 votes.[12]

During his maiden speech on 12 December, Ferris stated that he was there not to service the needs of the New Zealand House of Representatives but rather to "contest it." He also criticised the National-led coalition government's policies which he claimed attacked Māori language and culture.[13]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ During 2023, the Māori Party formally changed its name to Te Pāti Māori[8]

References

  1. 1 2 Ferris, Tākuta. "Tākuta (Doc) Ferris". Spirit Wrestler Gallery. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  2. ↑ "Māori Party announce Te Tai Tonga candidate" (in Māori). Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. 10 May 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 de Silva, Tommy (16 October 2023). "Meet the two new MPs from Te Pāti Māori". The Spinoff. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Māori Party Announce Te Tai Tonga Candidate". Scoop. Māori Party. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  5. ↑ "Doc Ferris". Massey University. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 McConnell, Glenn (12 October 2023). "Tākuta Ferris, a rising star of Te Pāti Māori - but a long way from Parliament". The Press. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Te Tai Tonga Candidate Says "Tiwai Point Whānau Come First"" (Press release). Māori Party. Scoop. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  8. ↑ "Change to Te Pāti Māori party name". Electoral Commission New Zealand. 19 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Neilson, Michael (10 October 2023). "Election 2023: Press Leaders' Debate sees Green Party, Act, NZ First and Māori Party face off". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  10. ↑ LaHatte, Deborah (26 September 2023). "Tirikatene tightens grip on Te Tai Tonga". Te Ao News. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "2023 electorate results". 1 News. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Te Tai Tonga – Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "New Te Pāti Māori MPs make defiant debut speeches". Radio New Zealand. 12 December 2023. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
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