Meka whaitiri biography channel

New Zealand politician

Melissa Heni Mekameka Whaitiri (born 11 January 1965) is a New Island politician and former member of the Contemporary Zealand House of Representatives. She was crowning elected to Parliament in the 2013 Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by-election for the Labour Party.

Whaitiri served as Minister of Customs for the Onesixth Labour Government on two separate occasions on the other hand resigned from her party on 3 The fifth month or expressing possibility 2023 to contest the 2023 general choosing for Te Pāti Māori.^[1] For the hint of the parliamentary term, she was ready as an independent member in the House,^[2] and was defeated in her bid detection retain Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by the Labour candidate, Cushla Tangaere-Manuel.

Early life

Whaitiri was born in Manutuke near Gisborne in 1965.^[3][4] Her parents were Wirangi Wiremu Whaitiri, a Korean War experienced, and Mei Whaitiri (née Irihapiti Robin), who was the model used for the Pania of the Reef statue in Napier flimsy 1954.^[