Safe battleground

Te Tai Hauāuru

Māori electorate

—

days to election day

What it takes to flip this seat

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer won by 9,162 votes in 2023. 4,581 voters switching to National would have flipped Te Tai Hauāuru.

In the news

Coverage naming Te Tai Hauāuru or Debbie, from our tracked feeds.

The roster

The defender's record, and who's confirmed to challenge them in 2026.

Won Te Tai Hauāuru by a majority of 9,162 in 2023, making it a safe seat.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is the Member of Parliament for Te Tai Hauāuru and co-leader of Te Pāti Māori. First elected in 2020, she sits on the Health Committee and serves as a party whip.

Full MP profile

What Debbie has prioritised this term

Official roles, sourced from parliament.nz.

Spokesperson roles

Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader
Te Pāti Māori Whip (Matarau)

Select committees

Health

Legislative activity this term

From Parliament's official bills record, as at 28 August 2026.

Members' bill in the ballot (1)

Prohibition of Seabed Mining Legislation Amendment Bill

Written questions to Ministers this term

What is this, and why does it matter to you?

Any MP can put a written question to a Minister, demanding information on the record. The Minister must reply, usually within days. It costs nothing and needs no debate, which makes it the main day-to-day tool MPs use to hold the government to account between bills. It matters most for opposition MPs, who can't pass laws but can still force information into the open. Which Ministers an MP questions most, below, is a numbers-based picture of what they watch on your behalf, and it's worth comparing against what they say they prioritise.

1,078written questions asked since the 2023 election

Where it's gone, by Minister

Minister of Health

237

Associate Minister of Health

Minister of Education

Battlegrounds map 2026 election

2023 result and margin: Electoral Commission. 2026 candidates are added only once officially confirmed — never assumed.

Read 5 recent questions & replies, in Debbie’s and the Minister’s own words

To the Minister of Conservation · 2026-07-16

"Has the Minister obtained advice regarding the consistency of the Conservation Amendment Bill with Treaty settlement obligations?"

Reply: I have publicly stated the Government’s commitment that amendments to the conservation system will uphold Treaty settlements. I have received advice on how redress obligations can be transferred into the new conservation system. For more complex redress, the Government will continue to engage with Post-Settlement Governance Entities on how to uphold their redress in the new system. The Conservation Amendment Bill sets out a process for reaching agreement with PSGEs and that, until agreement is r…

To the Minister of Conservation · 2026-07-16

"Has the Minister assessed the impact of the Conservation Amendment Bill on Te Papakura o Taranaki, Whanganui National Park, and Whareorino Conservation Area; if so, what were those assessments?"

Reply: I have received advice on how to uphold the Taranaki Maunga arrangements as set out in the Te Kāhui Tupua Act 2025. I, along with Department of Conservation officials, am continuing to engage with both Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi and Te Tōpuni Ngārahu on how best to uphold those arrangements through the Conservation Amendment Bill and the National Conservation Policy Statement. The Whanganui National Park will be subject to future collective negotiations, in the context of the revised conservation syste…

To the Minister for Energy · 2026-07-16

"How does the discontinuation of Crown funding for Ara Ake align with the Government's stated objectives for regional economic growth in Taranaki?"

Reply: The Government is focussed on ensuring an affordable and secure supply of energy, which is a key enabler of economic growth across New Zealand, including in Taranaki.

To the Minister of Conservation · 2026-07-16

"What advice, if any, has the Minister received on whether the Conservation Amendment Bill changes the legal hierarchy from conservation being the primary purpose of public conservation land to one where economic use is given greater weight?"

Reply: I have been advised that the proposed changes do not create an obligation on the Department of Conservation to balance conservation outcomes with economic opportunities. Conservation will remain the overarching purpose of the Act. For more information on the continued primacy of conservation, I refer the member to the advice contained in 26-M-0046 - EDS meeting memo - 20 May, which has been released on the Department’s website under reference OIAD-9292 available here: https://www.doc.govt.nz/new…

To the Minister of Conservation · 2026-07-16

"How many hectares, if any, of Department of Conservation land within the Te Tai Hauāuru electorate are expected to be affected by the Conservation Amendment Bill?"

Reply: The Conservation Amendment Bill introduces new national conservation settings that will apply across all public conservation land. However, the impact on any particular area will vary depending on factors such as the purposes for which the land is managed and any applicable Treaty settlement arrangements.