Te Tai Rawhiti

Te Tai Rawhiti (lit. 'The East Coast') was one of the five new New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorates created in 1996 for MMP. It largely replaced its English-named predecessor, Eastern Maori, though Te Tai Rawhiti's boundary was retracted significantly in the central North Island.

Te Tai Rawhiti only existed for one electoral term, and in 1999 was largely replaced by Waiariki and Ikaroa-Rāwhiti.

Population centres

The electorate was based in the Bay of Plenty and East Cape regions, as well as parts of eastern Waikato, and included the following population centres:

• Edgecumbe
• Kawerau
• Morrinsville
• Murupara
• Ōpōtiki
• Putāruru
• Rotorua
• Te Aroha
• Tauranga
• Tokoroa
• Tolaga Bay
• Whakatāne

Tribal areas

The electorate included the following tribal areas:

• Ngāti Ranginui
• Ngāi Te Rangi
• Te Arawa
• Ngāti Awa
• Ngāi Tūhoe
• Whakatohea
• Ngāi Tai
• Te Whānau-ā-Apanui
• Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa
• Ngāti Tūwharetoa
• Ngāti Porou
• Ngāti Ruapani
• Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti

History

Te Tai Rawhiti was one of the five new Māori electorates created for the 1996 election with the introduction of mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation, and which were all won by the Tight Five of New Zealand First.

In the 1999 election it was substantially replaced by Waiariki.

Members of Parliament

Key

  NZ First   Alliance

Election	Winner
1996 election		Tuariki Delamere

List MPs

Election	Winner
1996 election		Alamein Kopu

Election results

1996 election

1996 general election: Te Tai Rawhiti
Notes:		Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.
Party		Candidate		Votes	%	±%	Party votes	%	±%
	NZ First	Tuariki Delamere		10,647	50.73		10,030	47.53
	Labour	Peter Tapsell		6,432	30.65		6,558	31.08
	Mana Māori	Tame Iti		1,372	6.54		649	3.08
	Alliance	Alamein Kopu		1,210	5.77		1,381	6.54
	National	Peta Butt		506	2.41		897	4.25
	Te Tawharau	Willie Coates		398	1.90		171	0.81
	Independent	Hinemoa Awatere		352	1.68
	Natural Law	Lynette Patterson		70	0.33		27	0.13
	Legalise Cannabis						623	2.95
	Christian Coalition						433	2.05
	ACT						188	0.89
	Progressive Green						33	0.16
	McGillicuddy Serious						27	0.13
	Animals First						25	0.12
	Green Society						19	0.09
	United NZ						15	0.07
	Superannuitants & Youth						11	0.05
	Advance New Zealand						6	0.03
	Ethnic Minority Party						4	0.02
	Asia Pacific United						2	0.01
	Conservatives						2	0.01
	Libertarianz						2	0.01
Informal votes				322			206
Total valid votes				20,987			21,103
	NZ First win new seat		Majority	4,215	20.08