Tama Potaka
Tama Potaka | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Hamilton West | |
| Assumed office 10 December 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Gaurav Sharma |
| Majority | 2285 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Tama William Potaka 8 January 1976 Raetihi, New Zealand |
| Political party | National |
| Spouse |
Ariana Paul (m. 2008) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Victoria University of Wellington Columbia University |
Tama William Potaka (born 1976) is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives representing the Hamilton West electorate. He is a member of the National Party and was chief executive of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki before entering Parliament.
Early life and family
Potaka was born in Raetihi in 1976.[1] He has Māori ancestry through both of his parents, who were schoolteachers, and he affiliates to Ngāti Hauiti, Whanganui, Taranaki, and Ngāti Toa.[1][2] He was educated at Huntley School and Te Aute College, where he was classmates with Julian Wilcox, Aidan Warren, Billy Weepu, Karl Te Nana and Alistair Toto and became dux in 1993.[1][3] He received Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees from Victoria University of Wellington in 1999, and with a scholarship earned a Master of Laws from Columbia University.[1][3] He passed the bar exam and became an attorney at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.[1]
Potaka married Ariana Paul in 2008, and they have three children.[1]
Potaka worked for Rudd, Watts and Stone (now Minter Ellison), various public policy roles, with Lake Taupō Funds, and Bell Gully. Potaka then spent seven years based in Hamilton, working as general manager corporate services for Tainui Group Holdings. He subsequently moved back to Auckland where he was a senior advisor at the New Zealand Superannuation Fund.[4] He was appointed chief executive officer of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Trust in 2020. In 2021, he was chosen as one of four lead negotiators for the Mōkai Pātea Treaty of Waitangi claim.[5]
Political career
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–present | 53rd | Hamilton West | National | ||
On 6 November 2022, Potaka was selected as the National Party candidate for the 2022 Hamilton West by-election caused by the resignation of independent MP Gaurav Sharma who had been expelled from the Labour Party.[6] On 10 December 2022, Potaka won the election, beating Labour candidate Georgie Dansey. Potaka gained 6974 votes compared to Dansey's 4541, a margin of 2433.[7]
On 19 January 2023, Potaka was named as National's spokesperson for Māori development and associate spokesperson for housing.[8][9]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Husband, Dale (9 October 2022). "Tama Potaka: For Māori, there's no economy without identity and society". E-Tangata. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Our team: Ariana Paul". The Southern Initiative. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ a b Mathers, Joanna (19 July 2015). "Getting our dux in a row". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Alumni journeys – Tama Potaka". Leadership New Zealand. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ Jacobsen, Lavinia (19 November 2021). "Negotiators Appointed for Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust". Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ Franke-Bowell, Jonah (6 November 2022). "Tama Potaka announced as National's pick to contest Hamilton West by-election". Stuff. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ Le Quesne, Karl. "Results of the 2022 Hamilton West By-election Official Count". New Zealand Gazette. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ^ Ward, Stephen (19 January 2023). "Hamilton's Tama Potaka picks up Māori development and social housing roles for National". Waikato Times. Stuff. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
{{cite news}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 20 January 2023 suggested (help) - ^ New Zealand National Party (19 January 2023). "Luxon Sets Out Team To Contest The 2023 Election". Scoop. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- 1976 births
- Living people
- People from Raetihi
- New Zealand National Party MPs
- New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates
- Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
- 21st-century New Zealand politicians
- Ngāti Hauiti people
- Māori MPs
- People educated at Huntley School, New Zealand
- People educated at Te Aute College
- Victoria University of Wellington alumni
- Columbia University alumni
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett people
- Ngāti Toa people
- Taranaki (iwi)