February 12, 2016
Trail blazing wahine MPs remembered
Photographs of the first two women Maori MPs have gone up in Parliament.
About 60 descendants and whanau of the late Iriaka Ratana and Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan attended yesterday’s unveiling ceremony in the former Maori affairs committee room, Matangireia.
They go up alongside portraits of other prominent leaders including Sir Apirana Ngata, Sir James Carroll, Maui Pomare and Eruera Tirikatene, Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan’s father.
Mrs Ratana entered parliament in 1949, succeeding her late husband Matiu Ratana in Western Maori.
She held the seat for Labour for 20 years until her retirement.
Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan won Southern Maori in 1967 and became the first wahine Maori cabinet minister in 1973.
Mrs Ratana’s grandson Adrian Rurawhe now holds Te Tai Hauauru for Labour, while Rino Tirikatene holds his aunt’s southern Maori seat, now called Te Tai Tonga.
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