Tangi Utikere Explained

Tangi Utikere
Constituency Mp1:Palmerston North
Parliament1:New Zealand
Term Start1:17 October 2020
Predecessor1:Iain Lees-Galloway
Office2:5th Deputy Mayor of Palmerston North
1Blankname2:Mayor
1Namedata2:Grant Smith
Term Start2:26 October 2016
Term End2:18 October 2020
Predecessor2:Duncan McCann
Successor2:Aleisha Rutherford
Office3:Palmerston North City Councillor
Term Start3:9 October 2010
Term End3:18 October 2020
Predecessor3:Multi-member district
Successor3:Orphée Mickalad
Party:Labour
Birth Place:Palmerston North, New Zealand

Tangi William Edward Utikere (born) is a New Zealand politician, and Member of Parliament for since 2020. He was the deputy mayor of Palmerston North from 2016 to 2020, being the first non-European to serve in that role.[1] [2]

Early life and professional career

Utikere was born and educated in Palmerston North and is of Cook Islands descent.[3] In 1997 he was a member of the New Zealand Youth Parliament, selected to represent List MP Jill White.[4] He studied and later taught at Freyberg High School as a history teacher, and is also a Justice of the peace and marriage celebrant.[3] On 2 June 2020, Utikere was appointed as a member of the New Zealand Criminal Cases Review Commission.[5] [6]

Political career

Early political career

Utikere unsuccessfully contested the Labour nomination for the Palmerston North electorate following the retirement of Steve Maharey in 2008, losing to Iain Lees-Galloway.[7]

He was first elected to the Palmerston North City Council in 2010, and was re-elected in 2013.[8] In 2015 he unsuccessfully ran for Mayor, coming second behind Grant Smith.[9] He was re-elected to the City Council in 2016[10] and in 2019 was re-elected as the city's highest polling city councillor.[11] In 2016 he was appointed as deputy mayor.[12]

On 26 July 2020 Utikere was selected as Labour's candidate for the Palmerston North electorate following the announcement that Iain Lees-Galloway would not be standing.[13] During the election campaign he donated his deputy mayor's salary to the city's Mayoral Relief Fund.[14]

First term, 2020 - 2023

During the 2020 New Zealand general election held on 17 October, Utikere won the Palmerston North seat, retaining it for Labour by a margin of 12,508 votes and nearly doubling Lees-Galloway's lead during the 2017 New Zealand general election.[15] [16]

In February 2021 a by-election was held to fill his vacant seat on the city council, it was won by Orphée Mickalad.[17]

In July 2021, his Member's Bill requiring all local council elected members to publicly declare their pecuniary interests on a Register, was drawn from the ballot.[18] It was passed into law by Parliament in May 2022.[19]

Having served on Parliament's Governance and Administration and Environment select committees, Utikere became the Chairperson of the Health Select Committee on 4th May 2022.[20] In a January 2023 Cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins appointed Utikere as Chief Government Whip.[21]

Second term, 2023 - present

During the 2023 New Zealand general election, Utikere retained the Palmerston North electorate by a margin of 3,087 votes.[22] He became Chief Whip, spokesperson for transport, oceans and fisheries, and associate spokesperson for education (Pacific) in the Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins.[23] Following Grant Robertson's announcement that he was retiring from politics Utikere picked up the Racing portfolio.[24]

External links

References

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Notes and References

  1. News: Tangi Utikere – Palmerston North Deputy Mayor. Palmerston North City Council. 17 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20200921020935/https://www.pncc.govt.nz/council-city/about-council/mayor-and-councillors/councillors/deputy-mayor-tangi-utikere/. 21 September 2020. live.
  2. News: Utikere becomes Palmerston North's deputy mayor. . 17 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181117151213/https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/85752368/utikere-becomes-palmerston-norths-deputy-mayor. 17 November 2018.
  3. News: Mayoral hopeful Tangi Utikere pitches values over promises . . Stuff. 31 December 2014 . 12 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200612022038/https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/64563229/mayoral-hopeful-tangi-utikere-pitches-values-over-promises. 12 June 2020. live.
  4. Web site: Parliamentary Youth MPs . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19970716063341/http://www.executive.govt.nz/minister/morris/youth-parliament/mp/index.htm . 16 July 1997.
  5. Web site: Criminal Cases Review Commission Board Appointments Announced . . 2 June 2020 . 12 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200701060141/https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2006/S00015/criminal-cases-review-commission-board-appointments-announced.htm. 1 July 2020.
  6. News: Palmerston North deputy mayor relishes new justice role . Jimmy Ellingham . . 24 July 2020 . 26 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200727033001/https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/300064721/palmerston-north-deputy-mayor-relishes-new-justice-role. 27 July 2020.
  7. News: Electorate chairman joins Labour race . . . 18 February 2009 . 22 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200722160656/http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/130141/Electorate-chairman-joins-Labour-race. 22 July 2020.
  8. Web site: Palmerston North Preliminary Election Results . Scoop . 13 October 2013 . 12 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200612022040/https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1310/S00130/palmerston-north-preliminary-election-results.htm. 12 June 2020.
  9. News: Grant Smith elected mayor of Palmerston North . . . 10 February 2015 . 12 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200612022040/https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/66018318/grant-smith-elected-mayor-of-palmerston-north. 12 June 2020. live.
  10. Web site: Palmerston North City Council elections . . 8 October 2016 . 12 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200612022040/https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1610/S00109/palmerston-north-city-council-elections.htm. 12 June 2020. live.
  11. News: Palmerston North keeps Grant Smith as mayor . . 12 October 2019 . 12 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200726232033/https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/116513312/palmerston-north-keeps-smith-as-mayor. 26 July 2020. live.
  12. News: Utikere becomes Palmerston North's deputy mayor . . . 26 October 2016 . 18 October 2020.
  13. News: Walls . Jason . Labour selects new Palmerston North candidate after Iain Lees-Galloway's sacking by Ardern . . 26 July 2020 . 26 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200820215616/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12351076. 20 August 2020. live.
  14. Web site: Deputy mayor Labour candidate Tangi Utikere returns his salary back to ratepayers . 28 December 2021 . . en-NZ.
  15. Web site: Palmerston North – Official Result . . 7 November 2020.
  16. Web site: Palmerston North – Official Result . . 7 November 2020.
  17. Web site: By-election 2021: Final results. www.pncc.govt.nz.
  18. Web site: 4 July 2021. More transparency needed in local government, says MP. 29 December 2021. Stuff. en.
  19. Web site: Local Government (Pecuniary Interests Register) Amendment Bill – New Zealand Parliament . 28 May 2022 . www.parliament.nz . en.
  20. Web site: Utikere, Tangi – New Zealand Parliament . 28 May 2022 . www.parliament.nz . en.
  21. News: Janine . Rankin . Palmerston North's Tangi Utikere becomes chief whip . . 31 January 2023 . 1 February 2023 .
  22. Web site: Palmerston North - Official Result . . 15 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231123104117/https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-36.html . 23 November 2023 . 3 November 2023 . live.
  23. Web site: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins reveals new shadow Cabinet . . 15 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231211134745/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/503581/labour-party-leader-chris-hipkins-reveals-new-shadow-cabinet . 11 December 2023 . 30 November 2023 . live.
  24. Web site: 2024-02-20 . Labour reshuffle: Edmonds moves up as Finance spokesperson . 2024-02-26 . RNZ . en-nz.

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