Face of the Day

Former Labour minister and Hauraki-Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta says it is an “important” and “exciting” time to be “re-entering” politics.

She made the comments during her first public appearance with the party since its election defeat.

During the party conference in Christchurch, Mahuta’s 27 years of service were honoured and she was presented with a life membership.

Party leader Chris Hipkins handed over the award to acknowledge, thank and celebrate an “outstanding member of the Labour whānau and an extraordinary New Zealander”.

He said she had dedicated her life to being a “servant of the people” and was a “true source of hope, vision and aspiration”.

Hipkins spoke of Mahuta’s work establishing Māori wards and working to implement the Three Waters policy, which saw her face “outright racism” as a result. [...]

She told the audience to look around the room, “look at the person next to you”.

“This is New Zealand. This is the New Zealand we want, for our tamariki, for our mokopuna, and it embraces everybody.” [...]

When asked if she would be running in the election, she said that was not her “intention”.

“My intention is to be able to support a strong Labour bid to earn the trust of voters to say, ‘this is what we stand for’.”