Te Tai Hauauru by-election 2004
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The Te Tai Hauauru by-election was a by-election in the New Zealand electorate of Te Tai Hauauru, one of the Maori seats. The date set for the by-election was 10 July, 2004. It saw the re-election of Tariana Turia, a former MP for the Labour Party and now co-leader of the Maori Party.
Turia had quit both Parliament and the Labour Party in protest over the government's position in the foreshore and seabed controversy. She contested the by-election as a member of the new Maori Party, which she is playing a leading role in establishing. None of the major parties contested the by-election, and Turia was always the overwhelming favourite to win. Perhaps due to the apparent inevitability of a win for Turia, only around 32% of Te Tai Hauauru voters cast ballots.
Nominations for the by-election closed on June 15, 2004. Candidates were:
- Tariana Turia (Maori Party)
- Peter Wakeman, a Labour Party member who stood as an independent.
- Dun Mihaka (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party), a veteran Maori activist best known for baring his buttocks to the Queen on her 1983 Royal Tour of New Zealand.
- Tahu Nepia, who stood as an independent, but represented the Ratana movement, with the intent of establishing an Independent Ratana Party to contest the next general election.
- Rusty Kane, an independent who campaigned on the platform that Maori seats should be abolished.
- David Bolton, independent.
If no candidates had been put forward to oppose Turia, she would have been declared the winner without a vote - this initially appeared possible, and given the cost of a by-election (estimated at almost half a million NZ dollars), many hoped that a vote could be avoided.
The holding of a by-election was criticised by a number other parties. The Labour Party, which Turia was originally a member of (and which has traditionally dominated the Maori seats) has called the by-election "a waste of time and money", and a "sideshow". Labour has, however, stated that it will contest the seat in the next general election (scheduled for 2005).
Results
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Percentage |
| Tariana Turia | Maori Party | 7,256 | 92.74% |
| Dun Mihaka | Legalise Cannabis Party | 197 | 2.52% |
| Tahu Nepia | Independent | 183 | 2.24% |
| Peter Wakeman | Independent | 80 | 1.02% |
| David Bolton | Independent | 70 | 0.89% |
| Rusty Kane | Independent | 38 | 0.49% |