Tai Tokerau take key leadership role on New Zealand Maori Council
New Zealand Maori Council’s final national hui was held in Wellington over the weekend and, as part of the process, a new executive member was elected from across the sixteen Maori Council District. Wiremu Puriri was elected unanimously from the Tai Tokerau District and continues a long line of representation. Sir Taihakurei Durie, Chair of Council, welcomed the election of Wiremu saying “Taitokerau had been represented for many years by Sir Graham Latimer who really propelled the Council forward and the election Wiremu and Taitokerau is recognition of the mana and respect we hold that district in.”
“Maori Council has embarked on a new era of leadership when it comes to social and economic policy development – we all know the data from high rates of suicide to low rates of housing affordability, unemployment and high rates of incarceration. In the north of Aotearoa all of these are significant issues and representation from across the Motu is important.”
Puriri is a respected lawyer who has represented a wide variety of cases in respect of Maori affairs for many years and hails from Northland.
All sixteen districts were present for the Hui which covered a range of areas, challenges and opportunities impacting Maori.
