Speech To Labour Party Conference 2025: Cushla Tangaere-Manuel

It’s a great time to be Labour!

Amidst all the political chaos we stand solid, sharp and ready to be the Government Aotearoa so desperately needs.

This is testament to our great leadership and the strong diverse team that makes up the Labour whānau.

Including all of you.

That’s why Labour is right for me.

We are reflective of the Aotearoa we live in and represent.

Many different whakapapa, different backgrounds, one dream – the best Aotearoa, New Zealand. I knew what we were up against in the Māori seats.

The promise of Mana Motuhake Māori – Māori Sovereignty.

Aotearoa can achieve this, with a Labour Government.

We need to tell our story and be brave. To trust and build on our record of enabling innovation, and in fact, Mana Motuhake Māori.

I know we can once again be kaitiaki, caretakers of all seven Māori seats.

We will not merely possess seats and be the party FOR Māori, we will be the Party that walks and thrives WITH Māori.

That’s pretty much the story of how I came to retain Ikaroa-Rawhiti for the Labour Party.

What a ride! And I’d like to thank the members of my LEC here today.

Our crew came into this with no infrastructure, no money and not many more clues about running a political campaign – that is, other than being a bunch of know-it-all’s!

But we did have a legacy.

I was personally determined to take the seat back to Te Riu o Waiapu, the Waiapu valley, for the first time since Ta Apirana Nohopari Turupa Ngata held it 80 years earlier.

And of course, we wanted to honour the legacy of Parekura Horomia who was synonymous with the seat, and beloved by us all.

That’s a pretty good foundation for a campaign.

I’ve come to realise the lack of infrastructure was probably our greatest advantage – our campaign was raw.

We initiated our infrastructure – whakapapa – in our own back yard.

This ensured I entered the campaign with the support and confidence of my people.

Then we rolled that out across Ikaroa-Rawhiti, bringing the whole rohe with us.

Then everyone jumped on the “push for Cush” waka…I didn’t even like that phrase at first, but it’s always those ones that stick eh.

Our goal was to win the hearts and minds of Ikaroa-Rawhiti.

We worked hard, and had fun along the way! Connecting, listening, even singing karaoke in parks… and we won!

I know I’m in the right party at the right time, with my eyes on the right place – being back in Government – and for the right reasons.

Cause here’s what I know now.

Labour has a plan.

Jobs, health and homes is not just a slogan.

It is a promise to Aotearoa, that we can live and thrive on our own whenua.

Moving away from your whānau and whenua should be a choice, not a necessity.

Labour’s Future Fund will help sustain this for generations, by backing our people and our businesses to thrive – and it opens another unique opportunity to work with iwi, hapu and ohanga Māori.

The world has its eyes on the Māori economy, and I want to acknowledge all those who have nurtured and grown their whanau, hapu and iwi assets.

Growing from reparation and Treaty settlements to an asset base worth over 126 billion dollars and contributing 32 billion to New Zealand’s gross domestic product.

That’s a testament to our history as the first traders of Aotearoa.

We see you e hika ma.

We see your moemoea, your dreams to restore the intergenerational wealth, and the health, of your people, and of our whenua.

Labour doesn’t fear that.

We support it.

When Māori thrive, Aotearoa thrives.

The answer’s not out there somewhere, it’s right here, and always has been.

Labour has a history of backing Māori growth and development.

That’s why we invested so heavily in Te Matatini and recognised Matariki as a kaupapa of national significance and introduced the Matariki public holiday, embraced by all New Zealanders.

Labour.

It was a Labour Government that sought to entrench Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

That made unprecedented investment in Māori housing and created direct funding relationships with iwi and hapu, trusting our knowledge of our communities.

Labour.

Substantial investment in Kura Māori and pay parity for Kohanga Reo.

Labour.

The prospect of amplifying these initiatives and elevating our partnerships with Māori is exciting.

And we can do it again in Government and as Kaitiaki of all seven Māori seats.

Because this means we are entrenched in rohe Māori throughout Aotearoa.

We have a unique Labour way of doing this.

We need to activate our infrastructure: Whakapapa Māori, supported by our diverse Labour whānau.

On that note I want to acknowledge our Māori Caucus who serve all of Māoridom each and every day, by simply standing in your Māoritanga right where you are.

We have different levels of proficiency in te reo Māori me ona tikanga, our language and customs, we have different levels of political experience, different backgrounds and views on certain issues, but we are all Māori as determined by whakapapa.

This is a direct reflection of the reality for all Māori in Aotearoa who we have great pride and privilege in representing.

And that’s why Labour is the party for me.

Labour is a place where Māori voices are amplified by our Pakeha, Pasifika and Tangata Tiriti whānau.

Labour is a party with the depth of experience and heart, who understand Māori are not tidily packaged in pockets of society like Kohanga and Kura but are a part of the mainstream of Aotearoa.

I stand here a proud member of Te Pari Reipa, firm in my resolve to stand once again for the people of Ikaroa-Rawhiti.

I thank those who have walked this path before me, kia rere mai toku reo, me oku whakaaro Māori I roto I te pati nei – that my voice, and therefore the voices of all we represent would flow freely in this party and in our country.

And I thank you all, our Labour whānau, for your ongoing commitment to thriving whānau, hapu and iwi, and therefore a thriving Aotearoa.

Kia kaha ra tatou, kia puawai te katoa!

We must continue to embrace all that is Māori, for the benefit of all of Aotearoa, culturally, socially and economically.

And as we head into 2026, the message is clear to all whānau. Me rehita, me poti.

Enrol and vote…and remember whānau, it’s two ticks in ‘26, two ticks Labour!