Profile: Harete Hipango and how she upset National colleagues

Harete Hipango’s transient profession as an MP has seen her upset workers together with her method, lecturing senior colleagues on the work they’re doing – and even how they’re talking. After she visited a
public protest by a Covid-questioning misinformation group, David Fisher profiles an MP who could possibly be going through her final time period in Parliament.

As a Māori lady within the Nationwide Get together, Harete Hipango was advised by a colleague to drag her head in if she wished to realize her ambitions at Parliament.

However that’s by no means been Hipango’s model. And so, after a handful of years of making an attempt to right what colleagues mentioned and the way they thought, her march throughout a Whanganui avenue to a Voices for Freedom protest could possibly be the pathway that takes her straight again out of Parliament.

She arrived at Parliament with a golden whakapapa and a long time of expertise as a lawyer who had labored with troubled youth and people struggling psychological sickness. Earlier than that, she was a high-performing sportswoman and pupil.

That was 2017. Within the three years that adopted, she was marked by colleagues – and even one chief – as a possible downside moderately than a future star. The problem appeared moot when she misplaced the Whanganui voters then was reborn when she returned on the record in June 2021, filling a emptiness.

The Nationwide Get together’s query of “what to do with Harete” is now urgent. On a sunny Saturday morning early in January, the Nationwide Get together record MP walked by way of central Whanganui to purchase croissants for breakfast when she noticed a Voices for Freedom protest.

For many politicians, the Covid-questioning, public health-doubting protest group can be a pink flag of warning.

Not for Hipango, although, who appears to have all the time thought-about her personal counsel greatest. Having beforehand spoken in assist of vaccination – and having each jabs herself – she crossed the street and approached the group with a cheery hi there, then stopped to talk.

Posing in entrance of the group for selfies, she mentioned, “I’m most likely going to get roasted for this,” then posted the photograph to Fb with a jumble of phrases talking to freedom of selection and sorrow over division in society.

“The mantle of management is handed to me from my ancestors,” she wrote, invoking the Hipango dynasty which runs deep by way of Whanganui’s historical past.

Hipango, 57, was born in Whanganui and raised within the suburb Putiki on a hill beside Whanganui River. She was fourth of 5 youngsters born to Hoani Hipango and Eileen Shaw, the union of a Māori father with Scottish ancestry and a third-generation Irish New Zealander. She has three grownup youngsters with husband Dean MacFater.

Hers was a navy household with service at its core. Each mother and father have been within the air drive after they met. Her brother Lieutenant Colonel Waata Hipango was killed in Singapore whereas serving within the NZ Military. An uncle, Porokoru Patapu Pohe, was well-known for his function in World Struggle II’s “Nice Escape” from Stalag Luft III and subsequent homicide by the Gestapo.

Additional again, there have been direct hyperlinks to Whanganui’s nice rangatira, her great-great-grandfather Hoani Wiremu Hipango and the adorned soldier Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui, generally known as Main Kemp. Each fought alongside authorities forces, with Hoani Hipango dying of wounds throughout one battle. Each have been buried with full navy honours at Pukiti.

Rere-o-Maki, Rangihiwinui’s mom, was considered one of 5 girls to signal the Treaty of Waitangi.

Hipango identifies hyperlinks to Whanganui, Ngāti Apa, Tūwharetoa and Taranaki iwi. In her CV for the 2017 election, she described her whānau as being of “rangatira” (chieftainship) rank.

In recounting this, Hipango advised the voters of service that spanned generations. “I merely share a snippet of my whānau historical past as a reminder of the Hipango dedication, service and acknowledgement to the individuals of Whanganui and surrounding areas.”

Hipango was raised with this nice weight of historical past and information she was born into this mainly line. Alongside this, Hipango described an awakening from the non-political residence during which she was raised in a Radio NZ interview for its Matangireia sequence on former Māori politicians, given between her exit from Parliament in 2020 and return to it in June 2021.

In it, she spoke of how formative it was rising up within the time of the 1975 hīkoi to Parliament and the Bastion Level occupation, and the way horrified she was witnessing the “energy of the state” on Waitangi Day at Pākaitore (Moutua Gardens) in 1981.

Her grandfather Hori Kingi Ingarangi Hipango sat with primarily Pākehā dignitaries inside as a peaceable protest by Māori outdoors was pushed again by police. She spoke of searching for out her koro, who intervened and calmed police and protesters.

On the time, Hipango was excelling at college and sport, and dealing as a cleaner within the authorized places of work the place her mom labored as a authorized government. She pursued legislation as a profession, initially trying to take action by way of enlisting with the Royal NZ Navy as an officer. She was rejected due to her gender.

Whanganui, Pākaitore and the legislation can be central to Hipango’s life. Aside from a handful of years away, her life was centred on the small metropolis and, inside it, centred on the legislation courts on the fringe of Pākaitore. There she labored as an advocate for youth, largely within the household court docket, and for a interval as district psychological well being inspector.

The courts sit on the fringe of Pākaitore, bringing Hipango’s worlds crashing collectively in the course of the 1995 occupation. Hipango spoke of how her standing as a lawyer gained her no favours from the state, describing to RNZ an assault by police who restrained and searched her seemingly as a result of she was Māori as she entered the courthouse. And but, amongst these occupying Pākaitore, there have been those that known as her “kūpapa”, a slur for individuals who collaborate with the Crown.

Former Labour Cupboard Minister and Māori Get together founder Dame Tariana Turia, who has recognized Hipango since she was a lady rising up down the street at Pukiti, witnessed a lot of what the MP skilled. “That might have struck at her coronary heart.” It was, Turia believed, the primary time Hipango had discovered there have been sides to take.

Hipango talked years later of how she was seen by some as not Pākehā sufficient and by others as not Māori sufficient, but there was by no means any doubt about who she served. She had supported the Māori Get together, she advised RNZ, and nonetheless did – and another group working to advance and assist Māori.

“That’s why I imagine the Nationwide Get together wants individuals like me there,” she mentioned. Being Māori within the Nationwide Get together, she mentioned, “doesn’t come with out issue and I knew that” when becoming a member of. She defined, although, that on the time she joined John Key had been a main minister who labored in coalition with the Māori Get together and Invoice English had proven comparable willingness.

In February 2017, Hipango visited Turia to inform her she had determined to run for Parliament. Incumbent MP Chester Borrows was retiring and had approached her to face.

“I used to be happy,” mentioned Turia, though shocked Hipango had chosen the Nationwide Get together. “All these events serve the identical constituency. The individuals who voted for them and put them in energy are Pākehā individuals and so that’s the place their focus is.”

It was, Turia believed, a optimistic transfer. “I imagine Harete is the perfect particular person to be within the Nationwide Get together – if they’d understanding and respect for who she is and the issues she will convey them.”

For Hipango, arriving at Parliament meant working in a spot the place these values she was raised to contemplate necessary barely rated a point out.

Hipango’s whakapapa lifted her even because it weighed her down. To stroll in a Māori world with the tupuna she had was to be elevated past her personal achievements and ambitions. Within the predominantly Pākehā world of Parliament, although, she was typically seen as carrying boots too huge for the ft that had carried her there.

Jo Hayes, a Nationwide record MP from 2014-2020 whose whakapapa contains Whanganui, mentioned there was little doubt Hipango arrived in Parliament targeted on how she may benefit Māori. “There was nobody within the caucus that was mistaken about who she supported.”

She recalled telling Hipango: “You’re not coping with individuals of like pondering if you’re in right here and it’s a must to go about it another way.”

That included Hipango’s whakapapa. It meant one factor in a Māori world, and in Whanganui. In Parliament: “Individuals simply didn’t give a toss. They simply didn’t perceive.”

“I mentioned, ‘They simply don’t care … you simply show your price’. I mentioned to Harete, ‘The one method you possibly can push the Māori agenda is to cease pondering everybody ought to bow right down to you and simply get on with it’.”

As a first-term MP, Hipango bucked the rule that learner MPs ought to maintain their mouths shut and ears open. She weighed in the place she felt she had experience or views to lend, not solely in caucus however throughout numerous choose committees. It typically meant stepping in entrance of – or on – colleagues who had been in Parliament for years.

In a single Parliamentary speech associated to the household court docket, Hipango advised the Home: “I do occur to know extra about this than another member on this Home.” It was a declare that didn’t shock colleagues, regardless of what it inferred about her personal social gathering’s spokespeople on courts and Oranga Tamariki.

Amongst Hipango’s recommendation to colleagues have been efforts to enhance their mangled pronunciation. “She would say to individuals, ‘That is the way you pronounce this in te reo’,” mentioned Hayes.

Collectively, it was an method that may have been seen as “excessive” for a brand new MP. Hayes: “All of us went about our enterprise otherwise.”

It proved isolating. Hayes mentioned caucus was a spot the place “it’s very a lot a pecking order”. “The primary-timers often maintain their mouth shut.”

Hipango’s method was to stride ahead with a surety of goal. Doing so whereas remoted in caucus noticed her make a poorly judged social media submit attributing a false quote to the Prime Minister.

Later there have been claims of inappropriate spending which noticed a taxpayer-funded tv and furnishings delivered to her residence. There was even her declare “Preserve Left” visitors signage was politically pushed, and the social media own-goal during which she congratulated herself for her personal speech.

Within the course of, Hipango wound up offside with colleagues and upset workers together with her method, resulting in repeated audiences with the social gathering’s whips. Colleagues have been amazed that within the face of what they might take as obligatory steering or severe warning, Hipango remained serene, and apparently oblivious.

When Judith Collins took management within the months earlier than the 2020 election, Hipango’s fortunes improved. As a part of the assist community Collins cultivated on the social gathering fringes, Hipango discovered herself on the within for as soon as.

It was this which noticed Hipango elevated up the social gathering record, mentioned Hayes. “Judith had individuals she acquired together with and she or he rewarded. She’ll deny it, after all. However you possibly can see it. A blind man may see it.”

The elevation up record rankings wasn’t sufficient in Labour’s landslide victory. Blue Whanganui went pink, sending Hipango again to apply legislation. Within the seven months she was out of Parliament, her record inserting had her perched, able to return, if any sitting MPs left.

It got here in June when veteran Nationwide MP Nick Smith stop after being warned by Collins of an imminent damaging information story. His exit noticed Hipango step ahead as the subsequent MP on Nationwide’s record.

The return was a chance for Hipango to understand her ambition for Maori by way of politics – after which Collins stepped down as chief. With the lack of that shut and private connection, Hipango was once more remoted.

For Turia, Hipango’s newest brush with political bother compounded earlier, incorrect, impressions. “I believe there’s been an entire misunderstanding of her and the best way she’s been portrayed. I’m irritated by it as a result of I do know her so nicely and love her dearly.”

She added: “I believed she would convey an understanding to the Nationwide Get together of what her experiences in life had been. In the event that they knew her whakapapa, they might know who she is and what she will convey them.”

As a substitute, Turia discovered herself “gobsmacked” on the “lack of expertise”. A part of that was an absence of recognition of Hipango’s whakapapa and the load of accountability that introduced. A part of it was overlooking Hipango’s perception into points impacting totally on Māori, and significantly on youth.

Turia described Hipango as coming from a comparatively “privileged” background with life experiences that led to an understanding of those that had not loved her benefits in life. Together with that, mentioned Turia, was “need to serve”.

Hipango’s go to to the Voices for Freedom protest was consistent with her whakapapa and its obligation to look after all, fostering connection moderately than division, mentioned Turia. “I used to be happy with her doing that.”

“She’s by no means been afraid to talk her thoughts. She’s all the time been a really direct particular person. She’s a really sincere and good particular person.”

Turia mentioned Hipango had “fitted” her complete life, succeeding in profession, schooling, household and sport. When it got here to Parliament, “I don’t assume she thought it could be simple however didn’t assume it could be as onerous as it’s”.

“She wished to make a distinction and thought Parliament was the place it could occur. She would by no means have thought she can be ostracised in that atmosphere.”

Hipango mentioned within the Radio NZ interview: “The Māori voice within the Nationwide Get together has but to be really valued, I imagine. And it’s concerning the individuals positioned into seniority within the social gathering . . . I imagine it’s valued by some however not sufficient.”

Requested if Parliament was lonely, she replied: “Sure, it’s lonely however one has to immerse into the setting to learn to survive.”

When requested who her allies have been in Parliament and the place she sought assist, she replied: “I might go residence.”

And between visits residence there was her workplace the place on the bookcase have been taonga from residence and images of tupuna. “There have been days,” she mentioned, “I might go into my workplace and I might simply stroke the kahu and the mere and simply maintain the pictures of my whānau.”

Hipango was nicely conscious of her place within the social gathering. “My views have by no means aligned with lots of my caucus colleagues. I’m not in there to be a sure or no to their views.”