Takutai Moana Kemp

{{Short description|New Zealand street dance administrator, Māori community leader and politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Takutai Moana Kemp

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|ONZM|MP|size=100%}}

| image = Takutai Moana Kemp.jpg

| caption = Kemp in 2023

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| constituency_MP = Tāmaki Makaurau

| term_start = 14 October 2023

| parliament = New Zealand

| predecessor = Peeni Henare

| majority = 42

| party = Te Pāti Māori

| profession =

| spouse =

| children =

| residence =

| alma_mater =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp {{post-nominals|country=NZL|ONZM}} is a New Zealand politician, chief executive and hiphop dance director. In the 2023 New Zealand general election, Kemp narrowly won the electorate of Tāmaki Makaurau representing Te Pāti Māori.

Early life

Kemp comes from the iwi (tribes) of Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngā iwi o Mōkai Pātea, Ngāti Tamakōpiri, Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Hinemanu and Ngāti Paki.{{Cite news |last=Joseph Los'e |date=4 November 2023 |title=Manurewa Marae CEO eyes future in national politics |language=en-NZ |work=NZ Herald |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/hard-working-manurewa-marae-ceo-eyes-a-future-in-national-politics/ZKEYS4MYKBFCDDUEHIUJTNMLTU/ |access-date=4 November 2023 |archive-date=4 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104024145/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/hard-working-manurewa-marae-ceo-eyes-a-future-in-national-politics/ZKEYS4MYKBFCDDUEHIUJTNMLTU/ |url-status=live }} She was raised by her paternal grandparents at the Takirau marae in South Taranaki between the ages of seven and eleven. After that, she lived in Palmerston North and Auckland. At the University of Auckland, she studied anthropology, health, education, and mātauranga Māori.{{Cite web |date=12 December 2023 |title=Maiden statement |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20231212_125370000/kemp-takutai-tarsh-brownlee-gerry |access-date=13 April 2024 |website=New Zealand Parliament}}

She is named for her grandmother and has two children.

Career

Kemp developed the Rangatahi Mental Health Youth Hub with the University of Auckland and was its chief executive for 13 years. The program aimed to address high youth suicide rates in Māori youth.

She was director of Hip Hop International, the organisation that arranges the qualifying event for New Zealand teams in the World Hip Hop Championship. She was a trustee and Auckland manager for Street Dance New Zealand.

She was also chief executive of the Manurewa Marae and a prominent community voice for vaccination for South Auckland during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |title=Manurewa Marae CEO Takutai Moana Kemp to stand in Tāmaki Makaurau |url=https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2023/02/07/manurewa-marae-ceo-takutai-moana-kemp-to-stand-in-tamaki-makaurau/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104024430/https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2023/02/07/manurewa-marae-ceo-takutai-moana-kemp-to-stand-in-tamaki-makaurau/ |archive-date=4 November 2023 |access-date=4 November 2023 |website=Te Ao Māori News |language=en}}{{cite news |last=Trafford |first=Will |date=7 February 2023 |title=Manurewa Marae CEO Takutai Moana Kemp to stand in Tāmaki Makaurau |url=https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2023/02/07/manurewa-marae-ceo-takutai-moana-kemp-to-stand-in-tamaki-makaurau/ |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=Te Ao Māori News}} In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, Kemp was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to street dance and youth.{{cite web | url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/qb2021-onzm | title=Queen's Birthday Honours 2021 – Citations for Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) | date=7 June 2021 | access-date=12 September 2023 | archive-date=3 November 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103022748/https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/qb2021-onzm | url-status=live }}

Political career

{{NZ parlbox

|term=54th

|start={{NZ election link year|2023}}

|end=present

|list=6

|party=Te Pāti Māori

|electorate=Tāmaki Makaurau

}}

=2023 general election=

Kemp was selected by Te Pāti Māori to contest the Tāmaki Makaurau seat at the {{NZ election link|2023}}. She was 6th on the party list. The official results, released on 3 November 2023, showed Kemp had won the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate by 4 votes. Kemp received 10,050 electorate votes while Labour's candidate, Peeni Henare, received 10,046.{{Cite news |date=3 November 2023 |title=Te Pāti Māori claims victory in 6 of the 7 Māori electorates |url= https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/501635/te-pati-maori-claims-victory-in-6-of-the-7-maori-electorates |access-date=3 November 2023 |work=Radio New Zealand |language=en-nz |archive-date=3 November 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231103031527/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/501635/te-pati-maori-claims-victory-in-6-of-the-7-maori-electorates |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Tāmaki Makaurau – Official Result |url= https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-68.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=8 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123104121/https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-68.html|archive-date=23 November 2023|url-status=live}} A recount was requested; once completed, Kemp retained the seat with a final margin of 42 votes.{{Cite web |last=Pearse |first=Adam |date=9 November 2023 |title=Applications for recounts in three electorates formally lodged |url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2023-applications-for-recounts-in-three-electorates-formally-lodged/6ASUQ5RDFJB45D2YYHP2EJ6OIU/ |access-date=8 November 2023 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ |archive-date=8 November 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231108050149/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2023-applications-for-recounts-in-three-electorates-formally-lodged/6ASUQ5RDFJB45D2YYHP2EJ6OIU/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=15 November 2023 |title=Judicial recounts confirm Helen White and Takutai Tarsh Kemp as electorate MPs |url= https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/502469/judicial-recounts-confirm-helen-white-and-takutai-tarsh-kemp-as-electorate-mps |access-date=15 November 2023 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz |archive-date=15 November 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231115000928/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/502469/judicial-recounts-confirm-helen-white-and-takutai-tarsh-kemp-as-electorate-mps |url-status=live }}

Media reported that the Electoral Commission investigated complaints about voting at Manurewa Marae, which is led by Kemp. The marae was used as a polling station, and according to video shown to Stuff, a Te Pāti Māori campaign song was played on loudspeakers during voting,{{Cite web |last=McConnell |first=Glenn |date=14 November 2023 |title=Polling station played Te Pāti Māori waiata on election day |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/133274293/polling-station-played-te-pti-mori-waiata-on-election-day |access-date=15 November 2023 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=15 November 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231115022748/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/133274293/polling-station-played-te-pti-mori-waiata-on-election-day |url-status=live }} and food was available for voters.{{cite news|url= https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/502058/electoral-commission-probes-concerns-about-voting-at-te-pati-maori-candidate-s-marae|title=Electoral Commission probes concerns about voting at Te Pāti Māori candidate's marae|publisher=Radio New Zealand|date=9 November 2023}} Other media said the Commission had received no complaints.{{cite news|url= https://waateanews.com/2023/11/16/takutai-moana-natasha-kemp-te-pati-maori-mp-2/|title=Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp {{!}} Te Pāti Māori MP|publisher=Waatea News|date=10 November 2023}}

By mid-December 2023, Kemp had joined Parliament's social services and community select committee. She also assumed Te Pāti Māori's social development, Whānau Ora, disabilities, communities & volunteers, statistics, family & sexual violence, mental health, Kaumātua (Māori elders), employment & training, workers' rights and community affairs spokesperson portfolios.{{cite web |title=Te Pāti Māori Portfolios List |url= https://waateanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/TPM-Portfolios-List.pdf |publisher=Waatea News |access-date=23 February 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240223095606/https://waateanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/TPM-Portfolios-List.pdf |archive-date=23 February 2024 |date=14 December 2023 |url-status=live}}

=Census data breach allegations=

On 2 June 2024, the Sunday Star-Times reported that Statistics New Zealand was investigating several allegations by former staff at Manurewa Marae that Te Pāti Māori had illegally used 2023 New Zealand census data to target Māori electorate voters in the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate during the 2023 election, and that participants were given supermarket vouchers, wellness packs and food parcels to encourage them to fill out census forms and switch to the Māori electoral roll. A whistleblower from the Ministry of Social Development had alerted Statistics NZ and the Police. In response, Te Pāti Māori leader John Tamihere denied the allegations and claimed that they were driven by disgruntled complainants. Tamihere did not permit Kemp to be interviewed but acknowledged that marae workers had given gifts to encourage people to participate in the 2023 Census and to switch to the Māori roll.{{cite news |last1=Vance |first1=Andrea |title=Stats NZ investigating potential misuse of Māori census data |url= https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/350293431/stats-nz-investigating-potential-misuse-maori-census-data |access-date=3 June 2024 |work=The Post |date=2 June 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240601195140/https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/350293431/stats-nz-investigating-potential-misuse-maori-census-data |archive-date=1 June 2024}}

Former Māori academic Rawiri Taonui has disputed the allegations against Manurewa Marae, Waipareira Trust and Te Pāti Māori; arguing that photocopies of census data collected at Manurewa Maare were taken solely for verification purposes and destroyed, highlighting that Statistics New Zealand had clarified that neither Tamihera, the Waipareira Trust and the Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency had access to their database, disputing that vouchers were used to encourage people to switch to the Māori electoral roll, and denying that Māori Party flyers were included in wellbeing packs.{{cite news |last1=Taonui |first1=Rawiri |title=Data and Enrolment Allegations at Manurewa Marae |url=https://waateanews.com/2024/07/08/mataki-investigate-pre-election-data-and-enrolment-allegations-at-manurewa-marae/ |access-date=14 July 2024 |work=Waatea News |date=8 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240714091130/https://waateanews.com/2019/09/04/l-a-b-experiments-with-raw-sound-in-prize-mix/ |archive-date=14 July 2024}} Taonui also claimed that the whistleblowers were connected to Destiny Church and had instigated the allegations against Manurewa Marae and Te Pāti Māori following a failed attempt by the church to take over the marae.{{cite web |last1=Taonui |first1=Rawiri |title=Destiny Church behind allegations against Te Pāti Māori and Manurewa Marae |url=https://waateanews.com/2024/08/27/destiny-church-behind-allegations-against-te-pati-maori-and-manurewa-marae/ |publisher=Waatea News |access-date=22 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250119173705/https://waateanews.com/2024/08/27/destiny-church-behind-allegations-against-te-pati-maori-and-manurewa-marae/ |archive-date=19 January 2025 |date=27 August 2024 |url-status=live}}

On 22 January 2025, a Statistics New Zealand investigation cleared the Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency of data breaches during the 2023 Census and referred allegations against Manurewa Marae to the Privacy Commissioner. The report also found no evidence that one of the alleged whistleblowers had attempted to contact Statistics NZ regarding allegations against the marae.{{cite news |last1=Los'e |first1=Joseph |title=Stats NZ inquiry clears Whānau Ora of 2023 Census data breach |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/stats-nz-inquiry-clears-whanau-ora-of-2023-census-data-breach/MSHXHJ7HUFGDLO3D7UEU54XWGI/ |access-date=22 January 2025 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=20 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250120013246/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/stats-nz-inquiry-clears-whanau-ora-of-2023-census-data-breach/MSHXHJ7HUFGDLO3D7UEU54XWGI/ |archive-date=20 January 2025}} On 11 February 2025, The New Zealand Herald reported that Detective Superintendent Ross McKay was leading the inquiry into allegations regarding TPM's misuse of census data and Covid-19 vaccination information at Manurewa Marae during the 2023 general election.{{cite news |last1=Los'e |first1=Joseph |title=Manurewa Marae data misuse claims: Top police detective Ross McKay leading investigation into Te Pāti Māori |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/manurewa-marae-data-misuse-claims-top-police-detective-ross-mckay-leading-investigation-into-te-pati-maori/KAW4JBMTNZGSHFMICNC6OGMXBA/ |access-date=13 February 2025 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=11 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211173837/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/manurewa-marae-data-misuse-claims-top-police-detective-ross-mckay-leading-investigation-into-te-pati-maori/KAW4JBMTNZGSHFMICNC6OGMXBA/ |archive-date=11 February 2025}}