Story: Parliament

Rātana MPs

Rātana MPs

Whetū Tirikātene-Sullivan, Labour MP from 1967 to 1996, stands beneath a portrait of her father, Sir Eruera Tirikātene, who was the first Rātana Church member to be elected to Parliament, in 1932, and whom she succeeded in the Southern Māori seat. The Rātana Church and the Labour Party agreed formally in 1936 to work together, and by 1943, all the Māori seats were held by Rātana members. This remained the case for another 50 years.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PAColl-7327)
Reference: EP-Portraits of New Zealanders-Tirikatene-Sullivan, Whetu-01
Photograph by Ray Pigney

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

John E. Martin, 'Parliament - Structural changes, 1890s to 1950s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/33705/ratana-mps (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by John E. Martin, published 20 Jun 2012, updated 1 Feb 2015