Tuku Morgan

Tukoroirangi "Tuku" Morgan (born 7 October 1957) is a New Zealand Māori politician and former broadcaster.

Tukoroirangi Morgan
Tukoroirangi Morgan in 2009
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Te Tai Hauāuru
In office 1996–1999
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Nanaia Mahuta
4th President of the Māori Party
In office 16 Jul 2016 – 11 December 2017
Preceded by	Naida Glavish
Personal details
Born	Tukuroirangi Morgan 7 October 1957 Auckland, New Zealand
Political party	Māori Party
Other political affiliations	New Zealand First Mauri Pacific

Early life and family

Born in Auckland on 7 October 1957, Morgan affiliates to the Tainui iwi confederation. He was educated at St Stephen's School, Bombay from 1970 to 1971, and Huntly College from 1971 to 1976. He then gained a Diploma of Teaching, and taught English and Māori studies at Huntly College from 1980 to 1982, and Birkdale College (1982).[1] His brother-in-law is Tau Henare.[2]

Broadcasting

Morgan worked as news and current affairs reporter at both Television New Zealand and TV3. He was also head of sport, youth and current affairs programmes at the short-lived Aotearoa Television Network.[1]

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate	List	Party
1996–1998	45th	Te Tai Hauāuru	10	NZ First
1998–1999	Changed allegiance to:			Mauri Pacific

Morgan was first elected to Parliament in the 1996 election as the New Zealand First MP for Te Tai Hauāuru. New Zealand First captured all five Māori electorates in the 1996 election (including Te Tai Hauāuru) - Morgan and the other four Māori MPs became known as the Tight Five.[3]

During his term in Parliament he was involved in a number of controversies. One scandal in 1997 revolved around his spending NZ$4000 of Aotearoa Television funds on clothes including a pair of $89 underpants.[4][5]

Morgan resigned from New Zealand First on 18 August 1998, becoming an independent MP.[1] He later joined the newly formed Mauri Pacific.[3] In the 1999 election, Morgan was ranked second on Mauri Pacific's party list, and contested the Te Tai Hauāuru seat again, but was not returned to Parliament. He then returned to television and film production.

Life after parliament

He was chair of Te Arataura, the Waikato-Tainui executive board, from 2006 until 2012, except for a period in 2004 when he was removed from office because of a criminal conviction for obstructing police during a protest march in the 1980s.[6] He is a director of Auckland Council Property, a council-controlled organisation of the Auckland Council.[7]

In 2015 he became the Māori Party's co-chair of the Hauraki-Waikato electorate.[8] In July 2016 he was elected as president of the Māori Party.[9][10]

In December 2017 he announced his resignation and called for the party's co-leaders to follow suit after the Māori Party gained just 1.1 percent of the party vote at the 2017 General election and all seven of its Māori electorate candidates were beaten by Labour.[11]

In August 2018, he published an open letter to the Māori King Tūheitia Paki, whose advisor he had previously been, detailing a number of criticisms of Paki's behaving, including his continued support and employment of Rangi Whakaruru as chief of staff.[12][13][14][15]

References

1. Taylor, Alister, ed. (2001). "New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 2001". New Zealand Who's Who, Aotearoa. Auckland: Alister Taylor Publishers. ISSN 1172-9813.
2. Stokes, Jon (4 February 2006). "Protester's flame still burns, if less brightly". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
3. Herrick, Linda (29 December 2001). "Tuku Morgan goes from Parliament to Ponsonby Rd". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
4. "'Close eye' on TV grant to Tuku Morgan". The New Zealand Herald. 29 January 2002. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
5. "Mallard tries to stay afloat". Sunday News. 27 October 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
6. Tahana, Yvonne (14 February 2012). "Dumped Waikato-Tainui iwi leader plans litigation". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
7. "Te Arataura members appointed to Auckland CCOs". Scoop. 3 September 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
8. Maori Party weigh in on Labour's reshuffle nzherald.co.nz, 1 December 2015
9. Young, Audrey (16 July 2016). "Tukoroirangi Morgan elected as Maori Party president". The New Zealand Herald.
10. Haunui-Thompson, Shannon (16 July 2016). "Tuku Morgan: 'One goal' for Māori Party". Radio New Zealand.
11. "Māori Party president resigns and calls for co-leaders to follow suit". Retrieved 11 December 2017.
12. https://www.scribd.com/document/386142708/Letter-from-Tukoroirangi-Morgan
13. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/106237175/former-advisor-to-mori-king-chastises-the-office-over-spending
14. https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/364181/calls-for-action-after-allegations-against-king-tuheitia-s-advisor
15. https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2018/08/tuku_vs_the_king.html