Born in Whangarei, raised in West Auckland, and educated at St Stephens, I am the MP for Tai Tokerau and leader of the MANA Movement. I live in the far north, and I have wide tribal connections across the Tai Tokerau.

Over the past 25 years I have run a number of Maori organisations in the north, including the Aupouri Ngati Kahu Te Rarawa Trust, the Aupouri Mäori Trust Board, Te Reo Irirangi O Te Hiku O Te Ika, Te Wananga Reo o te Tai Tokerau, Te Wharekura o Te Rangi Aniwaniwa, and Tehiku Media.

I have been involved in the Maori rights movement for the past 40 years, as a member of Nga Tamatoa, during the occupation of Bastion Point; and as
leader of the Waitangi Action Committee, He Taua, the Patu Squad the Kawariki, and the Foreshore & Seabed Hikoi.

I helped set up the Mäori Party and won the Taitokerau in 2005 and held it in 2008.

I set up the MANA Movement in 2011, and won the Taitokerau seat in a by-election in April.

I led the Tobacco Inquiry which saw the introduction of world-leading legislation to limit and to ban tobacco in Aotearoa

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