Te Tai Tonga electorate
Te Tai Tonga is the electorate of the South Island. It covers South Island, Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, and parts of both Wellington City and the Hutt Valley. It is currently held by Tākuta Ferris who won in 2023 as a member of Te Pāti Māori. Ferris did so with 12,828 votes, and 22.69% of the party vote. Following a falling out with Te Pāti Māori leadership, Ferris is running as an independent candidate. The seat had traditionally been a strong seat for the Labour Party, with Rino Tirikatene winning from 2011 through until 2023. Tirikatene has recently joined New Zealand First, whose candidate Tutekawa Wyllie won the seat in 1996 and 1999.
Te Tai Tonga candidates
Explore the candidates in your area
Lisa Marie Murch
Why I'm standing
I am standing because Te Tai Tonga deserves a voice for the people. I want to bring those voices into Parliament and make sure decisions are made with our whānau, not done to them. For me this is about our mokpuna, and about getting practical things moving for our communities.
About me
What I can offer is my connection to communities, my commitment to whānau and the courage to speak up when our people are being ignored. I am ready to listen, do the work and stay accountable to the whānau who put me there.
My priorities
- We will protect and entrench Te Tiriti, and progress constitutional transformation.
- We will ensure that whānau have access to secure housing, affordable kai, power, and health services.
- We will put more money in the pockets of low- and middle-income workers by changing the tax system.
Get across the policies, candidates and parties
Don’t know who to vote for? Policy.nz is the complete guide to the 2026 general election. Compare the parties, candidates and policies to see where you stand.
Policies
Compare the parties’ positions on the key issues this election
Candidates
See the electorate candidates running in your local area
Parties
Learn about each political party, its leaders and candidate list
Things to know...
Your two votes shape New Zealand’s next parliament. You need to be enrolled to vote.
Read explainerEnrol to vote by Sunday 25 October
You need to be enrolled before you can vote. You can enrol online at vote.nz.
Voting day is Saturday 7 November
Head to your nearest voting place on the day, or vote early from 26 October.
You get two votes
One for a party (the party vote) and one for a person in your area (the electorate vote).
Your party vote is the most powerful
It decides how many seats each party gets in Parliament. That’s what Policy helps you figure out.
