Claudette Hauiti

Claudette Hauiti
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for National party list
In office
8 May 2013 – 14 August 2014
Personal details
Political party National Party
Occupation Broadcaster

Claudette Hauiti (born c.1961) is a New Zealand politician and was a member of the House of Representatives in 2013 and 2014. She is a member of the National Party.

Early life

A broadcaster, Hauiti has worked as a producer and as a back up presenter on Eye to Eye with Willie Jackson.

In the 2002 TV Guide NZ Television Awards she won the Best Entertainment Series award for Polyfest 2001. She also produced the documentary Children of the Revolution, which won the Best Maori Language Programme award at the 2008 Qantas Film and Television Awards.[1]

Prior to becoming an MP, she held several high-profile roles, including deputy chair at Auckland's Museum of Transport and Technology, and strategy roles with Ngāti Te Ata and an iwi radio station.[2]

Political career

Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate List Party
2013–2014 50th List 63 National

During the 2010 Auckland local elections, Hauiti stood for the Albert-Eden Local Board in the Owairaka Subdivision. Representing Citizens & Ratepayers, she was not elected.

Hauiti stood in the Māngere electorate during the 2011 general election representing National,[3] losing to Labour's Su'a William Sio.

Following Aaron Gilmore's resignation, Hauiti replaced him as a list MP on 28 May 2013.[4][5][6]

Departure from Parliament

In March 2014 she returned her parliamentary charge card to Parliamentary Services, after using it to pay for a Christmas trip to Australia.[7] She announced her resignation from politics on 22 July 2014.[8] Hauiti left Parliament prior to the election date in order to get back in private business.In December 2014 and again in January 2015 Hauiti re-appeared in media when she was found to have spent approximately $23,000 on MP's expenses despite her known decision to stand down. [9] Her second media appearance came when her sister had an employment-related dispute with Raukawa FM, a station formerly run by Hauiti as Strategic Advisor. [10]

Personal life

Hauiti is Māori, of Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kuta and Ngāti Ruanui descent.[11] She is a lesbian, and a former Labour Party campaigner.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Qantas Film and Television Awards 2008 - Winners List". Screen Directors Guild of NZ. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "National's newest MP - Maori and lesbian". 3 News NZ. 13 May 2013.
  3. ↑ "National selects Hauiti for Mangere". TVNZ. 16 May 2011.
  4. ↑ "New List MP for New Zealand National Party: 28 May 2013". Electoral Commission. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  5. ↑ Claudette Hauiti to replace Aaron Gilmore in parliament 3news.co.nz, 13 May 2013
  6. ↑ Young, Audrey (30 May 2013). "Controversy stays away as newest MP takes her place in House". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "MP hands in her charge card after Australia trip". Stuff.co.nz. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  8. ↑ Young, Audrey (22 July 2014). "National MP Claudette Hauiti calls it quits". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Departing MP's One last Spend up". NZ Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Radio Manager has Compensation slashed". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on 31 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  11. ↑ Claudette Hauiti. NZ On Screen. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  12. ↑ "New Nat candidate: Lesbian, Maori, ex-Labour". 3 News NZ. 13 May 2013.