Hon Tama Potaka

Tama Potaka is from Mōkai Pātea, Whanganui, Taranaki, and surrounding Iwi of Te Tai Hauāuru and Te Kāhui Maunga. 

He is he Minister for Māori Development, Minister for Whānau Ora, Minister of Conservation, Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, and Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing). He is the MP for Hamilton West.

Prior to entering politics in the 2022 Hamilton West byelection, Tama was the chief executive of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki.

He has been a senior advisor to the NZ Super Fund and served as general manager at Tainui Group Holdings in Hamilton.  He is married to Ariana and thy have three tamariki (Tiaria, Te Awarua and Aorangi).

Tama has a Bachelor of Arts (Māori Studies, Political Science) and a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from Victoria University and a Master of Laws from Columbia University.

Tama Potaka portrait