Tākuta Ferris

Tākuta "Doc" Ferris (born 1978) is a New Zealand politician who was elected to the New Zealand parliament at the 2023 general election as the MP for Te Tai Tonga for Te Pāti Māori.

A self-described fisherman, diver, and artist, his electoral success was one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 general election.

His win was unexpected, with the family of the incumbent having held the Te Tai Tonga electorate for 72 of the last 91 years.

Ferris was born in 1978.

Piri Sciascia was his uncle.

Ferris has a degree in Māori design and art, as well as a degree in mātauranga Māori, both from Te Wānanga o Raukawa.

He is of the Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Porou iwi.

Ferris was a lecturer and adviser at Massey University's Manawatū campus.

He describes himself as "a fisherman, a diver, and an artist".

Ferris' campaign strategy targeted younger voters, the rangatahi (literally the younger generation) because older people are "entrapped in the status quo".

In 2023, he said that he looks at the next one to five election cycles (i.e. 3 to 15 years) for increasing support for himself from younger people as they grow up.

On 10 May 2020, Tākuta Ferris was selected as the Māori Party candidate for Te Tai Tonga for the.

Ferris was quoted as saying that "the status quo is no longer acceptable. It is our responsibility to challenge it and change the development narrative for our tamariki and mokopuna."

Ferris was beaten by the incumbent, Rino Tirikatene, by a margin of over 6,800 votes.

Following the announcement of the proposed closure of the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter, Ferris called for the government to put whānau first, arguing that central and regional government should intervene with an aim for a more diversified regional economy.

In the runup to the, Ferris stood in for his party in The Press leaders' debate as neither co-leader of Te Pāti Māori was available; he had just two days' notice.

Despite sparring against two senior politicians—Winston Peters and David Seymour—Ferris "stood out from the pack" and was "shining".

Following the minor leader's debate, a journalist for The Press wrote that "he still has little chance of making it to Parliament".

Ferris was elected as the MP for Te Tai Tonga, which was unexpected, as opinion polls had the incumbent with a decisive lead.

It was seen as one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 election and his win had not been predicted.

Tirikatene had held the electorate since the, and members of Tirikatene's family have represented the electorate (including its predecessor Southern Maori) for 72 of the last 91 years.

An opinion poll in late September 2023 had Tirikatene ahead with an 11-point margin.

According to provisional results, Ferris received 9,426 votes to 7,963 for Tirikatene.

Based on final results released on 3 November, Ferris received 12,828 votes to Tirikatene's 10,004 votes.

During his maiden speech on 12 December, Ferris stated that he was there not to service the needs of the New Zealand House of Representatives but rather to "contest it."

He also criticised the National-led coalition government's policies which he claimed attacked Māori language and culture.

By mid December 2023, Ferris had joined Parliament's justice select committee.

He also became Te Pāti Māori's education, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, justice, police, corrections, drug law reform, water, fisheries, forestry, broadcasting and public service spokesperson.