Raymond Tau Henare (born 29 September 1960) is a former New Zealand Māori parliamentarian. In representing three different political parties in parliament—New Zealand First, Mauri Pacific and the National Party—Henare served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1993 to 1999 and from 2005 to 2014.
Early life
Henare was born in Otara, New Zealand, the son of a 37-year railwayman, on 29 September 1960. Known by his middle name "Tau," Henare's tribal roots are Ngāpuhi and what he characterises as "all the North". His involvement in politics can be traced to his family's involvement in politics. Henare's great-grandfather, Taurekareka (Tau) Henare, served in Parliament from 1914 to 1938 alongside notable Māori politicians such as Āpirana Ngata, James Carroll and Maui Pomare. Henare's great-uncle was Māori Battalion leader and politician Sir James Henare, who was once considered a candidate to be Governor-General and served as a revered guide and mentor to a young Tau. Henare himself was the brother-in-law to New Zealand Māori politician Tuku Morgan through Henare's marriage to the sister of Morgan's wife.
As a young boy growing up in Otara, Henare had a contrasting childhood. On one hand, he was told almost before he could walk that his future would be politics, which at times requires statesman-like skills to deal with others. On the other, Otara was "a place where you learn how to survive," and it required Henare to learn "to be strong, stand up and not take a backward step." Looking back on his 1960s childhood in 1996, Henare summed it up as one that "taught me to be proud of who I am." It also later contributed to what he describes as "youthful exuberance" that lead to a 1980s reputation for being a stirrer and a radical.
In Otara, Henare attended Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate. During Year 11 (Form 5) when he was 16, he attained the School Certificate, a former New Zealand secondary school qualification for high school students to progress to Year 12. However, Henare was unsuccessful on his New Zealand University Entrance.
After his schooling ended in 1978, Henare worked at a variety of positions, including wool cleaner and wool classer, where he was responsible for separating sheep's wool, organiser for the Northern Clerical Workers' Union under activist and trade unionist Syd Jackson, community worker, advise to the Waitakere City Council, and Department of Internal Affairs adviser. During this period, Henare was unemployed for two years. Also, at the age of 25, Henare was arrested for breaking through a police line and laying a wreath for the Maori Battalion during a royal visit on Anzac Day in 1985.
In addition to being influenced by his upbringing and pre-Member of Parliament work, Henare was influenced during his 20s by Māori culture:
In connection with Winston Peters (himself Māori) establishing the New Zealand First party in July 1993, Henare changed the focus of his activities to politics for the 6 November 1993 election.
Member of Parliament
Henare first won election to Parliament in the 1993 election as the New Zealand First candidate for the Northern Maori electorate, a surprising result given Labour's traditional dominance in the Māori electorates. In defeating incumbent Labour Party member Bruce Gregory, Henare became New Zealand First's second MP, joining Peters in the House. As such, Henare became New Zealand First's deputy leader. His election helped counter the perception that New Zealand First was merely an extension of Peters.
In December 1994, Northern Maori member of parliament Henare supported Māori tribe's paramount chief Sir Hepi Te Heuheu in Heuheu's refusal to attend a meeting with then Prime Minister Jim Bolger for a roundtable discussion on government proposals to settle Māori claims, reasoning that the government's handling of Maori claims indicated a lack of understanding of the gravity of the issues involved and the meeting would be a public relations exercise. Two months later in February 1995, Henare supported a push to have the United Nations oversee a fiscal envelope negotiation process. by which a monetary cap of $1 billion would be placed in a "fiscal envelope" for use in settling all Treaty of Waitangi grievances. Henare felt that United Nations scrutiny would ensure justice in the face of past treaty breaches and that the Government's forceful approach did not create future resentment.