Melissa Heni Mekameka Whaitiri (born 11 January 1965) is a New Zealand politician and former member of the New Zealand House of Representatives. She was first elected to Parliament in the 2013 Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by-election for the Labour Party. Whaitiri served as Minister of Customs for the Sixth Labour Government on two separate occasions but resigned from her party on 3 May 2023 to contest the 2023 general election for Te Pāti Māori. For the remainder of the parliamentary term, she was treated as an independent member in the House, and was defeated in her bid to retain Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by the Labour candidate, Cushla Tangaere-Manuel.
Deputy Chair
Waka Ama Aotearoa New Zealand Incorporated
Oct 2011 - Aug 2013
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