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Career MP Salary
$1,900,435
11 years tracked
Career MP Expenses
$1,291,039
11 years of data
Profile2w agoParliament2w ago
Professional Background
Updated 2 Apr 2026Melissa 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.
Salary & Role History
11 years of remuneration data| Year | Primary Role | Salary Category | Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ordinary MP | Ordinary MP | $173,350 |
| 2022 | Ordinary MP | Ordinary MP | $168,400 |
| 2021 | Ordinary MP | Ordinary MP | $168,400 |
| 2020 | Ordinary MP | Ordinary MP |
Cross-Sector Roles
Charity Roles (2)
- Ikaroa Rāwhiti MP
- Board member
Crown Entity Roles (3)
- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
Declared Financial Interests
10 years of declarations20238 declared interests▼
Trusts (4)
- •Whaitiri Whanau Trust (beneficiary)
- •Tarewa 4 Ahuwhenua Trust (trustee)
- •Aroha Te Rangi Ahuwhenua Trust (beneficiary)
- •Ruruhira Robin Whanau Trust (beneficiary)
Real Property (3)
Cross-Sector Roles
Charity Roles(2)
- Ikaroa Rāwhiti MP at Ngarimu VC And 28th (Maori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Board member at Māori Purposes Fund Board
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Data Sources
- MP expenses from Parliament.nz
- CE remuneration from Te Kawa Mataaho
- Financial interests from Register of Pecuniary Interests