Senior Labour MP Kelvin Davis is quitting politics and will exit at Waitangi on February 6. 

The former Labour deputy leader had wanted to quit immediately after losing the Te Tai Tokerau seat to Te Pāti Māori candidate Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. Now with the birth of his first moko and a potential new job, Davis has decided that Waitangi Day 2024 is his final day as a politician. 

“Having been an MP since 2008, and now that we are no longer in Government it is time to move on to other opportunities,” Davis said. 

“I am proud of what we delivered during my time as Minister of Corrections, Children, Maori Education and particularly as Minister of Maori Crown relations. 

“Although that progress is currently under threat with this new government, I leave knowing that our strong Labour team will hold the Coalition Government to account.” 

A former teacher, Davis served as a list MP from 2008 to 2011 and again in 2014. He won the electorate of Te Tai Tokerau in the 2014 election. 

Davis was elected as Labour deputy leader two months before the 2017 election, becoming the first deputy of Māori descent in the Labour Party and has held many portfolios, including Corrections, Oranga Tamariki and Māori Crown Relations. 

Before October’s election, Davis hinted that if he did not win back Te Tai Tokerau, that would be the last throw of the political dice for him. 

He said without the support of the constituents there was no point in hanging around. 

“If I don’t win the Tai Tōkerau seat, that’s Te Tai Tōkerau saying ‘Kelvin, thanks but you’ve done your time,’ and I’ll move on and look at other things and allow whoever is successful to have free rein but my preference is to still be there and still have the mandate of the people,” Davis said at the time. 

As Davis is a List MP his resignation will not require a by-election. Dr Tracey McLellan is the next eligible person on the 2023 Labour Party List - she will return to Parliament in February. 

Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi Photo / Brodie Stone 

Te Tai Tōkerau has been an electorate of flips and flops. 

The electorate was created out of the Northern Māori electorate ahead of the first Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election in 1996 and was first held by New Zealand First candidate Tau Henare for just one term before he lost it to Dover Samuels, who held it for Labour for two terms. 

From 2005 to 2014, the seat was held by Hone Harawira. Initially a member of the Māori Party, Harawira resigned from the party and Parliament, causing the 2011 byelection. He was returned under the Mana Party banner in July 2011 and confirmed at the November 2011 general election. 

Harawira was beaten by Davis in 2014, ending the representation of the Mana Party in Parliament. 

Davis had held the seat ever since but lost in October - ending his long political career.