Tama Potaka

Tama Potaka is the Minister for Māori Development, Minister for Whānau Ora, Minister of Conservation, Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, and Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing). He is the MP for Hamilton West.

He has had a diverse career across legal, public service, education, advisory, tribes, investment, charities and enterprise.  He was the chief executive of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki prior to entering politics. He has also worked as a senior advisor to the NZ Super Fund and spent more than seven years as a general manager at Tainui Group Holdings in Hamilton. He played a pivotal role in many of the Waikato-Tainui developments in the city and driving results for the city and region.

Tama has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from Victoria University and a Master of Laws from Columbia University.

Tama is married to Ariana and they have three children – Tiaria, Te Awarua and Aorangi. He is proudly from Rangitīkei, Ruapehu, Whanganui, Taranaki, Horowhenua, Hawke’s Bay and the Central North Island – and is a Chiefs fan.

In his first term as MP for Hamilton West, Tama helped his community in Hamilton get a supermarket reinstated in Nawton.