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Takutai Tarsh Kemp
Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp ONZM (20 June 1975 – 26 June 2025) was a New Zealand politician, community health leader and hip hop dance director. She won the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate in the 2023 New Zealand general election and was a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for Te Pāti Māori until her death.
Kemp was born on 20 June 1975. She came from the iwi (tribes) of Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngā iwi o Mōkai Pātea, Ngāti Tamakōpiri, Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Hinemanu, and Ngāti Paki. She was the eldest child of Clark Karaka Kauika-Stevens and Ngaire Anne Te Hirata Kauika-Stevens (née Steedman). She was raised by her paternal grandparents at the Takirau marae in South Taranaki between the ages of seven and eleven. She was raised by her maternal grandfather from age 7 when she came back from Singapore where her father was stationed for the Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers. She returned to her parents at age 11. After that, she lived in Palmerston North and Auckland. At the University of Auckland, she studied anthropology, health, education, and mātauranga Māori.
She was named for her grandmother and had two children, Temanea Ereru Kauika-Quinlan in 1995 and Tania-Jade Waimarie Kauika-Fairbrother in 1997. National Party MP Tama Potaka was a relative.
Kemp developed the Rangatahi Mental Health Youth Hub with the University of Auckland and was its chief executive for 13 years. The program aimed to address high suicide rates in Māori youth.
She was director of Hip Hop International, the organisation that arranges the qualifying event for New Zealand teams in the World Hip Hop Championship. She was a trustee and Auckland manager for Street Dance New Zealand.
She was also chief executive of the Manurewa Marae and a prominent community voice for vaccination for South Auckland during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, Kemp was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to street dance and youth.
Kemp was selected by Te Pāti Māori to contest the Tāmaki Makaurau seat at the 2023 election. She was 6th on the party list. The official results, released on 3 November 2023, showed Kemp had won the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate by 4 votes. Kemp received 10,050 electorate votes while Labour's candidate, Peeni Henare, received 10,046. A recount was requested; once completed, Kemp retained the seat with a final margin of 42 votes.
Media reported that the Electoral Commission investigated complaints about voting at Manurewa Marae, which had been led by Kemp. The marae was used as a polling station, and according to video shown to Stuff, a Te Pāti Māori campaign song was played on loudspeakers during voting, and food was available for voters. Other media said the Commission had received no complaints.
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Takutai Tarsh Kemp
Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp ONZM (20 June 1975 – 26 June 2025) was a New Zealand politician, community health leader and hip hop dance director. She won the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate in the 2023 New Zealand general election and was a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for Te Pāti Māori until her death.
Kemp was born on 20 June 1975. She came from the iwi (tribes) of Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngā iwi o Mōkai Pātea, Ngāti Tamakōpiri, Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Hinemanu, and Ngāti Paki. She was the eldest child of Clark Karaka Kauika-Stevens and Ngaire Anne Te Hirata Kauika-Stevens (née Steedman). She was raised by her paternal grandparents at the Takirau marae in South Taranaki between the ages of seven and eleven. She was raised by her maternal grandfather from age 7 when she came back from Singapore where her father was stationed for the Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers. She returned to her parents at age 11. After that, she lived in Palmerston North and Auckland. At the University of Auckland, she studied anthropology, health, education, and mātauranga Māori.
She was named for her grandmother and had two children, Temanea Ereru Kauika-Quinlan in 1995 and Tania-Jade Waimarie Kauika-Fairbrother in 1997. National Party MP Tama Potaka was a relative.
Kemp developed the Rangatahi Mental Health Youth Hub with the University of Auckland and was its chief executive for 13 years. The program aimed to address high suicide rates in Māori youth.
She was director of Hip Hop International, the organisation that arranges the qualifying event for New Zealand teams in the World Hip Hop Championship. She was a trustee and Auckland manager for Street Dance New Zealand.
She was also chief executive of the Manurewa Marae and a prominent community voice for vaccination for South Auckland during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, Kemp was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to street dance and youth.
Kemp was selected by Te Pāti Māori to contest the Tāmaki Makaurau seat at the 2023 election. She was 6th on the party list. The official results, released on 3 November 2023, showed Kemp had won the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate by 4 votes. Kemp received 10,050 electorate votes while Labour's candidate, Peeni Henare, received 10,046. A recount was requested; once completed, Kemp retained the seat with a final margin of 42 votes.
Media reported that the Electoral Commission investigated complaints about voting at Manurewa Marae, which had been led by Kemp. The marae was used as a polling station, and according to video shown to Stuff, a Te Pāti Māori campaign song was played on loudspeakers during voting, and food was available for voters. Other media said the Commission had received no complaints.