'At 21 years old... this was not the plan': NZ's youngest MP

We followed New Zealand’s youngest MP in 170 years as she delivered her maiden speech in Parliament.

At just 21 years old, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, of Te Pāti Māori, is the MP for Hauraki Waikato.

She talks about whānau, what it’s like being in Parliament, and being authentically unapologetically Māori.

She’s passionate about māra kai (food sovereignty), tātai arorangi (Māori astronomy), and maramataka Māori (the Māori lunar cycle).

“I don't want praise, I want people to keep me accountable, I want people to give me constructive criticism cause that’s how I’ll grow,” she says.

“We are here, we are sailing, we are navigating just like our ancestors once did.”

Growing up with an ‘almond mum’

"No, I didn’t particularly enjoy eating spoonfuls of desiccated coconut as a snack."

How to eat like our tīpuna did

Why food security and food sovereignty are so important

Analysis: Māori call to action is history repeating itself

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has called the outpouring of criticism by Māori “pretty unfair”.