A whale of a time MARAMA'S MAGICAL CHILDHOOD
The Green MP and her famous father reminisce
It’s not easy being green. Just ask Marama Davidson, who is now the highest-ranked female MP in the Green Party following the shock resignation of longtime co-leader Metiria Turei.
In the aftermath of Metiria’s admission to historic benefit and electoral fraud, and with Labour resurging under popular new leader Jacinda Ardern, the Greens have slumped below the crucial five percent mark in a recent poll.
“I’m absolutely gutted,” confesses Marama. “It’s a real loss and we’ve taken a beating, but we’re still 100% behind Metiria and her bravery in getting a real conversation about poverty started. She wasn’t just another politician – for me, she was a personal mentor as a Maori woman in politics.”
It’s especially devastating for Marama, 43, because Metiria, 47, is not only a close friend, but the very reason the mum-of-six got into politics in the first place. That is, with help from Marama’s father, acclaimed WhaleRider actor Rawiri Paratene.
As the daddy-daughter duo chat to Woman’sDay in Auckland’s Myers Park – coincidentally, the same place Marama’s mother told Rawiri she was pregnant with her – the politician recalls joining the Green Party in 2013 after years of activism.
“Within weeks of that, Metiria asked me to consider standing for the party in a by-election,” tells Marama. “It was a real shock. My father had been a candidate for them
twice previously, so I forwarded her message to him, saying, ‘This is ridiculous – I can’t do it!’”
However, Rawiri, 63, replied, “Of course you can. There’s no way Metiria would ask if you weren’t capable. She’s one of the most astute politicians this country’s ever had. She doesn’t suffer fools.”
Marama says, “I wasn’t going to consider it, but he put it in a whole different light.”
She came fourth in the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election, easily won by Labour, but in 2015, she entered Parliament after former co-leader Russell Norman left the Greens to work for Greenpeace.
Born leader
While Marama – who won’t consider standing for coleader until after the election – might have been surprised about the direction her life was taking, her dad has long seen in her all the elements of a good politician.
Rawiri says, “She was always surrounded by very articulate, vibrant theatre people, so almost from the moment she started talking, she had a wide vocabulary and could articulate her beliefs, which made life interesting. As the oldest of six children, she displayed leadership qualities very early on.”
Growing up with a famous father wasn’t a big deal, says Marama. “He was away a lot, travelling for work, but we just thought everyone’s dad had a full make-up kit and that all families went to the theatre every weekend. Looking back, I was very privileged.
“We were pretty broke, but I had incredible, weird, chaotic parents whoho modelled unconditional tional love and gave me a crazy, spontaneous childhood.”hood.”
Perhaps the most st unconventional moment was whenn the Dunedinbased family took a trip to the beach and spontaneously decided to continue driving up to Auckland. “That was pretty freaky,” Marama laughs. “We had no o extra clothing and no luggage. They were e young, go-with-the-wind parents and that really shaped me.” me”
Now living in South Auckland, the politician admits she’s a little chaotic as a mother too. “One Matariki, I decided it would be fantastic to go camping on Rangitoto Island in the middle of winter. We woke up at 5am to climb to the top of the mountain and see the sunrise. We were frozen, but it was an amazing experience. But when I told my friends about it, they were like, ‘That’s not an experience – that’s neglect!’”
Marama – mum to Hiria, 23, Annalisa, 21, Dakota, 20, Manawa, 11, Horouta, nine and Teina, eight – was just 19 and studying full-time at university when she fell pregnant for the first time. She says, “I recall putting the baby’s bassinet underneath my desk at the library so I could study.”
Her “fantastic” husband Paul has been key to balancing
motherhood and her career, as has her dad, who is “the best grandfather on the planet”. She smiles, “That’s my favourite role he’s ever played. When I was near exhaustion, he’d just take my children, bathe them, feed them and get them in their pyjamas. Nowadays, he’s often overseas for months, but as soon as he lands back home, he’ll come straight over to see his grandchildren.”
Rawiri admits, “Before I became a koro, I’d see all these boring, doting grandparents and I swore I’d never be like that, but from the moment I held my first moko, that’s
what I turned into. The kids are second to the grandkids. If my kids come over without their children, I’m like, ‘What’s the point? Why are you here?’”
While his main focus these days may be his grandkids, Rawiri is increasingly proud of his daughter’s achievements in Parliament, especially her eloquent speeches.
He says, “I’ve listened to a lot of politicians talk and it’s really hard for me to bear because of the standard of grammar, but Marama expresses herself beautifully. She’s a vital, vocal part of the Green Party. She’s definitely a front runner for my vote!”