MP Tamati Coffey forecasts his future

Former TV weatherman and Labour MP Tāmati Coffey will retire from politics by this year’s election after the birth of his second child.

He will continue as Labour’s list MP based in the Waiariki until October.

“After the birth of our second child, I’ve reprioritised where I want to put my energy and that’s into our two kids, Tūtānekai and Taitimu,” Coffey said in a statement.

It’s understood Labour will now have to re-open nominations for the Waiariki candidate selection as Coffey had been the only nomination.

Coffey entered Parliament in 2017 when he won the Waiariki electorate by less than 2000 votes, beating Te Pāti Māori’s Te Ururoa Flavell.

In 2020, Coffey conceded the seat to Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi in 2020 by a slim margin of just 836 votes - a scenario that saw the Māori Party return to Parliament.