'Heartbroken': Te Pāti Māori leads tributes to Takutai Tarsh Kemp

Politicians from across the political spectrum have paid tribute to Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp after news of her death this morning.

Kemp, who represented the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate, died in Auckland in the early hours of Thursday morning.

She was elected to Parliament at the 2023 election and took leave from Parliament for six weeks last year to focus on healing from kidney disease.

Te Pāti Māori MPs said they were "heartbroken" by Kemp's death.

In a post to social media, they confirmed their "sister" had died "in the early hours of this morning".

"She died as she lived; fighting for the cause, in service to her iwi, hapū and whānau," the MPs said in a statement on social media.

"Takutai devoted every breath to the movement for Māori liberation. Even as serious illness weighed on her, she continued to stand in the House, in our homes, on our marae and in our communities; relentlessly championing the rights and wellbeing of our people."

The MPs said they were "devastated" by news of her death:

"Takutai was more than a colleague to us, she was our sister and we loved her dearly."

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in a statement he was saddened to hear of Kemp's passing.

"On behalf of the Government, our thoughts are with her whānau, friends, colleagues, and the Tāmaki Makaurau community,”

In a post to X, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said: "It is with a heavy heart,we acknowledge the sudden passing of our colleague and friend Takutai Tarsh Kemp.

"Our thoughts are with her whānau and our colleagues of Te Pāti Māori at this sad time. Nō reira okioki mai na koe e te tuahine, e te hoa," he wrote.

Deputy Prime Minister and ACT Party leader David Seymour also acknowledged her death in a post online.

"She is gone far too soon and our thoughts are with her whānau and Te Pāti Māori colleagues. Farewell, and may you rest in peace," he said.

NZ First Party leader Winston Peters also paid tribute to her on Facebook, posting: "Our thoughts and prayers are with her whānau, family, and friends at this very difficult time."

A group of Labour MPs stood in front of media this morning to pay tribute to the Te Pāti Māori MP.

Labour List MP Peeni Henare — who previously held the Māori electorate covering central and southern Auckland, and southern parts of western Auckland — said it was with "a really heavy heart and great sadness" that he acknowledged the passing of his good friend and colleague.

"To hear this news is... it's truly shocking. When you when you campaign together, when you work in a community together, you become more than colleagues. She called me brother, and I called her sister."

Labour List MP Willie Jackson said Kemp was a "leader in her own right" before she came into politics.

"Politics is a funny game. There's a lot of controversy out south there, but we all had a special relationship, believe it or not. You know, those relationships, no matter what the results and elections, stay strong. It's just a sad, sad day."

Manurewa MP Arena Williams recalled meeting Kemp for the first time when she was 21 years old and Kemp was leading a dance group for rangatahi.

"Many of them went on to great success, to Paris Goebbel's group. She managed to lead this group of young people onto great things."

Williams said Kemp "always had an open door" for young people and many South Aucklanders would feel the loss.