Tākuta Ferris

Tākuta Ferris is a New Zealand politician currently serving as an independent Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the Te Tai Tonga electorate. Born in 1978, he previously worked as a lecturer and adviser at Massey University and is an artist and fisherman. Originally elected in 2023 as a candidate for Te Pāti Māori, he was expelled from the party in November 2025 following internal disputes and controversial social media remarks. Throughout his parliamentary career, he has been a vocal critic of the government's policies regarding Māori language and culture, frequently emphasizing the rights of tangata whenua under the Treaty of Waitangi.