Marama Fox

Marama Fox
Marama Fox in December 2015
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Māori Party List
In office
20 September 2014 – 23 September 2017
Co-Leader of the Māori Party
In office
October 2014 – 5 September 2018
Co-leading with Te Ururoa Flavell
Preceded byTariana Turia
Succeeded byDebbie Ngarewa-Packer
Personal details
Political partyMāori Party

Marama Kahu Fox is a former New Zealand politician who was elected to the New Zealand parliament at the 2014 general election as a representative of the Māori Party. Following her election to parliament, she was named Māori Party co-leader alongside Te Ururoa Flavell, replacing party founder Tariana Turia.

Private life and professional career

When Fox was born, the youngest of five children, the family lived in the Porirua suburb of Cannons Creek. Her father, Ernest Richard "Ernie" Smith, was pākehā and a teacher. Her mother, Frances Smith, founded a pre-school. In the early 1970s, the family lived in Christchurch, where Fox attended Elmwood Primary School in Merivale, Heaton Normal Intermediate, and then Christchurch Girls' High School.[1]

Fox lives in Masterton and has nine children. Prior to becoming an MP, she worked as a teacher and had been in education for 26 years.[2] Fox has described herself as being "a badge wearing Mormon".[3] New Zealand First MP Ron Mark is one of Fox's cousins.[4]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2014–2017 51st List 2 Māori Party

At the 2014 election Fox stood in the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate, before being elected via the party list.[2][5] Fox was the Māori Party's first-ever list MP.[6] Fox was appointed co-leader of the Maori Party, succeeding Tariana Turia. She lost her seat at the 2017 election when the Maori Party failed to win any seats and the opposition Labour Party captured all seven of the Māori electorates. Fox expressed bitterness at her defeat and remarked that New Zealand had voted for a return to the "age of colonisation."[7]

She resigned as Māori Party co-leader in September 2018 following controversy around her business activities.[8][9][10]

Post-parliamentary career

Fox launched a consulting company after failing to be re-elected to Parliament in 2017.[10] In September 2019, it was reported that liquidators of Fox's failed consulting company had engaged agents to track her down, with fears expressed that she had left the country and was in Australia.[11]

She also appeared on the 2018 season of Dancing with the Stars, finishing ninth of twelve contestants.[12][13]

Fox admitted to a charge of drink-driving in Hamilton in late 2018, and was sentenced and fined the following year.[14][15]

Fox was supportive of the 2022 Wellington protests saying that "This is not a Māori protest, but māori are affected by mandates, people have been disenfranchised." While she was triple vaccinated herself she opposed the mandates introduced by the government.[16]

References

  1. ^ Husband, Dale (12 April 2015). "I wanted to know what they were saying". e-tangata. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b Farmer, Don (28 August 2014). "Fox climbs to No 2 on list". Wairarapa Times-Age. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  3. ^ Trevett, Claire (31 October 2014). "Maori Party's new co-leader: Headstrong Marama Fox reveals her cuss word". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  4. ^ "Papawai and Kaikokirikiri Trusts Amendment Bill — First Reading - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 10 September 2021. Although looking at some of my cousins, cousin Marama, we seem to share the same affliction—height disadvantage and not being able to see.
  5. ^ Laing, Doug (20 September 2014). "Meka Whaitiri wins Ikaroa-Rawhiti". Hawke's Bay Today. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  6. ^ "New role for Flavell in National deal". Stuff. 5 October 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
  7. ^ Satherley, Dan (24 September 2017). "NZ voted for return to 'the age of colonisation' – Marama Fox". Newshub. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Marama Fox resigns as co-leader of the Māori Party". NZ Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Marama Fox officially steps down as Māori Party co-leader". RNZ. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Marama Fox steps down as Māori Party co-leader". Stuff. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  11. ^ ""My sympathy has gone": Liquidators on the hunt for Marama Fox". Stuff. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Dancing With The Stars NZ: Judges eliminate Marama Fox in new-look process". Stuff. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  13. ^ Hayden, Leonie (30 May 2018). "Marama Fox on exiting Dancing with the Stars: 'I wanted to beat David Seymour!'". The Spinoff. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Former Māori Party MP Marama Fox admits drink-driving". NZ Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Former Māori Party MP Marama Fox sentenced for drink-driving". NZ Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Iwi leaders from across the motu condemn violence of anti-mandate protesters at Parliament". Newshub. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  • Blackwell, Geoff; Hobday, Ruth (2017). "Marama Fox". 200 Women. United States: Chronicle Books LLC. pp. 170–171. ISBN 978-1-4521-6658-2.
Party political offices
Preceded by Co-leader of the Māori Party
2014–2018
Served alongside: Te Ururoa Flavell 		Vacant
Title next held by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer