Eruera Tirikātene became the Rātana movement's first MP when he won a Southern Māori by-election in 1932. Rātana formed an alliance with Labour in 1936, and by 1943 had secured all four Māori seats. Labour's iron grip on all of the Māori seats would not be loosened until 1993.

Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand
Reference: Earle Andrew Collection, F-18923-1/1

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