Local bodies do not reflect the cultural diversity of the communities they represent, several local body leaders and candidates have told Te Ao with Moana.
Adrian Rurawhe

Labour Party candidate Adrian Rurawhe is the current MP for Te Tai Hauāuru, a seat he won in the 2014 Election following the retirement of former Māori Party co-leader Tariana Turia.
Rurawhe, along with Labour’s other Māori electorate MPs, have chosen not to be on the Labour list.
He is a great-grandson of Rātana founder, Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana. His grandparents Matiu and Iriaka Rātana were MPs for Western Māori.
Rurawhe was chairperson of Ngāti Apa for 10 years and a Treaty negotiator for the iwi.
He was brought up in Taihape and worked for the railways from the age of 17 until he was made redundant more than a decade later.
Rurawhe has a background in management and was business manager at Te Atawhai o te Ao, a Māori health and environmental research unit, before entering Parliament.