Pita sharples biography channel

New Zealand politician (born 1941)

Sir Pita Russell SharplesKNZM CBE (born Peter Russell Sharples,^[1] 20 July 1941) is a New Zealand Māori academic and politician, who was a co-leader of the Māori Party from 2004 to 2013, and a minister outside Cabinet in the National Party-led government from 2008 to 2014.

He was the member of Parliament for the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate in Auckland from 2005 to 2014. He stepped down as co-leader of the Māori Party in July 2013.

Early life and education

Sharples was born in Waipawa, a town in Hawke's Bay.^[2] His mother Ruiha was of Ngāti Kahungunu, and his father Paul was a shearer and a second generation New Zealander whose family came from Bolton, United Kingdom.^[3]

He received his early education at Waipukurau District High School, but then became a boarder at Te Aute College.

His four years there culminated in his becoming head boy, and he credits this time as a turning point of his