Soraya Peke-Mason

Peke-Mason was born in Tokoroa and grew up in Castlecliff. She attended Castlecliff Primary, Rutherford Intermediate, and Whanganui High School.[1] She is self-employed and with a business background in the construction, tourism, forestry and honey industries.[2] She lives in Rātana,[3] and has tribal affiliations to Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and Tainui.[1] She has been a justice of the peace for over 30 years and has a Masters degree in business administration from Massey University.[2]

From 2001 to 2007 Peke-Mason was a member of the Rātana Community Board. Her time on the community board was focused on access to clean water for the town, an ambition culminating in 2016 with the opening of a new water treatment plant in the area.[3]

Peke-Mason was a member of the Rangitīkei District Council for 12 years. She became the council's first Māori woman councillor at the 2007 New Zealand local elections, being elected as councillor for the newly created Turakina ward.[4] She represented Turakina around the council table for the ward's entire existence, with the ward being abolished ahead of the 2019 local elections, when she stood unsuccessfully for a spot on the Horizons Regional Council.[3]

In the 2011 election she stood as the Labour candidate in the electorate of Te Tai Hauāuru. She came second to Tariana Turia.[5]

In March 2020 Peke-Mason was selected as the Labour candidate for the Rangitīkei. She was unopposed for the nomination after Heather Warren, Labour's candidate from 2017, withdrew.[3] She was unsuccessful in the Rangitīkei seat, but entered Parliament off the Labour list when Trevor Mallard resigned.[6] She was sworn in on 25 October 2022, when, for the first time in history, women held a majority of seats in Parliament.[7]