The first Māori woman to be elected to Parliament, Iriaka Matiu Rātana was a passionate advocate for the welfare of her people, born on the Whanganui River with connections to Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi through both parents. She contested the Western Māori seat not simply as the wife of the former MP, but as a powerful figure in her own right — and won by a wide margin, holding the seat for 20 years until her retirement in 1969. As an MP she focused on welfare matters — housing for kaumātua, education and trade training for rangatahi, and the plight of Māori moving to cities in search of work.