Far North Mayor Moko Tepania at the council’s head office in Kaikohe
Photo: Northern Advocate / Michael Cunningham

Far North mayor Moko Tepania has confirmed he is definitely staying on in the elected council’s top job and will not be standing as an MP at the coming general election.

His confirmation comes as Far North District Council (FNDC) councillor Davina Smolders continues to publicly challenge him on whether he is intending to stand as a central government politician at the 7 November general election.

Tepania’s confirmation follows Kerikeri Act local councillor Smolders’ post on social media post during Waitangi celebrations week, publicly congratulating Tepania for becoming Northland’s Labour MP – a move which has resulted in her facing council code of conduct proceedings.

FNDC group manager for community and engagement Ruben Garcia confirmed at the time Smolders’ post was false.

Smolders said there was a great deal happening in the Far North, and having the mayor 100 percent focused on the district Far North was absolutely essential.

“Would the mayor do the community the courtesy of being open about his intentions for the upcoming election,” Smolders said.

In an email to Local Democracy Reporting Northland, Smolders said: “Residents of the Far North would reasonably like to know whether Mayor Tāpania (sic) intends to run for Government in the upcoming election.”

Tepania has clarified he will not be standing for the Labour Party or any other political party in the upcoming general election.

Neither would he be standing as an MP at the next general election in 2029.

Tepania said at his Kaikohe 2025 second term inauguration in October he wanted to pursue a Doctor of Education, further developing his work on the use of maramataka or the Māori lunar calendar in education at the end of the current council term.

He would not respond to Smolders’ Waitangi Week post or her latest comments as council code of conduct proceedings were underway.

Smolders has refused to say confirm where she got the information from that led to her post.

Smolders said at the time she had put up the post after she had been told by several individuals told her Tepania had secured the candidacy.

“I believed that to be public information,” Smolders said.

She would not say who the individuals were.

“I have apologised, and from my perspective, that is the end of the matter.”

Her post was up for just over a day.

Smolders said she posted it on 3 February about 10pm.

She removed the post on 5 February about 7am, as soon as she realised the information it was incorrect.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.