The Hapu Party was a Māori political party in New Zealand formed in August 2008. The party's leader was Northland iwi leader David Rankin.
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Policies and actions
The Hapu Party believed that because of poorer Māori health outcomes, and therefore reduced life expectancy, Māori should be eligible for the pension at age 56. It planned to introduce a flat rate 18% personal tax and GST rate. Finally it sought to introduce the allocation of Treaty of Waitangi settlement monies to hapū and marae, and to allow treaty claims to be made over private land.
The Hapu party sought to stand candidates in all seven Māori electorates for the 2008 election. It ran only a single candidate in 2008, receiving only 202 votes. It did not run any candidates in the 2011 election.
Leadership
The party's leader David Rankin, Matarahurahu hapū leader, became involved in a number of controversies including attempting to ban Māori Party MP Hone Harawira and his mother Titewhai Harawira from Waitangi Day commemorations in 2007. Later he called for Harawira's resignation following Harawira's allegations of racism towards the Australian prime minister. Rankin became involved in the question of authenticity surrounding the auction of a piece of the famous Kororareka flagpole cut down in Russel in 1844 as an act of defiance against British authority, by his great great uncle Hone Heke.