Tama William Potaka (born 8 January 1976) is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives representing the Hamilton West electorate. He is a member of the National Party and was chief executive of NgÃÂi Tai ki TÃÂmaki before entering Parliament.
Potaka was born in Raetihi in 1976. He has MÃÂori ancestry through both of his parents, who were schoolteachers, and he affiliates to NgÃÂti Hauiti, Whanganui, Taranaki, and NgÃÂti Toa. He was educated at Huntley School and Te Aute College, where he was classmates with Julian Wilcox, Aidan Warren, Billy Weepu, Karl Te Nana and Alistair Toto and became dux in 1993. He received Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees from Victoria University of Wellington in 1999, and with a scholarship earned a Master of Laws from Columbia University. He passed the bar exam and became an attorney at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City.
Potaka is a graduate of Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo MÃÂori.
Potaka worked for Rudd, Watts and Stone (now Minter Ellison), various public policy roles, with Lake Taupà  Funds, and Bell Gully. Potaka then spent seven years based in Hamilton, working as general manager corporate services for Tainui Group Holdings. He subsequently moved back to Auckland where he was a senior advisor at the New Zealand Superannuation Fund. He was appointed chief executive officer of NgÃÂi Tai ki TÃÂmaki Trust in 2020. In 2021, he was chosen as one of four lead negotiators for the Mà Âkai PÃÂtea Treaty of Waitangi claim.
On 6 November 2022, Potaka was selected as the National Party candidate for the 2022 Hamilton West by-election caused by the resignation of independent MP Gaurav Sharma who had been expelled from the Labour Party. During the by-election campaign, Potaka stated that Hamilton had become known as the "ramraid capital of New Zealand" in response to the nationwide surge in ram raids in 2022. He also said that he wanted "Hamilton West to be the best city to grow up and grow old in."
On 10 December 2022, Potaka won the election, beating Labour candidate Georgie Dansey. Potaka gained 6974 votes compared to Dansey's 4541, a margin of 2433.
On 19 January 2023, Potaka was named as National's spokesperson for MÃÂori development and associate spokesperson for housing.
During the 2023 New Zealand general election held on 14 October, Potaka retained Hamilton West by a margin of 6,488 votes over Labour candidate Myra Williamson.
Following the formation of the Sixth National Government of New Zealand, Potaka was appointed as Minister of Conservation, Minister for MÃÂori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, Minister for MÃÂori Development, Minister for WhÃÂnau Ora, and Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing)
On 15 January 2024, Potaka and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met with the MÃÂori King Tà «heitia Paki to discuss several of the Government's policies concerning MÃÂori including the proposed Treaty Principles legislation and plans to roll back the use of MÃÂori language in the public service. On 20 January, Potaka and fellow National MP Dan Bidois attended a national hui of unity convened by King Tà «heitia at Turangawaewae Marae. Potaka defended Luxon's decision not to attend the national hui and disputed several of the speakers' claims that the Government was underpinned by White supremacy.
On 13 August 2024, Potaka as Minister for MÃÂori Crown Relations announced that Te Puni KÃ Âkiri (the Ministry for MÃÂori Development) would assume Te Arawhiti's (the Office for MÃÂori Crown Relations) monitoring and Treaty settlements compliance functions. This decision was criticised by Te PÃÂti MÃÂori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, the Green Party's MÃÂori Crown Relations spokesperson Steve Abel and the Labour Party's Peeni Henare, who described it as a "backward step" in the New Zealand Crown's relationship with MÃÂori.
On 17 January 2025, Potaka as Minister for MÃÂori Development announced an overhaul of the Waitangi Tribunal's membership. He appointed eight new members including RangitÃÂne Tà « Mai RàTrust general manager Tipene Crisp, lawyer and New Zealand On Air board member Philip Crump, NgÃÂti Raukawa Treaty negotiator Vanessa Eparaima, veteran public servant Rex Edward Hale, Manawatà « District Councillor Grant Hadfield, Tupuora Education founder and managing director Kingi Kiriona, former Defence Minister and Mayor of Carterton Ron Mark, and University of Waikato law Professor Tafaoimalo Tologata Leilani Tuala-Warren. In addition, Potaka renewed the warrants of six existing Tribunal members including Ruakere Hond, Derek Fox, Kim Ngarimu, Hana O'Regan, Pou Temara and Kevin Prime. In response, Te PÃÂti MÃÂori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer described the removal of several well known MÃÂori academics as a "whitewash." In response, Potaka said that Ngarewa-Packer's comments were "unhelpful" and "undermined the knowledge and experience of the new appointees."
On 9 May 2025 Potaka, in his capacity as MÃÂori Development Minister, announced that an "independent technical advisory group" would review the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975, which governs the scope of the Waitangi Tribunal. The National-led government had committed to reviewing the scope of the Waitangi Tribunal as part of its coalition agreements with the allied ACT and New Zealand First parties.
On 1 October 2025, Potaka appointed seven leaders to the boards of several MÃÂori entities: Te Rina Warren to Te MÃÂtÃÂwai, Mahanga Pihama and Jeremy TÃÂtere MacLeod to the MÃÂori Language Commission, Reikura Kahi as Te MÃÂngai PÃÂho's chair and Kingi Kiriona as deputy chair, Reikura Kahi to Te MÃÂngai PÃÂho, Mark Gray to the Poutama Trust and Juliet Tainui-Hernandez to the Waitangi Tribunal.
On 3 September 2024, Potaka as Minister of Conservation and Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey announced that the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) would be increased to NZ$100 to fund tourism-related infrastructure and services. On 14 October, Potaka as Minister of Conservation announced 19 new marine protection areas in the Hauraki Gulf.
On 20 November 2025, Potaka confirmed that feral cats would be added to Predator Free 2050's target list of exotic species. Feral cats had previously been excluded from the scope of Predator Free 2050 due to opposition from cat owners.
In February 2026, Potaka led the introduction of entry fees for foreign tourists at four of New Zealand's most popular natural attractions. The measure aims to generate funding for conservation projects while boosting employment opportunities.
As Associate Minister of Housing with responsibility for social housing, Potaka led the Government's efforts to reduce the number of families living in emergency housing motels and move them into social housing. The Government also tightened the eligibility criteria for emergency housing applicants. In late November, Potaka announced that the number of households living in emergency housing had dropped from 3,141 in December 2023 to 993 in October 2024. By December 2024, the number of households living in emergency housing had dropped to 591. Potaka confirmed that 80% of former emergency housing residents had moved into social, transitional, or private housing but was unable to account for the whereabouts of the remaining 20%, saying "that they did not have to tell their providers where they were going."
On 15 June 2025, Potaka announced that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development would be collaborating with the Rotorua Lakes Council and community housing providers to build 189 homes (150 social homes and 39 affordable rentals) by mid-2027. The 150 social homes would be funded through a NZ$140 million housing allocation from the 2024 New Zealand budget while the 39 rentals would be funded through a separate NZ$200 million package to deliver 400 affordable homes in high needs areas. Potaka also confirmed that the Government planned to close down all remaining emergency housing motels in Rotorua by late 2025.
Potaka married Ariana Paul in 2008, and they have three children. Maori Party MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp was a relative.