Beehive, baby & a blessing - 'I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE READY!'

Now his family is complete with the arrival of daughter Taitimu, Tāmati Coffey is stepping back into politics with husband Tim's support

- Catherine Milford

It’s a normal afternoon for the Smith-Coffeys. Tāmati is in Wellington, while Tim is home in Rotorua, playing sticky monsters with four-year-old Tūtānekai. The newest family member, six-month-old Taitimu, is asleep next door.

“When I first entered politics in 2017, I made a quip to Tim about having kids,” says Tāmati, who spends the week in Wellington and weekends in Rotorua. “That wish came true – we’re now a family of four.”

However, where “home” is has taken new meaning after Tāmati announced on July 30 he’s put retirement on hold and is looking to relocate to the East Coast to stand for the electorate following the departure of his friend and colleague Kiri Allen from politics.

“Since I announced my retirement in March, I’ve thrown myself into parliamentary work and it’s really enjoyable,” tells Tāmati. “Some people felt I had signed out too early, so when Kiri resigned, I talked with colleagues, and with Tim, Mum, Dad and my village of whānau, who gave me the green light. They’ve promised to wrap around as a family so I can do the job and still be a very present dad.”

Tāmati makes a point of acknowledging Kiri for going public about mental health in politics.

“Parliament can be brutal,” he says. “We are told daily that we are doing a terrible job, and it’s other people’s jobs to yell at us and try to bring us down. I love what I do and I feel very privileged to do it, but it’s a vicious environment. It can be easy to forget that politicians are just as human and as vulnerable as anyone else.” The East Coast region is very familiar to Tāmati.