Raymond Tau Henare (born 29 September 1960) is a former New Zealand Māori parliamentarian. In representing three different political parties in parliament—New Zealand First, Mauri Pacific and the National Party—Henare served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1993 to 1999 and from 2005 to 2014. Early life Henare was born in Otara, New Zealand, the son of a 37-year railwayman, on 29 September 1960. Known by his middle name "Tau," Henare's tribal roots are Ngāpuhi and what he characterises as "all the North". His involvement in politics can be traced to his family's involvement in politics. Henare's great-grandfather, Taurekareka (Tau) Henare, served in Parliament from 1914 to 1938 alongside notable Māori politicians such as Āpirana Ngata, James Carroll and Maui Pomare. Henare's great-uncle was Māori Battalion leader and politician Sir James Henare, who was once considered a candidate to be Governor-General and served as a revered guide and mentor to a young Tau. Henare himself was the brother-in-law to New Zealand Māori politician Tuku Morgan through Henare's marriage to the sister of Morgan's wife. As a young boy growing up in Otara, Henare had a contrasting childhood. On one hand, he was told almost before he could walk that his future would be politics, which at times requires statesman-like skills to deal with others. On the other, Otara was "a place where you learn how to survive," and it required Henare to learn "to be strong, stand up and not take a backward step." Looking back on his 1960s childhood in 1996, Henare summed it up as one that "taught me to be proud of who I am." It also later contributed to what he describes as "youthful exuberance" that lead to a 1980s reputation for being a stirrer and a radical. In Otara, Henare attended Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate. During Year 11 (Form 5) when he was 16, Henare passed School Certificate, a former New Zealand secondary school qualification for high school students to progress to Year 12. However, Henare was unsuccessful on his New Zealand University Entrance. After his schooling ended in 1978, Henare worked at a variety of positions, including wool cleaner and wool classer, where he was responsible for separating sheep's wool, organiser for the Northern Clerical Workers' Union under activist and trade unionist Syd Jackson, community worker, advise to the Waitakere City Council, and Department of Internal Affairs adviser. During this period, Henare was