Associate Maori Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu says a highlight of her 15 years in Parliament has been the opportunity to work with the Maori Party.
Mrs te Heuheu, who is retiring from politics, was the first Maori woman to gain election as a National MP.
In her valedictory speech on Wednesday she told Parliament that, for as long as she can remember, Maori have worked on big issues together despite differing political and tribal affiliations.
Mrs te Heuheu says she began quietly building a bridge with Maori Party MPs when they first arrived at Parliament.
