[citation needed] Rana Waitai was the partner of Te Aroha Ann Ruru Stanton from 1966 to 1995 and they had four daughters.

In 1979 Waitai was the Duty Inspector at Police National Headquarters when Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashed on Erebus.

[citation needed] Waitai was involved in the New Zealand National Party between 1973 and 1992, quitting after a dispute with then Prime Minister, Jim Bolger.

He campaigned on improving public safety, scaling back sewage infrastructure to save on costs, promoting inner city living and giving jobs to unemployed people to convert unused office space into accommodation.

In the 1999 election, he stood in the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate and was ranked fourth on Mauri Pacific's list, but the party failed to win any seats.