Hipkins Declares Te Pāti Māori Unprepared for Government Role

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has stated that Te Pāti Māori is not ready to assume a role in government, following the expulsion of two MPs from the party’s caucus this week. The announcement comes amid ongoing tensions within Te Pāti Māori, as co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi expressed their desire to pursue governing arrangements with Labour.

On Monday, September 25, 2023, Te Pāti Māori announced the expulsion of Tākuta Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. Both individuals indicated they would challenge this decision. Waititi emphasized the need for this action to “stabilise the waka” after months of internal conflict, asserting, “We had to bring it to a close, and we have to just move on.”

Despite the co-leaders’ enthusiasm for potential collaborations, Hipkins pointed out that he has not held discussions with them since the September by-election, which sparked the recent disputes. “We haven’t met with Te Pāti Māori since the by-election. We haven’t had any conversations about a future governing arrangement that could involve them,” he stated.

While Waititi mentioned that constructive talks with Labour and the Greens had begun, Hipkins indicated that, as of now, Te Pāti Māori still has significant progress to make before being considered for any partnership. “As of today, they’ve still got a long way to go before they could be considered for any sort of partnership and any governing arrangement,” he asserted.

Current polling suggests that Labour may only be able to govern with support from Te Pāti Māori. Hipkins also ruled out any electorate seat deals, stating he would clarify which parties Labour shares common ground with ahead of the election.

In response to questions about what Te Pāti Māori could do to demonstrate their readiness for government, Hipkins expressed a desire to see them actively participate in Parliament. “I’d like to see Te Pāti Māori focused on representing the people who voted for them,” he said. “Showing up in Parliament, constructively participating in debates, coming up with some new ideas—those are all things that are opportunities available to them.”

The internal strife within Te Pāti Māori escalated when Ferris publicly criticized non-Māori Labour supporters campaigning for candidate Peeni Henare to win a Māori electorate seat. This criticism intensified after the party’s co-leaders issued an apology to Labour. Subsequently, Kapa-Kingi was demoted from her position as party whip, a move attributed to iwi leaders wanting her more engaged in her electorate.

Tensions further heightened when Eru Kapa-Kingi, Mariameno’s son and a former party vice-president, publicly severed ties with Te Pāti Māori, describing the leadership as a “dictatorship.” Following this, an unsigned email sent to party members alleged that Kapa-Kingi had overspent her parliamentary budget by $133,000 and that Eru had been barred from Parliament following a security incident, which he characterized as defamatory.

Ferris noted that there “wasn’t a consensus” regarding the email’s release, while party president John Tamihere later accused Ferris and Kapa-Kingi of attempting a caucus coup against the co-leaders, a claim that Waititi supported.

As the political landscape evolves, the focus now rests on whether Te Pāti Māori can navigate its internal challenges and align itself with Labour to potentially shape the future of New Zealand’s government.