Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere. Photo: RNZ/Lillian Hanly
Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere has defended controversial comments made by MP Tākuta Ferris, saying he agrees with the "substance" of his statements.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins says that position - if held more broadly - would make it "very difficult" to work with Te Pāti Māori.
Ferris has defied his co-leaders by continuing to defend a social media post where he criticised "Indians, Asians, Black and Pakeha" for volunteering in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election with Labour.
His post was criticised by an anti-racism group, who said the post compounded racialised harm non-Māori communities were already experiencing.
Tākuta Ferris continues to defend his social media post. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Speaking to Radio Waatea on Monday morning, party president John Tamihere said he had spoken with Ferris over his controversial comments.
Tamihere said Ferris' framing was "far too aggressive" but he agreed with the "substance" of his comments.
He compared non-Māori campaigning to win a Māori seat to other colonial missions carried out by European powers.
"It is wrong for other folk to politic in Māori seats, because I don't go over to the country like the British Raj and destroy India. I don't rage the Opium War as the British did with the Chinese, I don't place all people from Africa into slavery like white Europe did," Tamihere said.
"I expect some co-mutuality of respect. We leave no one behind, we manākitanga everybody, but there is some reciprocity required here."
Tamihere was at Parliament on Tuesday morning but appeared to have avoided media.
Speaking to media, Rāwiri Waititi said he and fellow Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer did not support Ferris' comments, but they had opened the door to meetings with the affected communities.
"Kāre mō te tautoko i ngā whakatakoto kōrero a Doc, engari kua timatahia ngā wānanga ki te taha o ngā iwi taketake o te wā. He mea pai tērā nā te mea kua puta tetahi wānanga nui, me tetahi wānanga ataahua ki waenganui i a mātou me ngā iwi taketake o te whenua.
"We're not supporting what Doc has said, but we've started discussions with indigenous peoples. That's a good thing, because we've had a significant and a beautiful discussion between us and these communities."
Waititi said there was a lot of fear among political parties and the media following Oriini Kaipara's victory in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election.
"Kei te kite mātou kua tino ara tetahi wehi i roto i tenei whare i to mātou wini i taua turu ra. Kei te wehi ngā pati, kei te wehi koutou te hunga pāpāho. Kia mōhio mai koutou, i wini mātou.
"We saw fear rise in this House when we won that seat. The parties, the media are scared. You should know that we won."
Asked why he was answering questions exclusively in te reo Māori, Waititi said it was because it was Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week.
Hipkins says he's had assurances from co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer that Ferris' views do not reflect those of the whole party. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Asked by reporters what he made of the comments, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he "totally" disagreed with Tamihere's comments.
"It's going to take all of us to turn around the country's fortunes - that means working together. There is no good reason why those campaigning in Māori electorates can't rely on the support from a range of New Zealanders," Hipkins said.
Hipkins said if Ferris's comments reflected the broader views of Te Pāti Māori, it would be "very difficult" for Labour to work with them.
Asked by media if he was concerned the comments would damage public perception of the two parties working together, Hipkins said he had assurances from co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer that Ferris' views did not reflect those of the whole party.
"How they deal with this going forward will, of course, have a bearing on Labour's ongoing working relationship with them," he said.
Hipkins said Labour and Te Pāti Māori had committed to having a meeting sometime over the next few months.
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