Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere has fired the latest salvo in an increasingly public fallout between the party leadership and two MPs. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere has told MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris to "do the honourable thing" and quit Parliament, accusing the duo of "greed, avarice, and entitlement".
It is the latest salvo in an increasingly public fallout between the party leadership and the two MPs.
The party's National Council last month voted to suspend Kapa-Kingi, who is MP for Te Tai Tokerau.
The executive of Te Tai Tonga electorate - which covered the South Island and parts of Wellington - abstained from the resolution, and later called for a vote of no confidence in Tamihere.
Ferris, the MP for Te Tai Tonga, has previously backed Kapa-Kingi, telling 1News he did not support her suspension. Members of Te Tai Tonga electorate have now petitioned for Tamihere's resignation as president, saying he has not acted in good faith.
In response to the petition, Tamihere has posted a lengthy statement on Facebook, alleging Kapa-Kingi and Ferris were destabilising due to a "desire to take over leadership" of Te Pāti Māori.
But Kapa-Kingi told RNZ she was not going anywhere and Tamihere did not speak for Tai Tokerau.
"The people voted me as an electorate member I'm proud to say and therefore I'm not going anywhere. I have a job to do and I plan to continue to do it best way I know how. Show up, prepare and remember who you represent."
Tamihere alleges that in July, he was contacted by a Te Tai Tokerau iwi leader who had expressed concern that Kapa-Kingi had asked iwi leaders whether they would support her in a challenge for the party leadership against Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Ferris against Rawiri Waititi.
He said he rang Kapa-Kingi on the evening of 18 July.
"I indicated to her that if there was a case for change of leadership there had to be some reason or some cause and could you please advise me what it was. Ms Kapa-Kingi was unable to do so."
Tamihere's statement also references the release of documents suggesting Parliamentary Services had warned Kapa-Kingi she was on track to overspend her budget by up to $133,000, as well as the accusations Kapa-Kingi's son Eru had unleashed a profane and threatening "tirade of abuse" at Parliamentary security last year.
"There is no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of anybody in Te Pāti Māori leadership. It is not the fault of Te Pāti Māori that Kapa-Kingi overspent her budget. It is not the fault of Te Pāti Māori that payments to her family have been disclosed," Tamihere said.
"It is not the fault of Te Pāti Māori that Eru Kapa-Kingi seems to be the only bully in the party. It is not the fault of Te Pāti Maori that the personal interests and entitlement of Ms Kapa-Kingi and her family are now known to everyone."
He also claims that the Kapa-Kingi family had disagreed with the 2023 draft list placings, which put Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke ahead of Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.
"Their argument was that 'somebody in nappies' should not be placed ahead of a Wahine Rangatira from Te Tai Tokerau. It came to pass that the Kapa-Kingi's had no process or policy to determine anything other than Mariameno Kapa-Kingi should be number one on the list," Tamihere said.
"The outcome of that hui was she was invited to tender her resignation as our candidate if she felt that aggrieved and we would open nominations in Te Tai Tokerau. Faced with that ultimatum we all ended up going into the wharekai for a cup of tea and the rest is history."
Tamihere said Kapa-Kingi and Ferris should "do the honourable thing," referencing Hone Harawira, who in 2011 quit the party and Parliament. Harawira's resignation prompted a by-election in Te Tai Tokerau, which he won as the leader of the Mana Party.
"I guarantee Kapa-Kingi and Ferris will not do the same thing because their conduct is not based on mana, is not based on integrity and honesty or on principle. Their conduct is based on greed, avarice and entitlement," Tamihere wrote.
RNZ has approached Te Pāti Māori and Tākuta Ferris for comment.
'I don't really care' - PM
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was asked about Te Pāti Māori's internal problems at his regular post-Cabinet press conference on Monday afternoon, and did not mince his words.
"I don't think Te Pāti Māori are a serious outfit. I think they are activists, I think they're performative," he told media.
"I've never heard of a single policy idea from Te Pāti Māori about how they're going to improve outcomes for Māori students, Māori health, Māori achievement, and so, you know, I don't take them seriously."
He said questions about working with Te Pāti Māori should be directed at Labour's Chris Hipkins because "they have the same voting record".
He would not say if National would rule out working with Te Pāti Māori if there was a change in the latter's leadership.
"We came here to do serious things. This is a country that has been through a difficult set of times. We are fixing the basics and we have an awesome future that we're focused on realising for this country, and that's what I'm getting out of bed to do every day.
"What the hell everyone else does, I don't really care, frankly."
Hipkins said Te Pāti Māori's internal issues were for it to resolve.
He repeated his call for the party to "prioritise" sorting itself out, and that the party was a "long way away" from playing a constructive role in government.
"We're here to represent the people that put us here, we're here to make decisions on behalf of the whole country, not just the people that vote for us. Everybody needs to keep that in mind in discharging their duties as a Member of Parliament."
Hipkins said Labour would be competing "vigourously" in the Māori seats at the next election, but he would set out beforehand where Labour had common ground with other parties, and the bottom lines it would not cross.
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