Ngāpuhi’s general manager says they are insulted Te Pāti Māori leadership says it won’t participate in a hui after expelling its local MP.
A hui is taking place in Kaikohe on Sunday with Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi after she and Te Tai Tonga MP Tākutai Ferris were expelled from Te Pāti Māori last week.
Te Pāti Māori said they had been advised by “multiple rangatira of Te Tai Tokerau” not to attend “at this time”.
Te Tumu Whakahaere, or general manager, of Te Rūnanga-ā-iwi o Ngāpuhi Moana Tuwhare told RNZ’s Saturday Morning, there had been a lack of transparency from those opposing Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.
“We don’t know who those people are. We didn’t know who the ones were saying Mariameno is a no-show on the ground up North, which was a complete lie.
“We have seen her turn up time and time again to support kaupapa in Te Tai Tokerau.
“Whichever of these so-called Te Tai Tokerau iwi leaders who have been complaining that she doesn’t show up, I’m not sure who they are or what events they’re talking about. But she’s certainly at Ngāpuhi ones on a regular basis.”
Tuwhare said a change in the party’s leadership was needed to have the iwi’s support moving forward.
“It’s hard to reconcile the fact that they’re called Te Pāti Māori but are refusing to turn up to hui Māori.
“The contradictions are rife at the moment from our perspective, and we were not happy about it, to be frank.”
Tuwhare believed Te Pāti Māori had “some massive problems in the hierarchy”.
“The way that this whole issue has played out has shown that there is a lack of constructive leadership and that some of their processes also look pretty wanting from what we have seen in the written record that has been well and truly out there.”
Tuwhare said she was unsure if the fault lies with the Parliamentary leaders.
“The layers in terms of the decision making here, it seems to have got quite blurred. I just think there needs to be a reset.
“It’ll be for certain people within the party to really state clearly who is responsible for which decisions, and how those decisions have come about.
“From where we are sitting it looks like a shambles.”
rnz.co.nz
