Tauranga byelection: Te Pāti Māori says white supremacists and hate speech make it unsafe to stand candidate

National MP Simon Bridges receives a hongi from Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi after his valedictory speech in Parliament on May 4. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Te Pāti Māori says for safety reasons and concerns about white supremacist hate speech it won't stand any candidates in the upcoming Tauranga byelection.

"A Department of Internal Affairs Report published in April this year confirmed that hate speech from white supremacists on social media is the largest form of hate speech in this country," Te Pāti Māori president Che Wilson said.

"Tauranga is a hotspot," he added.

"The first hate-speech conviction and the belittling of te reo Māori at a public event took place in Tauranga, Tauranga residents have been subjected to white supremacist leaflet drops, and even our co-leaders have been the recipient of threats and hate speech by Tauranga residents."

He said the party wanted a more just and Tiriti-centric Aotearoa.

"By standing in the byelection, we would be consciously sending our people into an unsafe environment and can only imagine how hard this is for our whanaunga and iwi of Tauranga Moana."

Wilson said Tauranga was an amazing place but added: "Sadly, this is politics and the race card will mean that Māori will be used by some as a political football and we are unwilling to expose our people to that rubbish."

The resignation of National Party MP Simon Bridges prompted the byelection.

Overseas voting will start on June 1 and advance voting starts on June 4.

Election day, and the last day for voters to enrol, is June 18.