Te Pāti Māori is not ruling out triggering two separate byelections by utilising the so-called waka-jumping legislation if it potentially expels two of its MPs.
It comes as both party co-leaders finally fronted to reporters at Parliament, admitting the turmoil consuming their party has been “disruptive” and they have been making “headlines for the reasons we don’t want to”.
However, Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer aren’t backing down from the party’s actions as it defers to Te Pāti Māori’s national council, which is deliberating whether to expel Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris for continued public criticism of the party.
Waititi and party president John Tamihere have said its national council, which features its MPs and representatives from each of its electorates, will shortly consider expelling Ferris and Kapa-Kingi. Last month, the council voted to suspend Kapa-Kingi.
Ferris is yet to respond but Kapa-Kingi told the Herald: “Taitokerau will decide, not him.”
Rifts within the party have grown and become more apparent in recent days with clear factions emerging; one connecting Tamihere with the co-leaders and another tethering Kapa-Kingi with Ferris.
In a social media post seemingly prompted by a Te Tai Tonga-created petition calling for his immediate resignation, Tamihere urged the two MPs to quit as he accused them of “greed, avarice and entitlement”.
Waititi this morning backed Tamihere’s post, describing Kapa-Kingi and Ferris as “rogue MPs” and denouncing allegations of a dictatorial leadership style made by former party vice-president and Mariameno’s son Eru Kapa-Kingi, a claim that kicked off the public spat.
Given Kapa-Kingi and Ferris are electorate MPs, they would remain in the House as independent MPs if they were expelled by Te Pāti Māori. However, the party could employ the waka-jumping legislation and appeal to the Speaker of the House that the MPs’ expulsion impacted the House’s proportionality, which would trigger byelections in both electorates.
Earlier today, Waititi suggested the party was unable to use the legislation, noting Kapa-Kingi and Ferris had been chosen by voters.
Asked to clarify if he would use the legislation, Waititi said it hadn’t yet been debated.
“We haven’t considered that particular option at this time.
“We’re allowing our national council to work through the constitution and we need to be able to allow them to do that without having to deal with that through the media.”
Te Pāti Māori won a recent byelection in Tāmaki Makaurau with Oriini Kaipara beating experienced Labour MP Peeni Henare. Labour this morning said it was ready to compete in byelections if they took place.
Asked if he had a message for the two MPs, Waititi instead directed his message at the Government as he referenced Te Pāti Māori’s intention to vigorously oppose the Regulatory Standards Bill, which will go through its second reading today.
Tamihere, Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer were set to meet with members of the National Iwi Chairs Forum this afternoon after the influential grouping of Māori leaders voted unanimously to intervene to help resolve internal rifts in the party.
The forum was attempting to hold a similar meeting with Ferris and Kapa-Kingi with the hope of bringing both sides together for another hui.
Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer welcomed the forum’s involvement.
“I know that it’s been disruptive, and I know that we’ve made the headlines for the reasons we don’t want to, but it’s actually been really great to know that we are owned and [the forum] feel aligned and they feel whanaungatanga [kinship] to us to be able to turn up.”
Te Pāti Māori faced accusations of spreading defamatory material when it emailed a series of documents to members claiming Eru Kapa-Kingi “assaulted” Parliamentary security guards and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi overspent her Parliamentary budget.
Eru admitted to a heated exchange with security guards in an incident last year but rejected the assault claim. Mariameno has claimed the party was aware of her spending arrangements, which she said had been influenced by the death of former MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp.
Waititi maintained he hadn’t wanted the accusations to surface in the media, but endorsed the decision to email members.
“Our members were happy with the information that they received. They wanted transparency, they deserve transparency and they got all the information.”
In September, Kapa-Kingi was removed as the party’s whip. At the time, it was argued the move was necessary to give the MP more time in her large electorate to help her compete against rivals from Labour and the Green Party.
It has since come to light the decision was also informed by the overspending allegations.
Asked why the party hadn’t divulged that at the time, Ngarewa-Packer did not answer directly but conceded it recognised how “leadership’s decisions need to be respected”.
“When they’re not, it becomes problematic, and I think that’s what’s played out.”
The co-leaders have long avoided the regular opportunities Parliament reporters are afforded to question MPs.
Ngarewa-Packer explained the party had changed its approach after failing to solve the issues internally.
“We need to show and give our membership confidence that we have one priority and that one priority is to get rid of this destructive Government and that involves straightening up and making sure that everyone can be in the trenches together.”
Tamihere’s social post claimed Ferris and Kapa-Kingi were eyeing up challenging Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer for the leadership, something Waititi repeated this morning.
Ngarewa-Packer believed she and Waititi had been “credible leaders” for five years.
“That’s what we have to be judged on and at times that confidence is going to sway when we’ve seen the rage-baiting, we’ve seen the confusion and I guess that’s who we have to be, we have to be integral and show who we are.”
Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.