Whaitiri ignored attempts to get hold of her. The first contact with anyone from Labour was when Kiri Allan went up to Hawke’s Bay to see her in person. That meeting didn’t happen till the morning after the news had come out.
Once it came, the announcement will have come as some relief to Labour, which must have been worried she would do a bit of a Gaurav Sharma and air various grievances.
She did not (or at least not yet).
She announced her decision with grace and emotion. She did not bag Labour, she did not mention them.
It was clear that it was not an easy decision for her, to leave the party she had served for almost a decade - since June 2013, when she was in elected in the byelection after the death of one of Labour’s most beloved Māori MPs - Parekura Horomia.
Her announcement left big questions. The biggest was why? Was she running to something, or away from something? What prompted her decision?
Was it disgruntlement at her stalled progress in the Labour ranks and hopes of a better fate elsewhere, or was it principle? If the latter, what principle?
At one point, Whaitiri referred to it as “crossing the floor”.
Dame Tariana Turia literally crossed the floor to vote against the Foreshore and Seabed Act. She then set up Te Pāti Māori.
As a general rule, crossing the floor is an act of principle - it is executed when your personal principles mean you can’t vote along the party line.
There is no comparison between Turia’s actions and Whaitiri’s. Was Whaitiri’s in that noble tradition - or was it simple defection?
Labour doesn’t know what prompted it. Even Kiri Allan seemed unable to find out.
Nor was it certain how it came about. Did Whaitiri initiate it, did they talk to her, or was she persuaded by others?
It seemed to be a fairly last-minute development. Te Pāti Māori had already selected its candidate in the Ikaroa-Rawhiti electorate, and according to one source even Māori Party president John Tamihere was taken by surprise when he was told.
It is, as Tamihere said, something of a courageous move by Whaitiri on one level - she gives up her ministerial position for it.
But it is not such a big leap.
Since the Maori Party was first formed, there has been a lot of cross-over of politicians, supporters and voters between it and Labour.
The contest between Labour Party Māori MPs and Te Pāti Māori has always been an intriguing one - simultaneously a bare-knuckles fight and a hug.
In that regard, the latest development could be taken as Te Pāti Māori getting revenge on Willie Jackson for his 2017 campaign when he was blunt about it being his aim to drive the Māori Party out of Parliament - and he succeeded. Now, Te Pāti Māori is hellbent on winning them back.
Jackson was more graceful about Whaitiri’s departure, saying he was disappointed it was done behind their backs, but wished Whaitiri well and praised her. He could hardly criticise her for it - Jackson himself has sampled the wares of a number of political parties over the years.
The beliefs coincide but Te Pāti Māori’s refrain is Labour Māori MPs have to water down their beliefs for the sake of the party line. Tamihere went so far as to describe Whaitiri’s move as emancipation.
The latter was given as a factor for Whaitiri - she referred to it as being “called home” to Maori activism.
“[Activism] comes from our whakapapa and we as Māori have a responsibility to it - not others - we. Today I’m acknowledging that whakapapa. I’m acknowledging my responsibility to it and it is calling me home.”
As for Labour, Whaitiri’s defection is embarrassing and it looks very messy. It is yet another mini-scandal early in Hipkins’ reign and in an election year in which party discipline and unity are crucial.
It will be even worse if Whaitiri does start airing grievances, although she has been loyal to Labour throughout her decade - until this week.
In the longer term, that residual loyalty could work in Labour’s favour.
It is also a tad courageous of Te Pāti Māori. It comes with added risk for co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer in particular - if she cannot win the Te Tai Hauauru electorate back, she is at risk of not making it back into Parliament as a list MP. That risk is higher the more electorates the party wins.
Unless Labour find a superstar, Whaitiri is likely to hold her electorate in the election.
If so, it will be the first time Te Pāti Māori has held that seat. It and Hauraki Waikato are the only two which have stuck with Labour MPs since the Māori Party was set up in 2005.
In the Māori seats, the person matters as much - if not more - than the party and Whaitiri has built up a store of personal loyalty.
