Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere is suggesting two of the party’s MPs should resign as he accuses them of “greed, avarice and entitlement”.
In a social media post this afternoon, Tamihere names Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris as seeking to challenge for the party’s leadership.
He urges them to do the “honourable thing”, which he likens to Hone Harawira’s 2011 split from the Māori 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.”
Kapa-Kingi told the Herald in a statement she was “not going anywhere”, saying that was a matter for Te Tai Tokerau voters.
“Only the people can take me out and until then, I have an important role to fulfil and I will continue to do exactly that.”
Ferris has been approached for comment.
The bombshell comments come in a social media post by Tamihere, prompted by news of a petition created by members of Te Pāti Māori’s South Island electorate, Te Tai Tonga, is calling for the “immediate resignation”.
It follows both Ferris and Kapa-Kingi criticising the party’s moves to suspend Kapa-Kingi, the pair questioning its legitimacy.
In a lengthy post titled the “Anatomy of Madness”, Tamihere detailed the party’s departure from Parliament in 2017, its executive being rebuilt, Rawiri Waititi’s successful Waiariki electorate campaign in 2020 and his own election to party president in 2021.
“As President, the priority was also on rebuilding the party backbone.
“Everything needed to be rebuilt from the ground up - systems, processes, resourcing. At a time when there was no resourcing, little support and even less belief that it could be achieved.”
He then referenced the party’s success in the 2023 election and its protest of the coalition Government’s policies, noting “all appeared to be going well”.
Tamihere claimed he received a call from a “Te Tai Tokerau Iwi Chair” on July 18 this year with a request to hold an open candidate selection for Te Tai Tokerau even after nominations had closed with Kapa-Kingi the only nominee.
“I was then advised she had asked Te Tai Tokerau iwi leaders whether they would support her in a challenge for the Te Pāti Māori leadership against Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Tākuta Ferris against Rawiri Waititi.”
Tamihere said he then called Kapa-Kingi: “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.”
The post goes on to reference Kapa-Kingi being removed as party whip and allegations she overspent her Parliamentary budget. In her own recent social media post, Kapa-Kingi claimed the party was aware of her spending arrangements in light of former MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp’s death. Ngarewa-Packer has also told the Herald the spending issue had been resolved.
Tamihere then pointed to a “media attack” on Te Pāti Māori coordinated by Mariameno and her son Eru Kapa-Kingi, the former accusing the party of a dictatorial leadership style.
“The adverse impact of the Kapa-Kingi entitlement can only be explained by their desire to take over leadership of the Party with Mr Ferris,” he claimed.
“They could not do that through the tikanga of the party so they have endeavoured to destabilise the party as it undertakes one of the most important elections in Māori history coming into 2026.”
Tamihere maintained there was “no evidence of wrongdoing” committed by Te Pāti Māori leadership.
“The white feeding frenzy that they knew they would inspire continues as it is based on rage baiting rather than any evidence.
“The truth is they are knowingly endeavouring to destroy the ability of Te Pāti Māori to make this a one-term Government.”
Tamihere claimed it was “not the first Kapa-Kingi rodeo”, alleging the MP and her whānau had also been displeased with then-candidate Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke being placed higher than Mariameno on the party list ahead of the 2023 election.
“The outcome of that hui was [Mariameno] 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.”
He finished by inviting Kapa-Kingi and Ferris to do “the honourable thing”, citing Harawira stepping down in 2011 and later forming the Mana Party.
“He started his own party based on political principle and on integrity and on belief. That Te Pāti Māori had become too close to National and had to differentiate itself by going to the cross benches as they moved into Election 2011.
“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.”
The post came hours after a petition from the Te Tai Tonga Electorate Executive called for Tamihere’s resignation.
“We, the undersigned, guided by tikanga Māori and bound by our collective commitment to integrity, accountability, and truth, hereby call for the immediate resignation of the Te Pāti Māori President,” it read.
“Leadership within Te Ao Māori is a sacred responsibility, one that must be exercised with tika, pono, and aroha [justice, truth and care].
“When that trust is diminished, it is the duty of the collective to restore balance and uphold the mana of the kaupapa.”
It claimed Tamihere had “not acted in good faith or in the spirit of aroha, pono and tika in the execution of their duties and responsibilities” as president.
“We call for the president to vacate the position without delay, so that the mana of Te Pāti Māori may be restored, and the voice of our people remain steadfast, united, and grounded in truth.”
The petition had received 50 signatures by 10am today.
Ferris last week told TVNZ he disagreed with the suspension of Te Tai Tokerau MP Kapa-Kingi, who has been at the centre of ongoing ructions within the party for weeks.
Ferris claimed members of the executive had drifted from the party’s values and called for more transparency in addressing current issues.
Last month, Te Tai Tonga abstained on the motion proposed at a meeting of Te Pāti Māori’s national executive on whether to suspend Kapa-Kingi for allegedly breaching the party’s constitution.
The motion was supported by five other electorates. A vote for Te Tai Tokerau was not recorded in minutes seen by the Herald.
It appears Kapa-Kingi’s suspension was prompted by her continued public comments regarding the rifts growing within the party, first revealed when her son and former vice-president Eru Kapa-Kingi accused Tamihere and the party’s co-leaders of a dictatorial leadership style.
That led to the party releasing allegations that Eru Kapa-Kingi assaulted Parliament security staff last year and of Mariameno Kapa-Kingi overspending her Parliamentary budget.
Eru Kapa-Kingi has since admitted to a heated exchange with security but denied any assault took place.
Suspending Kapa-Kingi doesn’t mean she is no longer part of Te Pāti Māori, nor does it threaten her position as Te Tai Tokerau MP. It would likely mean her participation in party decisions and access to resources would be limited.
Eru Kapa-Kingi last week said on social media he had engaged legal counsel over the matter.
Tamihere, and co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, have not readily responded to questions regarding Kapa-Kingi and the party’s rifts.
However, Waititi last week told Te Karere that Te Pāti Māori was still going through its “reset”, which was announced last month and promised more transparent communication with the public.
The National Iwi Chairs Forum last week called for a meeting with Te Pāti Māori to “help resolve internal challenges on a tikanga basis”.
“The National Iwi Chairs Forum considers it necessary to focus political attention on the aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi as opposed to other political issues that in our view distract from that purpose.”
Tamihere, asked if he would meet with the forum, told the Herald: “We meet with all Māori that desire to hui.”
He wouldn’t confirm whether the request had been accepted or if a location and date had been agreed upon.
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.