Former Te Pāti Māori staffer Eru Kapa-Kingi, son of Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, says he is engaging legal counsel over what he claims is “false kōrero” impacting his whānau.
The incident deepens the rift between Eru Kapa-Kingi and the party, the latest developments of which including Mariameno Kapa-Kingi reportedly being suspended by Te Pāti Māori.
Eru Kapa-Kingi, a former Te Pāti Māori vice-president and spokesman for the influential protest movement Toitū Te Tiriti, today stated on social media he had “engaged legal counsel” over “false kōrero” (stories) he claims have been shared by the party.
Kapa-Kingi alleged it had resulted in his nieces and nephews being falsely accused of “wrongly being on their whenua [land]”.
“When the Māori Party executive refuses to engage with tikanga practices [customary practices] and also refuses to comply with their own legally binding constitution, we have no options left and we have nothing to hide”.
He later clarified his issue was not with the party as a whole but with the “toxic decision-making” of the party’s executive, referencing party president John Tamihere, secretary Lance Norman and co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
Kapa-Kingi did not provide further detail and did not respond to requests for comment. Te Pāti Māori did not respond to requests for comment.
It is the latest in weeks-long turmoil for the party, which was initiated by Kapa-Kingi publicly alleging Te Pāti Māori’s leadership was akin to a dictatorship.
It prompted the party to outline its “reset” in which it promised more transparent communication as it sought to unseat the coalition Government in next year’s election.
But what has followed has been an ugly tit-for-tat played out in public, including Te Pāti Māori emailing its members allegations Eru Kapa-Kingi assaulted Parliament security guards as well as claims Mariameno Kapa-Kingi overspent her budget.
Eru Kapa-Kingi has since rejected the allegations against him as defamatory while acknowledging “heated words” were exchanged in an incident on Budget Day 2024.
Ngarewa-Packer has told the Herald her MP’s budget issues had been resolved.
Yesterday, Waatea News reported Te Pāti Māori’s national council had met and passed a motion to suspend Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, the Te Tai Tokerau MP.
Kapa-Kingi has not responded to requests for comment.
Speaking to 1News, Kapa-Kingi said the news was “a real disappointment”.
“They continue to prove the point of dysfunction.”
She claimed her Te Tai Tokerau electorate committee was not invited to attend Thursday’s meeting and had not been afforded a right of reply.
“As far as I’m concerned, this so-called suspension, it has no mana.”
Waatea News reports that Thursday’s hui voted on the following four motions.
Waatea News reported that all four were passed, with support of representatives of all electorates but Te Tai Tonga, which is represented by Takuta Ferris, who has also been in a dispute with the party over the handling of social media posts targeting non-Māori, which were widely seen as racist.
Over the weekend, the party’s newest MP, Oriini Kaipara, made a long social media post in support of Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.
It was unclear what involvement Kapa-Kingi would have with Te Pāti Māori while suspended.
In 2022, then Labour leader Dame Jacinda Ardern suspended MP Gaurav Sharma over bullying accusations. Sharma remained the MP for his Hamilton West electorate and was expected to attend the House but was not able to attend Labour caucus meetings or be involved in other party matters.
Sharma was later expelled from the party, triggering a byelection which he did not win.
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.