The Kīngitanga is officially welcomed to the Waitangi grounds and Labour MPs keep up with waka-paddling traditions. Video / Alyse Wright
Te Pāti Māori will be the first political party welcomed to Waitangi ahead of the country’s national day when they walk on to the Treaty Grounds alongside representatives of the Kīngitanga.
Party co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi will lead their MPs during today’s pōwhiri at 2pm whenNorthland iwi Ngā Puhi will welcome the party and the Kīngitanga.
It comes as another party leader, Green co-leader Marama Davidson, returns to politics following a breast cancer diagnosis and calls out Prime Minister Christopher Luxon for not attending this year’s Waitangi Day celebrations.
Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi speak to reporters at last year's Waitangi. Photo / Adam Pearse
Te Pāti Māori, which commonly joined the Kīngitanga in pōwhiri for significant events, would take part in the second welcome ceremony of the day at Waitangi. From 10am, members of the judiciary, Waitangi Tribunal and the Diplomatic Corps would have their own pōwhiri.
Members of the other political parties would be welcomed in a pōwhiri tomorrow morning.
The presence of the Kīngitanga today represented the first Waitangi celebration attended by the new Māori Queen Ngā Wai hono i te pō, who was a former member of the Waitangi National Trust board.
Māori Queen Ngā Wai hono i te pō will be attending her first Waitangi Day following the death of her father, Kingi Tūheitia. Photo / Supplied
Speaking to the Herald last month, Ngarewa-Packer said Waitangi was a chance for her party to listen to whānau.
“We’ll be really more keen on using that time together to get up there and listen to the kōrero.”
The party stood primed to again denounce many of the Government’s policies, most notably Act’s controversial Treaty Principles Bill.
However, Luxon would not be in Waitangi to hear Te Pāti Māori’s concerns as he would be celebrating New Zealand’s national day in Akaroa.
Ngarewa-Packer was among those critical of Luxon’s absence, even if she wasn’t surprised.
“The reality is that this is a Prime Minister who represents the nation with a million of tangata whenua, so it is a nation that is built off Te Tiriti and he should have made an effort to be a Tiriti-centric Prime Minister, he’s not.”
Her comments were added to by Davidson, who yesterday said Luxon’s absence proved he wasn’t up to the job of Prime Minister.
Luxon yesterday confirmed he would spend Waitangi Day at Ōnuku Marae in Akaroa with Ngāi Tahu. He had long referenced his view that Prime Ministers should celebrate the national day across the country.
Davidson didn’t endorse Luxon’s position, arguing he should front at Waitangi, given it was the Treaty’s birthplace and the range of his Government’s policies that impacted the Treaty.
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
