Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere. Photo / RNZ, Cole Eastham-Farrelly
By Lillian Hanly of RNZ
Te Pāti Māori’s leadership is adamant the annual general meeting was a “magnificent day for” the movement, despite issues around the decision to expel an MP and the party presidency remaining unresolved.
The meeting showed the party was “anything but a party in disarray” says Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere as he batted away suggestions he should stand down, with one person in attendance calling for everyone to “eat a humble kumara”.
During the pōwhiri, the party leaders were asked by Ngira Simmonds whether they were the right people to unify the party.
Another member asked Tamihere during the AGM whether he would be willing to step down if it was for the good of the party.
In attendance were Māori leaders such as Dame Naida Glavish and Tame Iti. Expelled MP Tākuta Ferris was not at the meeting.
Speaking to reporters after the AGM, Tamihere said he’d stand down if there was a “good reason” to stand down.
“If it’s a reason that a few people don’t like me, that doesn’t cut the mustard.
“You’ve got to have reasons about policy, about programme, about politics, not personality. Just because you don’t like somebody doesn’t mean to say you should guillotine them.”
The last-minute reinstatement of Mariameno Kapa-Kingi as a member to the party after her expulsion alongside Ferris, meant remits and resolutions in relation to the court ruling were unable to be discussed at the AGM.
That included the decisions to expel two MPs, as well as the party presidency. Those issues will be addressed in substantive hearings in February, on the eve of Waitangi Day celebrations.
In terms of welcoming Kapa-Kingi back to the party, Tamihere said it was an issue of trust, which had been “so badly broken” that it was a difficult issue in his mind.
“It might not be in others’.”
Newest Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara greeted Kapa-Kingi warmly on the day and both stood to sing in support of Simmonds after he spoke.
But Tamihere maintained the party didn’t want to welcome Kapa-Kingi back into the fold.
Co-leader Rawiri Waititi wouldn’t be drawn on whether it was nice to see Kapa-Kingi on the day, “it was nice to see everybody”.
He said the AGM was about the “people”, and the people “turned out today”, and we’re “really pleased” with the outcome.
Ngarewa-Packer added they thrive in face-to-face spaces.
“We had up to nine hours with our people. Some of the busiest people in their marae turned up to make sure their movement heard them,” Ngarewa-Packer said.
Tamihere said the party didn’t file the proceedings, but as someone who was experienced around litigation, “we just go with the system”.
Instead, the AGM reset the “confidence” of the majority of the electorates he said.
“Because they’re the ones that turned up in big numbers, and they felt that they were being adversely impacted by not the leadership, but by the conduct of others.”
In response to Simmonds’ criticism, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said Simmonds had come up to her and Waititi after the meeting and told them he had 100% confidence in their leadership.
“That’s a strong position, and I think that’s the significance of today, is actually being able to eyeball each other and ask the hard questions.”
A resolution was passed during the meeting in support of the co-leaders.
Kapa-Kingi told RNZ it had been a great day to “show face” as the Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau “who never left”.
She said her electorate reaffirmed the resolutions settled upon by people in Te Tai Tokerau at their Kohewhata hui “some weeks ago”.
But there was a sense of frustration by some as they made their way out of the hui that it had been a waste of time, given key issues couldn’t be discussed.
Hemi Piripi from Te Tai Tokerau told RNZ he believed there was still a lot of division.
“There’s a lot of ‘he said, she said’ thing.
“Everyone just needs to eat a humble kumara.”
He said there was a generation who were watching the “waka go down” and he wanted to float the waka and relash it so Māori could come together.
He wanted the president to step down, for the executive to be looked at and for a rotation in leadership roles to be considered.
“He does need to go for the waka to start rising again.”
The AGM was closed to media, but over a number of hours there was intense discussion, with cheers and boos heard at various times and many members leaving as the day went on.
Te Tai Tonga also raised the expulsion of Ferris. The electorate had invited the leadership to meet this coming weekend, but Tamihere said he was unavailable because of the family memorial for his son who had died.
Waatea News obtained a copy of the speech Tamihere gave during the AGM.
In it he said “no MP is above the party. No MP is below the party”.
“Without discipline – we descend into anarchy. With discipline – we ascend into power,” he said.
Tamihere said he wasn’t concerned at how recent events would affect the party at the next election, and dismissed suggestions not reinstating the expelled MPs would risk losing support for the party.
There was “time on our side” to repair something based on feelings and personality as opposed to good process, policy and programming.
“It’ll be definitely sorted out before the election.”
Ngarewa-Packer spoke of those who turned up to “make sure their movement heard them, their movement saw them”.
“Their movement felt their absolute unity in going forward and taking this government out.”