Te Pāti Māori has been in a period of turmoil, culminating in the expulsion of MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris.
The remaining MPs – Oriini Kaipara and Maipi-Clarke – had stayed silent, until Maipi-Clarke made her remarks at Parliament on Thursday.
Kaipara was yet to speak publicly, but attended a meeting with the ousted MPs last week.
Maipi-Clarke first acknowledged the passing of Kemp and what followed.
She said she had heard from “both sides” in the party’s split and understood both sides were “valid”. She wanted to bring the party together and figure out how she could be on both sides “without splitting”.
Maipi-Clarke said she wanted to take accountability, but acknowledged she didn’t have all the answers.
She said she wasn’t disrespecting any individuals, whānau or iwi, but it was “about having an honest conversation when we’re at fault, and so far, no one has taken ownership for the situation”.
The reality of the situation was that it was “a divide-and-conquer tactic and there are no winners”.
Maipi-Clarke also acknowledged many significant movements, such as the Kīngitanga, hadn’t come about without “challenges and differences”.
She referenced the Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi arriving at Parliament numbering in the tens of thousands, saying the next phase of that was “how can we work together, knowing that we all have unique differences and actually accepting and embracing [those]”.
Maipi-Clarke said both sides needed to be left to sort themselves out, and what was needed now was accepting, shifting and adapting to “new systems that can work with us and accept each other in differences, but the same purpose”.
“In a perfect world”, she said she’d like to see Kapa-Kingi and Ferris returned to the party, but she also maintained confidence in Te Pāti Māori’s leadership.
Maipi-Clarke said Christmas was coming, a “real tough time” where people are thinking about grocery prices and gas prices and “this is definitely not what we need”.
She said she had “work to do” here at Parliament, there were “collaborations with foundation for kids in need, for Christmas, bills that protect Tiriti o Waitangi that need to be signed, letters to select committees that need to be written”.
Maipi-Clarke said she would be meeting with her electorate in two weeks’ time, who will “determine” her future in politics, “whether I’m still the right voice and whether this is still the right waka and movement”.
“In a place of power, the greatest move you can do is give it to your people to decide and direct the next course we take.”
Te Pāti Māori’s AGM takes place early next month in Rotorua.
– RNZ
