MP’s comments ‘resonate’ despite negative response from other parties – Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori stands by comments made by one of its MPs which other parties have described as inflammatory and offensive.

In Parliament last Wednesday, Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi said the government “will not waver in its mission to exterminate the Maori”.

He said “colorblind” was “just another word for white supremacy” and criticized changes the government planned to make to the Oranga Tamariki Act.

“The government’s reasons for removing it can be summed up in a few words: racism and Pākehā supremacy,” he said.

Kapa-Kingi’s comments sparked a sharp rebuke on social media from New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

In a post on X on Monday, Winston Peters said Kapa-Kingi’s comments were “ignorant and offensive” and accused Te Pāti Māori of leading New Zealand down a “race-based rabbit hole”.

Premier Christopher Luxon said the comments were unhelpful and misplaced.

“The rhetoric needs to calm down, big time, across the political spectrum,” Luxon said.

Labor leader Chris Hipkins agreed.

“That kind of language is not helpful and certainly not language I agree with.”

Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka said he disagreed with Kapa-Kingi’s claim.

“I think the use of provocative and inflammatory language like that is very unhelpful and can be very inflammatory and divisive for our communities,” he said.

Potaka said the Government was committed to supporting locally led and whānau-focused work in education, health and housing.

Labor Māori group co-chair Willie Jackson said Kapa-Kingi’s comments were “probably just some rhetoric” but he would not use them himself.

He still expressed concern about the government’s policies.

“The reality is their policies in terms of Māori are really worrying. We’ve seen the abolition of the Māori Health Authority, te reo Māori is under attack. Māori are fed up with it and we’re getting a response.”

When asked Tuesday what he thought of the comments, Peters referred the media to his social media posts.

“Twenty-four hours later, other parties are reacting, have you noticed that? And one of your journalists said I made a statement too. How’s that for distorting the chronology of this event?”

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said Kapa-Kingi’s comments were “forceful” and represented how the party felt.

“They will not tell us or determine how to feel. Many of the policy changes this government is making absolutely make us feel as if there are huge processes and policies of exterminating the very existence of tangata whenua in this country.”

Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said the government had no mandate to represent Māori as 85 per cent of Māori did not vote for the coalition partners.

“Seventy percent of our population is under 40 years old and none of them are going to talk like some of the guys around here want to hear them talk.

“That’s the type of party we represent. People don’t like popular language, people don’t like profane language, we have a government that is only made up of the nobility.”