Kerre Woodham: Is there still a place for Te Pāti Māori in Parliament?

2024 was an epic annus horribilis for the Greens - you remember Golriz Ghahraman, Darleen Tana, Julie Anne Genter, et al. It went on and on. It was arguably the worst year on record for any political party in this country ever. But wait, hold my beer – we have a new champion. 

2025 is shaping up to be an even more horribilis of an annus for Te Pāti Māori, who may well factionalise themselves into extinction. It all started so well. And by started, I'm going back to 2004 when Labour MP Tariana Turia's protest against her own government's Foreshore and Seabed Bill led to her establishing Te Pāti Māori. Despite it being pretty much a single issue party at genesis, it lasted the distance thanks to the political pragmatism and mana of Dame Tariana and Sir Pita Sharples, the other co-leader. 

They were able to walk in both the Pākehā world and Te Ao Māori, and they kept the party together. Te Pāti Māori winning six out of the seven electorate seats in the 2023 election was a triumph. As was its opposition to the coalition government's Treaty Principles Bill and galvanising everybody together. But since then, Te Pāti Māori has turned upon itself and the ugly mudslinging being played out in the public arena has seen support for the party plummet. 

This time last year, Te Pāti Māori got 7% in the 1News Verian poll. Last night in that same poll, they recorded just 1%. Bang, crash, pow, brace for impact, as Maiki Sherman might have said, but didn't, when reporting the results last night. 

Te Pāti Māori threw out two of its MPs amid accusations of a dictatorial style by its leadership. The dispute took a new twist in court last week though, when a judge ruled MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi should be reinstated as a party member. John Tamihere emerged from the party's AGM in Rotorua over the weekend absolutely triumphant and grinning like a Cheshire cat, the cat that's got the cream. Those opposed to his presidency simply didn't have the numbers to get rid of him. 

According to the party's constitution, it appears the only way Tamihere can be removed from the role of president is if there is consensus among the electorate council representatives. So he has a stranglehold on Tāmaki Makaurau, Waiariki, and Te Tai Hauāuru – Waikato seems to be neutral. Ikaroa-Rāwhiti said they weren't happy about the expulsion of Whaitiri and another MP, Ferris. Te Tai Tokerau, Te Tai Tonga, they want John Tamihere gone. 

But it looks like he'll be clinging on. May well be a Pyrrhic victory. If Te Pāti Māori can't find a way to work through their differences, and I don't see how they possibly can. Tamihere will be the head of a political party that isn't in Parliament, that is completely and utterly irrelevant. He'll have his toys, but no one to play with. 

While all of this infighting is occurring, as Christopher Luxon said, not one single piece of legislation has been crafted by Te Pāti Māori MPs to further the betterment of their constituency, of their people. As he said, not one of them has turned up with ideas, with a plan, with a way to make the world a better place for the people who voted them in, to use the machinery of Parliament to advance the cause of their people. They are simply not doing their job while they're involved in this sort of infighting.  

I would very much like to hear from those who have supported Te Pāti Māori in the past, who as recently as 2023 might have installed a Te Pāti Māori MP in Parliament by voting in the electorate – where to now? Is there still a place for Te Pāti Māori in Parliament? They look like they're doing their level best to disembowel themselves and eat their own entrails in front of us all. 

It's unedifying, but worse than that, it is letting down the very people who voted them into Parliament. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Carrywood and Mornings podcast from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
At B twenty twenty four was an epic annus horribilus
for the Greens. You remember Goras, Garriman, Darlingana, Julian Jena
at l. It went on on and on. It was
arguably the worst year on record for any political party
in this country ever. But wait, hold my bear, we

(00:33):
have a new champion. Twenty twenty five is shaping up
to be an even more horribilous of an annos for Tapatimari,
who may well factionalize themselves into extinction. It all started
so well, and by started, I'm going back to two
thousand and four when Labor MP Taddyanatutia's protest against her

(00:53):
own government's Foreshore and Seabed Bill led to her establishing Tapatimari.
Despite it being pretty much a single issue party at Genesis,
it lasted the distance. Thanks to the political pragmatism and
manna of Dame Tariana and Sir Peter Sharple's the other
co leader. They were able to walk in both the
parkier world into ol Maori and they kept the party together,

(01:18):
Tapati Mauri, winning six out of the seven electorate seats
in the twenty twenty three election was a triumph, as
was its opposition to the coalition government's Treaty Principles Bill
in galvanizing everybody together. But since then Ta Patimurdi has
turned upon itself and the ugly mud slinging been played
out in the public arena has seen support for the

(01:40):
party plummet. This time last year, Tapatimori got seven percent
in the one US variant poll. Last night, in that
same pole they recorded just one percent. Bang Crash pal
brays for impact, as Mikey Sherman might have said, but
didn't when reporting the results. Last night, Tapati Mauri threw

(02:03):
out two of its MPs amid akiations of a dictatorial
style Byt's leadership. The dispute took a new twist in
court last week, though, when a judge ruled MP Maria
Menu Kappa Kingi should be reinstated as a party member.
John Tomaheri emerged from the party's agm and Rotarua over
the weekend absolutely triumphant and grinning like a Chesha cat.

(02:27):
The cat that's got the Queen. Those opposed to his
presidency simply didn't have the numbers to get rid of him.
According to the party's constitution, it appears the only way
Tamahea can be removed from the role of president is
if there is consensus among the electorate Council representatives, so
he has a stranglehold on Tamakimikoto Wayaiki, Tetai Hoaruu Wakutu

(02:54):
seems to be neutral. Ekero Rafferti said they weren't happy
about the expulsion of Kappa Kingi in another MP ferris
Tetai Tukura te Taitunga. They want John Tomaheady gone, but
it looks like he'll be clinging on. May well be
a pyrrhic victory if Te Party Maori can't find a

(03:16):
way to work through their differences, and it really I
don't see how they possibly can. Tamahera will be the
head of a political party that is an in parliament
that is completely and utterly irrelevant. He'll have his toys
but no one to play with. While all of this
in fighting is occurring, as Christopher Luxen said, not one

(03:38):
single piece of legislation has been crafted by Test Party
Maori mbs to further the betterment of their constituency. Of
their people. As he said, not one of them is
turned up with ideas, with a plan, with a way
to make the world a better place for the people

(03:58):
who voted them in to use the machinery of Parliament
to advance the cause of their people. They are simply
not doing their job while they're involved in this sort
of infighting. And I would very much like to hear
from those who have supported Tamati Maori in the past,

(04:20):
who as recently as twenty twenty three might have installed
a Tapati Maori MP in Parliament by voting in the electorate.
Where to now, you know, as there's still a place
for Tapati Mauri in parliament. They look like they're doing

(04:41):
their level best to disembowel themselves and eat their own
entrails in front of us all. It's unedifying, but worse
than that, it is letting down the very people who
voted them into parliament.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
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