Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere has defended MP Tākuta Ferris’ controversial comments about non-Māori campaigning in Māori electorates, saying he agreed with their “substance” but not their aggressive tone.
Reacting to a recent Labour Party social media post during the Tamaki Makaurau by-election, Ferris commented “This blows my mind!! Indians, Asians, Black and Pākehā campaigning to take a Māori seat from Māori.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins strongly rejected the stance, warning it would be “very difficult” to work with Te Pāti Māori if such views were widely held in the party.
Co-leaders Rāwiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer distanced themselves from Ferris’ remarks and opened dialogue with affected communities, but the fallout has heightened tensions between Labour and Te Pāti Māori.
Waititi accused political parties and the media of “fearing” Te Pāti Māori’s by-election victory in Tāmaki Makaurau. Hipkins confirmed Labour will meet Te Pāti Māori in the coming months but stressed the party’s handling of the issue will affect their ongoing relationship.
Birds of a feather flock together
So the part Maori mafia don had to stick his head above the parapet to support his part Maori lieutenant’s slip of the tongue and to send out a message to their partner in crime to pull their head in and get with the programme.
truth is sometimes so uncomfortable
BTW: the crime is division and I am totally sick of these agents
This is why I’ve walked away from mainstream politics…..
Couple of ratbags
I actually think he has a point (Ferris that is) in that for all the lip service given to the glossy cultural aspects of maori life, when it comes to the nitty gritty reality there is a whiff of the old brush off.
Rodents