Jackson \u2013 who is also co-chair of the party’s M\u0101ori caucus \u2013 said they would be fighting hard to win all seven of the M\u0101ori seats, and if that meant Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori not getting back into Parliament, that was fine with him.<\/p>\n
“Oh absolutely. We got rid of them in 2017 and they try to get rid of us in the seats, we try to get rid of them, that’s just the nature of the game. Doesn’t mean to say we don’t have good relationships with them still … it’s just how it is.”<\/p>\n
Co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said the decision was driven by what the party believed to be breaches of its constitution. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
He said there had been a lot of interest from people looking to win the M\u0101ori seats for Labour.<\/p>\n
“We’ve had a lot of interest, a lot of interest in the seats \u2013 particularly during the M\u0101ori Party troubled times \u2013 so had a lot of interest in the last six to eight weeks, candidates lining up everywhere.<\/p>\n
“I think people don’t like division, and they like what they’re seeing from Labour. Our M\u0101ori MPs are performing and they’ll be ready if there are any by-elections.”<\/p>\n
He made clear however that whoever Labour picked as candidates, Kapa-Kingi and Ferris would not be among them.<\/p>\n
“They’re not Labour people, they’re not Labour candidates. They’re good people, we don’t have anything against them, but they will not be candidates for Labour.”<\/p>\n
Asked what value Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori was bringing to Parliament, he came up short.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask their supporters. I worry about Labour and the reality is we’ve got a real opportunity \u2013 at the same time I don’t take any joy in what’s happening. All parties go through these internals, so, disappointing for them, disappointing for a lot of our people but it’s their business, we’ve got to concentrate on getting ourselves organised and we will.”<\/p>\n
Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori ‘doing a pretty good job’ of exiting Parliament – Hipkins<\/p>\n
![\"Te](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/te-pati-maori-co-leaders-debbie-ngarewa-packer-and-rawiri-wa-FE5NJKKNDFFPHDGAFFDNB6DWZU.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa Packer and Rawiri Waititi. (Source: Getty)<\/p>\n
Labour leader Chris Hipkins agreed the party would be competing “vigorously” for every M\u0101ori seat at the next election.<\/p>\n
He had a pithy response when asked if he would be comfortable with Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori exiting Parliament: “They’re doing a pretty good job of that for themselves at the moment.”<\/p>\n
“At the moment Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori are more focused on themselves than focused on tackling the issues facing New Zealand, so they’re not bringing a lot to the debate at the moment.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got a very strong line-up of potential candidates vying for Labour’s nomination for those M\u0101ori electorates and I think that bodes well for a good result for us in those seats at the next election.”<\/p>\n
He indicated Labour was looking to capitalise on the divisions in Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori.<\/p>\n
“There were a lot of non-M\u0101ori New Zealanders who were very supportive of the Toitu te Tiriti movement for example who felt very let down from the M\u0101ori Party basically saying ‘if you’re an Asian New Zealander or a P\u0101keh\u0101 New Zealander then you have no right to be speaking on M\u0101ori issues’.<\/p>\n
“A lot of people driving around with Toitu te Tiriti bumper stickers suddenly felt that they were alienated from that kaupapa so I think that means that they’re now looking around to say ‘well we thought we were supporting something which it’s clear … that’s not what we thought it was.<\/p>\n
“My message to them is vote Labour if you want to change the government.”<\/p>\n
![\"Labour](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/labour-leader-chris-hipkins-ENYOMZ2YP5GM7L4RNB6RQHIDXQ.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Labour leader Chris Hipkins. (Source: Q and A)<\/p>\n
Whether Labour could work with Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori around the Cabinet table was still an open question, which would be answered next year, he said.<\/p>\n
“Lots can change in a year. But we will make our decisions, and they’ll be principled decisions and we’ll set them out closer to the election. I’m not making those decisions in advance.”<\/p>\n
He said strategic decisions about whether M\u0101ori seat candidates would be also placed on Labour’s list would also be made closer to the election.<\/p>\n
There was “some certainty” that Cushla Tangaere-Manuel would again be Labour’s candidate for Ikaroa R\u0101whiti, but the others were yet to be confirmed.<\/p>\n
Internal divisions ‘sad for te ao M\u0101ori’<\/p>\n
John Tamihere says MPs Takuta Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi should be the ones to go. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
Jackson said Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori’s internal ructions were “very sad”.<\/p>\n
“I think it’s sad for te ao M\u0101ori. I don’t like to see this sort of thing happen \u2013 some of these people are friends, relations, so I take no joy in it but the reality is we’ll be after the seats … so course it’s sad, however that’s politics.”<\/p>\n
Speaking earlier to RNZ’s Morning Report, Hipkins seemed to agree with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon that Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori was no longer relevant.<\/p>\n
“Certainly this term of Parliament, they’ve made themselves irrelevant,” he said. “Because they’re busy arguing with each other and they’re not contributing to the big debates about the future of the country.”<\/p>\n
He rejected Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori co-leader Rawiri Waititi’s claim that “serious conversations” were being had with Labour and the Greens.<\/p>\n
“No. I mean, they’ve informed us within the last week or so about what they’re doing, but there have been no conversations about what a future government might look like or any policy discussions or anything like that \u2013 and they’re in no position to be having those conversations.<\/p>\n
“Rawiri rung me yesterday to tell me what they were already telling the public, which is that they’d decided to boot two of their MPs out.”<\/p>\n
He said the party had to “sort themselves out” before any conversations with other parties about governance arrangements could take place.<\/p>\n
Hipkins reiterated Labour would next year set out its preferred governing arrangements, and said that would include the principles Labour would stand by in negotiations.<\/p>\n
“If Christopher Luxon had said to David Seymour at the last election ‘I’m not willing to do your Regulatory Standards Bill, I’m not willing to have your Treaty Principles Bill and if you don’t like it you can go sit on the cross benches’ I reckon David Seymour would have said ‘oh well, let’s talk about some other things’.”<\/p>\n