Source: Radio New Zealand
MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi announced she is leaving Te Pāti Māori to launch a new political party. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Māori politics has erupted as Mariameno Kapa-Kingi launched a rival party, Te Pāti Māori fractures deepen, and the battle for the Māori vote heats up.
The fight for the Māori vote has intensified, with one of the most dramatic political showdowns in recent memory on the cards.
Bitter infighting, whispers of more defections, coalition questions, and the possible return of political heavyweight Hone Harawira are adding fuel to the fire, which blazed last week after Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi announced she was breaking away from Te Pāti Māori to launch a new political movement after months of escalating conflict behind the scenes.
“The focus on the Māori seats this election is absolutely warranted,” RNZ political reporter Lillian Hanly tells The Detail. “Not only could they determine various coalition make-ups, and whether even Te Pāti Māori make it back into parliament; the contest in the seats between Labour, Te Pāti Māori, the Greens and now an independent, is going to be fascinating.”
Kapa-Kingi’s split follows months of unrest, accusations, a court ruling, and growing frustration within Te Pāti Māori’s ranks, with critics questioning leadership decisions and the internal handling of conflict.
“This is about restoring balance, strong local representation, and sending a clear signal that Tai Tokerau political power will no longer be taken for granted,” Kapa-Kingi said at her announcement that she would contest the 2026 election under a new banner.
But straight after that announcement, there was speculation, then confusion, around who would follow her out the door.
A new media advisor for Te Pāti Māori sent a message to a Stuff journalist saying MP Oriini Kaipara was considering her options, only for Kaipara to declare she wasn’t going anywhere.
“This was very confusing,” says Hanly, who has been following the story closely. “You [as a political party] can make mistakes, but the main issue here is, and the main question is: will Oriini Kaipara and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke split away? You really don’t want to make a mistake on that particular issue.
“The party has come out strong against Stuff, and they think it was misleading, but Stuff released the messages themselves, showing it was attribution… but it just gets a bit messy.”
Hanly says they have not yet heard from either Maipi-Clarke or Takuta Ferris about their plans.
But veteran activist and former MP Hone Harawira has been vocal, and says he could return to frontline politics to bolster Te Pāti Māori – pending a ‘yes’ from his wife.
“We would be silly to underestimate Hone Harawira returning to politics,” says Hanly. “I think it is fair to say he is considering it. He wouldn’t be out there saying that he’s backing Te Pāti Māori, that he’s considering it, or that he’d do it depending on what his wife and whanau say.
“He’s in the selection process, is my understanding, and therefore those considerations are already underway.”
So who will Māori voters trust at this year’s election? Will they stay loyal to Te Pāti Māori despite the turmoil? Will Labour’s Willow-Jean Prime regain support as the movement fractures? Will Kapa-Kingi star on her own, or will the Green’s Hūhana Lyndon continue to gain traction?
“There are now four candidates who potentially all have a shot,” Hanly says. “It’s just fascinating, and it’s going to be very close.”
So after months of turmoil, negative headlines and walk-outs, can Te Pāti Māori move forward and survive, or will it finally collapse?
“That’s a big question,” says Hanly. “I think it is fair to say that they have had some huge blows, and that a lot of people think that the party has some serious work to do.
“The kaupapa itself behind Te Pāti Māori, that’s something that I don’t think will ever collapse. I think there will be a version of, or an iteration of, that original party born out of protest. There will probably always be space for that in the political spectrum.
“Whether it carries on existing in its current form or if there are changes underway, that’s still to be seen. But at the moment, the leadership is clear… their focus is on the election and getting this current government out.
“So, at this point, they don’t plan on collapsing.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand