Source: Radio New Zealand
Te Pāti Māori MPs Tākuta Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. (File photo) RNZ
MP Tākuta Ferris, who was expelled from Te Pāti Māori this week alongside Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, says the pair never tried to take over as co-leaders.
Ferris said, in the eyes of Te Tai Tonga, he was still apart of Te Pāti Māori and wanted a meeting with the National Council to put forward his case to the membership.
Party president John Tamihere has accused the ousted pair of plotting a leadership coup.
Ferris told Morning Report, they wrote to the national council last week asking for a meeting, but the letter had been ignored despite being signed by half the caucus.
Both Te Pāti Māori co-leaders were unavailable for an interview on Friday.
In an interview with RNZ on Thursday, Ferris described the expulsion process as a “joke” and underhanded.
He said, in his view, Te Pāti Māori MPs Oriini Kaipara and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke were now “trapped” in the party which was behaving “way below the line”.
“Our mates, they weren’t told we were getting expelled. They were told by the press release. This is the degree of the conduct, right? It’s way below the line.”
More to come…
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
