Source: Radio New Zealand
Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi says she is still waiting to learn what her reinstatement to Te Pāti Māori will look like in practice, and there are still questions over whether the party can be trusted by her rohe.
On Tuesday, Kapa-Kingi was officially reinstated to Te Pāti Māori after the High Court ruled her suspension and subsequent expulsion was unlawful.
Speaking to media for the first time since her reinstatement, Kapa-Kingi said the court’s decision was an important first step, but it would not heal the hurt carried by her people.
“This moment is not about personal vindication, it is about mokopuna. Mokopuna in the sense that every decision I make is measured by whether our mokopuna will inherit a better situation than the one we have today.”
Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris, who was also expelled but haD not been reinstated, said Te Pāti Māori had a “huge job” to repair its reputational damage.
Kapa-Kingi said her legal challenge was to ensure the voices of the people who elected her were shown respect.
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
“Te Pāti Māori’s kawa exists for a reason. They ensure respect for the authority and mana motuhake of our individual electorates – that respect was not afforded to the thousands of whānau in Te Tai Tokerau who entrusted me with the responsibility to represent them.
“The question remains whether Te Pāti Māori can be trusted by my rohe, while no changes have been made in the capability of the party beyond this term is debated amongst te iwi Māori,” she said.
Kapa-Kingi said there was no evidence she had misused funds or brought the party into disrepute.
“Utu pursued with ill intent can only attach where ill intent exists.”
She was determined to stand again in Te Tai Tokerau, and said running as an independent was possible despite her reinstatement.
“There is a world that has that potential possibility in it, yes.”
Asked whether she had rejoined the party, she said she was “in the early stages of what the detail of that actually looks like”.
Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris also attended the press conference. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
In his judgement, Justice Paul Radich said the process had breached the party’s “kawa” – rules, requirements and protocols.
“To convene a meeting which would play a fundamental part in determining Kapa-Kingi’s future with the pāti without involving her, without giving any indication that a resolution to suspend her was on the table, without allowing her an opportunity for a substantive response, and in the absence of the members of her electorate council, could not on any view be seen, for example, as elevating and enhancing relationships, as working together with respect, as promoting whanaungatanga, as working for unity, as developing an environment that nourishes wairua or that reflects the attributes of rangatira,” Radich wrote.
Kapa-Kingi had also sought to challenge the re-appointment of John Tamihere as the party’s president, but Justice Radich did not uphold that, saying there was “no invalidity” in the process of Tamihere’s re-election.
She said she had received contact to “get together” with Tamihere and have a discussion, but she had not had a chance as she was focused on nephew Peeni Henare’s valedictory.
After Justice Radich had released his decision, Kapa-Kingi posted on social media that he had “brought justice” to Te Tai Tokerau voters.
“Pursuing a legal pathway in the courts was never my first choice. My intention in bringing this case throughout was not to incite division, but seek clarity and ensure that the processes we hold ourselves to – particularly those grounded in tikanga, are honoured,” she wrote.
Following Kapa-Kingi’s reinstatement, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the party was looking forward to “repatriating” Kapa-Kingi back in.
Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris, who was also expelled from Te Pāti Māori, has not been reinstated as he did not challenge the party’s decision. He will remain an independent MP for the rest of the term, and intends to stand again in the seat as an independent.
Speaking after Kapa-Kingi, Ferris said the court had “put the truth out there” and iwi Māori would be waiting to see how the party responded.
“The truth is on display for everyone to see. The kaupapa of Te Pāti Māori is a people movement, and it’s here to ensure that the Māori view and Māori rights are looked after and respected well in this House, and that’s the thing that draws me to here.”
Ferris did not see a need to pursue legal action, as Te Tai Tonga was happy with what he had done and supported him.
“Te Tai Tonga invited Te Pāti Māori to a hui, it wasn’t taken up, so the kaumatua of Te Tai Tonga are clear about how Te Tai Tonga will move.”
He said trust and confidence had been “eroded” and the party’s reputational damage had been “sustained, and it is going to be a huge job to rebuild it.”
Ferris believed Tamihere had too much control over the party, however, and suggested more distribution of power across a broader base of rohe representation.
Asked whether he wanted to be back in the party, Ferris said the ball was “firmly in the court” of Te Pāti Māori, and nobody wanted to be stuck in a to-and-fro forever.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
