Ngāpuhi leader and new Northland Regional Councillor, Pita Tipene, has called for Te Pāti Māori to focus on voters and the kaupapa.
“Nā reira, ahakoa pēhea kei reira rātou hei hōiho rēhi ki te whakakō atu i ngā kaupapa mō ō rātou anō pāti. Tā te kōrero, kōkirihia ngā take, ngā kaupapa, kaua e kōkirihia ko ngā tāngata.
“Me ū ki te kaupapa i whakaritea ai e noho ana ngā mema pāremata ki roto i tērā o ngā whare, mō te iwi te take.”
In early October, Toitū Te Tiriti activist and son of Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, Eru Kapa-Kingi, told Te Ao Māori News the group was cutting ties with Te Pāti Māori due to the party’s “dictatorship model”.
Te Pāti Māori sent an email to its members on October 13, with serious allegations against the mother and son, in what the party described as a response to his recent public criticism of its leadership.
“Nā reira, ahakoa ngā raruraru i waenganui i ngā tāngata me ū ki te kaupapa.
“Ko tāku mō Te Pāti Māori, kia māia nei anō te moana kia kotahi ai te kōkiri, kia kotahi ai te anga whakamua i runga anō i ngā wawata, ngā hiahia o te iwi Māori.”
Tipene is not a stranger to politics as he has just recently won a seat at the Northland Regional Council under Te Raki Māori Constituency.
“Kātahi anō ka puta taku ihu i roto i te pōti mō te kaunihera o Te Tai Tokerau, ko tāku e titiro atu ana kia purupuru mau i tōku anō whare, kaua e titiro ki te whare o tētahi atu, engari ka hoki anō ki taua kōrero i mea rāua, whawhaitia mō te kaupapa, kaua e wero i te tangata.”
