Chris Hipkins says he and Willie Jackson agree the party will “vigorously compete” in all seven Māori seats, with a view to winning them all.
“Clearly, a very difficult Waitangi for them, it shows that they still have some very big internal issues they need to work through,” Hipkins said.
Jackson says the competition will be tough.
“One would think that Hana would be invincible, but she might get a bit nervous when she hears the candidate,” Jackson declared.
Tāwhiao McMaster is a potential Labour candidate to contest Te Tai Hauāuru, a seat currently held by Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
At Waitangi, it was announced that Mananui Ramsden will stand as a potential Labour Party candidate for Te Tai Tonga. Tākuta Ferris held the seat until last year, when he was expelled, and it is not yet known who Te Pāti Māori will select to stand.
It was also announced last week that a former Te Pāti Māori candidate for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti will contest a Māori electorate seat for the Green Party this election.
Jackson acknowledges friendship but denies scheming
Willie Jackson has commented on his closeness with Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere, particularly their longstanding connection through the Manukau Urban Māori Authority.
Chris Hipkins, while acknowledging their friendship, rejected the speculations of scheming.
“The hanging out that you describe, Willie Jackson said that JT was disgusting, and JT said that Willie needed to be on medication,” Hipkins said, jokingly.
Jackson said they could not help being related.
“We’re friends and relations from way back, and obviously when you’re there supporting a great kaupapa we’ll have a jibe at each other,” he said.
“I tell them as Māori Party’s in a mess, which was clearly the case at Waitangi.”
National says Labour is sending mixed messages on Te Pāti Māori
National Party MP Chris Bishop says Labour MPs appear to be on different pages when it comes to their attitude towards Te Pāti Māori, arguing that despite public criticism, Labour will ultimately need the party to form a government.
“Castigating them at every opportunity, saying they’ve got to get their act together and ‘we can’t work with them’ and then Willie Jackson and others basically putting their arms around them saying, ‘we’ve got to change the government, let’s all work together,’” Bishop said.
He described the latter as a “peace, light and happiness” parade.
“Both those things can’t be true; you’re either working with them or not, and it’s just really unclear. The reality is, if we are honest, Chris Hipkins will do a deal with the Māori Party to get into government, and that would be a disaster for New Zealand.”
The commentary follows heightened tensions at Waitangi, where disagreements between Te Pāti Māori leadership and former Vice President Eru Kapa-Kingi played out publicly on the marae ātea.
Those tensions also sit alongside the ongoing High Court case involving Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, who is challenging her expulsion from Te Pāti Māori. The party’s candidate for Te Tai Tokerau at the 2026 election has not yet been confirmed.
Just last week, Labour also lost two of its own Māori MPS, Peeni Henare in Tāmaki Makaurau and Adrian Rurawhe in Te Tai Hauāuru.
