Summarised by Centrist
Te Pāti Māori’s expelled MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris allege that unelected party president John Tamihere operates as the real leader while the elected co-leaders follow his direction.
Ferris describes being “treated like a kid” and says a senior party official lectured MPs about the need for a corporate-style hierarchy led by a president, two chief executives and four general managers.
The fallout accelerated when Kapa-Kingi was demoted as whip without consultation. Days later, party members were sent a dossier accusing her of financial mismanagement and overspending by up to $133,000. She rejects the claim unequivocally and plans to “make a big fanfare about it” at a Ngāpuhi hui, saying her side of the story has not been heard.
Their expulsions were made by about ten members of the national council, despite the council having up to 37 voting members. Neither MP was given a hearing. The Speaker has only ruled that they are “regarded as independent”, opening the door to legal challenges as both MPs argue they remain Te Pāti Māori representatives until their electorates decide otherwise.
Notably, the core allegation collapsed when Parliamentary Service confirmed Kapa-Kingi had actually underspent her budget, casting doubt on the evidence Te Pāti Māori used to expel her.
In their mediation session on October 9, Kapa-Kingi challenged Tamihere directly, telling him he was “acting like the leader of the party” and the co-leaders were “acting like his runners”. She said the meeting “started off okay and then it went really bad”, ending with Tamihere looking at her and saying: “I am coming for your boys and I will have utu”. She calls the remark “abhorrent”.
Read more over at The NZ Herald (paywalled)
