‘Worse by the day’: Iwi leaders step in amid Te Pāti Māori turmoil

Ngāti Kahungunu chair Bayden Barber says iwi leaders are stepping in to help resolve escalating tensions within Te Pāti Māori (TPM) as internal disputes threaten to derail the party less than a year out from the next election.

In an interview on Pacific Mornings, Barber confirmed that a meeting in Wellington is scheduled for Tuesday to mediate between the opposing factions within the party, which has been rocked by public allegations and leadership challenges.

“It gets worse by the day and so we need to find a resolution urgently,” Barber says. “I’ll be imploring them to cease and desist with the shots fired across the bow at each other via social media.”

His comments come after the party’s Te Tai Tonga committee, which represents the South Island and parts of Wellington, initiated a petition calling for the resignation of TPM president John Tamihere.

The call for Tamihere’s resignation follows a vote by party members to suspend Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.

In a social media post, Tamihere accused MPs Kapa-Kingi and Takuta Ferris of trying to destabilise the party and seize its leadership. He defended the current co-leaders and denied any wrongdoing within the party’s executive.

Bayden Barber is currently the chair of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, the legal entity representing the people and hapū of Ngāti Kahungunu iwi. Photo/Supplied

Barber says advocacy for Māori communities in Parliament cannot proceed effectively if the Māori Party is in turmoil.

“[The party] should be rolling out good policy and start to look at relationships with potential partners… but they’re getting sidetracked with the internal stuff at the moment,” Barber says.

The Labour Party has not guaranteed they will work with Te Pāti Māori after a social media post by Ferris criticised non-Māori for helping Labour campaign for the Tāmaki Makaurau seat.

Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere. Photo/Supplied

Barber welcomes the support of Pacific people for kaupapa Māori and says it’s not uncommon for indigenous communities to face internal struggles.

“We don’t need to use social media to spill our criticisms.”

Listen to Bayden Barber's full interview below.