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Te Pāti Māori rejects move-on orders: “We will not police our way out of homelessness.” preview image

Te Pāti Māori rejects move-on orders: “We will not police our way out of homelessness.”

Te Pāti Māori has denounced the Government’s plan to increase police powers to issue ‘move-on’ orders banning homeless people from public spaces, across Aotearoa. Housing and Homelessness spokesperson Oriini Kaipara warns the move will deepen harm for the most vulnerable, while allowing the system to continue profiting from their exclusion. “It is not about public safety or protecting people. It is about protecting businesses,” Kaipara said.

Seabed Mining Withdrawal Is a Win for the Moana But We’re Not Done preview image

Seabed Mining Withdrawal Is a Win for the Moana But We’re Not Done

Te Pati Māori Co-leader says, “Today we take the win. Trans-Tasman Resources has withdrawn its Fast-track application to mine the seabed in the South Taranaki Bight. That is the result of years of fierce resistance from iwi, hapū, environmental advocates, legal teams, and whānau who refused to let our moana be sacrificed. This victory belongs to our people. It belongs to those who went all the way to the Supreme Court. It belongs to the protectors of the moana who never backed down”.

PM's Evasion on Māori Electorates Exposes Govt Disarray preview image

PM's Evasion on Māori Electorates Exposes Govt Disarray

The Prime Minister today failed to give a straight answer on whether he personally supports the Māori electorates. During Question Time in Parliament, Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, asked directly whether he backs the continued existence of the Māori electorates and whether he would support calls for a referendum on their future. He refused to confirm his personal position. He declined to acknowledge that 13,000 more Māori have chosen to enrol on the Māori roll since 2023 - a clear democratic mandate.

Oriini Kaipara: Te Kāpehu Whetū - Tāmaki opens new pathways for rangatahi Māori to thrive in CBD preview image

Oriini Kaipara: Te Kāpehu Whetū - Tāmaki opens new pathways for rangatahi Māori to thrive in CBD

MP for Tāmaki Makaurau, Oriini Kaipara, welcomes the opening of Te Kāpehu Whetū - Tāmaki, a new Māori-led Kura Hourua in Te Pokapū, Auckland’s CBD, saying it represents a necessary shift toward an education system that works for rangatahi Māori. “Too many of our rangatahi have been asked to succeed in systems that were never designed for them. Te Kāpehu Whetū turns that around by building its foundations on Māori potential, knowledge, and excellence,” Ms Kaipara said. Te Kāpehu Whetū – Tāmaki officially opened its new doors on City Road today, offering bilingual education for students of all nationalities from Years 11 to 13. The kaupapa centres on academic achievement, te reo Māori, hauora, technology, and high-performance sport. Boarding options in nearby Taurarua Parnell will enable students from across the motu to enrol.

Seabed mining banned in Aotearoa under reintroduced Member’s Bill preview image

Seabed mining banned in Aotearoa under reintroduced Member’s Bill

Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has reintroduced her second Member’s Bill to permanently ban seabed mining in Aotearoa, fast-track or not. “The evidence is now undeniable,” said Ngarewa-Packer. “Even under fast-track legislation designed to push projects through, seabed mining has been found to cause unacceptable harm to the environment, to taonga species, and to tikanga Māori.” Ngarewa-Packer said opposition to seabed mining was a defining reason she entered Parliament.

Oriini Kaipara: Prime Minister’s ‘progress’ ignores housing crisis facing Māori and rangatahi preview image

Oriini Kaipara: Prime Minister’s ‘progress’ ignores housing crisis facing Māori and rangatahi

Te Pāti Māori MP for Tāmaki Makaurau, Oriini Kaipara, has delivered a strong reply to the Prime Minister’s Statement in Parliament, saying the Government’s claims of “progress and prosperity” are disconnected from the lived reality of Māori and thousands of whānau facing homelessness and housing insecurity. “The Prime Minister painted a picture of a stronger Aotearoa. For Māori, especially in Tāmaki Makaurau, that picture is fiction. Mum would say it’s all kaka,” Ms Kaipara said. Ms Kaipara criticised what she described as two years of anti-Māori and anti-Tiriti policies that have stripped away rights, undermined te reo and tikanga Māori, and worsened the housing crisis.

If you're not trying to abolish prisons in Aotearoa, what are you doing in Parliament? preview image

If you're not trying to abolish prisons in Aotearoa, what are you doing in Parliament?

If you’re not trying to abolish prisons in Aotearoa, what are you doing in Parliament? Political parties from across the House have used our longstanding policy to abolish prisons as an opportunity to scare the public, despite decades of evidence proving that prisons don’t work. Te Pāti Māori stands firmly behind our policy of creating an Aotearoa where prisons are not needed. Decades of evidence from Aotearoa and across the globe have made it absolutely clear that prisons are completely ineffective at deterring crime, rehabilitating offenders, and lowering re-offending rates.

Fixing the Basics? Building a Future Without Māori Is Not a Future at All preview image

Fixing the Basics? Building a Future Without Māori Is Not a Future at All

Te Pāti Māori says Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s 2026 State of the Nation speech confirms exactly what Māori across the motu already know; this Government is building a future without us. Across thousands of words about the economy, law and order, education, defence and development, the Prime Minister never once mentioned Te Tiriti o Waitangi, tangata whenua, rangatiratanga, iwi, hapū, whānau, kaitiakitanga or mana motuhake. Not once. This is not an oversight. It is deliberate strategy. This Government is deliberately reshaping Aotearoa into a post-Treaty state, where Māori are erased from the nation’s future and reduced to a problem population in crime statistics. Luxon says National is “fixing the basics and building the future.”

“Hawke’s Bay Needs Investment in People, Not More Prison Beds” preview image

“Hawke’s Bay Needs Investment in People, Not More Prison Beds”

Te Pāti Māori says the Government’s plan to add 316 high-security prison beds in Hawke’s Bay shows why communities are calling for a new direction in 2026. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the expansion highlights the gap between what whānau want and what the Government is delivering. “Whānau want early support and real opportunities for their rangatahi. More prison beds do not deliver that. Prevention does, and that is the direction Te Pāti Māori will take into 2026.”

“Te Pāti Māori: Dave Samuels Scrutiny Exposes Whānau Ora Smear Campaign” preview image

“Te Pāti Māori: Dave Samuels Scrutiny Exposes Whānau Ora Smear Campaign”

At Māori Affairs Select Committee yesterday, Te Puni Kōkiri Chief Executive Dave Samuels admitted the independent review found no misuse of funds by Whānau Ora commissioning agencies. Despite this, the Government had already torn up contracts and publicly damaged the reputations of Māori and Pasifika providers. Te Pāti Māori co leader Debbie Ngarewa Packer says the evidence confirms what providers knew all along. The Government ran a political smear campaign and worried about the facts later. Samuels repeated claims that Māori roll advertising “went too far,” even though the review confirms the spending sat within Whānau Ora rules. That narrative was used to justify dismantling a proven kaupapa and undermining community trust.

“Te Pāti Māori Warns: Regional Council Reforms Could Be One of the Biggest Power Grabs in Aotearoa Modern History” preview image

“Te Pāti Māori Warns: Regional Council Reforms Could Be One of the Biggest Power Grabs in Aotearoa Modern History”

Te Pāti Māori says if the Government follows through with its signalled regional council reforms, Aotearoa could face one of the most sweeping power grabs seen in decades, a move that would silence communities, sideline Māori, and clear the path for unchecked environmental destruction. Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says the proposed reforms, when combined with the Fast-Track Approvals Amendment Bill, point to a coordinated agenda that puts Ministers above local authority. “Let’s be clear if the Government pushes ahead, Ministers will gain enormous control over our regions, while councils, iwi, hapū and communities are pushed out of the way. This is centralisation on steroids,” said Ngarewa-Packer.

Govt Puberty Blockers Ban is State-Sanctioned Harm Against Trans Rangatahi preview image

Govt Puberty Blockers Ban is State-Sanctioned Harm Against Trans Rangatahi

Te Pāti Māori condemns the Government’s decision to halt new prescriptions of puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria. This is state-sanctioned harm against some of the most vulnerable rangatahi in Aotearoa. “Gender- affirming healthcare saves lives. Health experts have been clear that puberty blockers, prescribed carefully and in line with clinical guidelines, are a safe and reversible part of gender-affirming care. Cutting off access will increase distress, depression, anxiety, and suicidality for trans and gender diverse young people and their whānau” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “At a time when our rangatahi are already facing a mental health crisis, this Government has chosen to take away an essential tool that helps our young people survive. That is cruel, not “precautionary”.

Te Pāti Māori backs Iwi Chairs Forum call to protect Te Tiriti in education preview image

Te Pāti Māori backs Iwi Chairs Forum call to protect Te Tiriti in education

Te Pāti Māori backs Iwi Chairs Forum call to protect Te Tiriti in education Te Pāti Māori stands in full support of the National Iwi Chairs Forum petition calling on the Prime Minister and Minister of Education to immediately reverse the amendment to section 127(2)(e) of the Education and Training Act and to retain the requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. “Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not an optional extra in our education system, it is the foundation of how we live together in this country,” says Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi. “Removing Te Tiriti from the core objectives for school boards is not a technical tidy up. It is a deliberate step backwards that undermines the relationship between tāngata whenua and tāngata Tiriti and abandons our tamariki in the very place where Te Tiriti should be lived and learned every day.” “Our education policy is clear: we will require te reo Māori and Māori history to be core curriculum subjects, ensure Māori medium education is funded on an equitable basis with mainstream, and redirect at least 25 percent of the education budget into Māori models of delivery and pastoral care so that all tamariki can thrive as who they are.”

“Te Pāti Māori Calls On Aotearoa To Stand As The Moral Compass” preview image

“Te Pāti Māori Calls On Aotearoa To Stand As The Moral Compass”

Te Pāti Māori is calling on the Government to act after a credible, multi-source Situation Report from the State of Palestine confirmed that killings, aid blockages, and human rights abuse are continuing 38 days into a ceasefire. The report draws on independent evidence from B’Tselem, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, UNOCHA, UNRWA, MSF, ITV and The Guardian. Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says, “Aotearoa cannot stay silent”.

“Te Pāti Māori: Fast Track Amendment Bill Reveals Government’s Real Intent” preview image

“Te Pāti Māori: Fast Track Amendment Bill Reveals Government’s Real Intent”

Te Pāti Māori says the Fast Track Amendment Bill shows the Governments relentless attacks on Tiriti protections and community safeguards by pretending it is about grocery competition. Co Leader Debbie Ngarewa Packer says the grocery justification is a political cover that hides the Bill’s true impact. “Every week in Parliament Shane Jones yells about seabed mining as if destroying our whenua and moana is a national strategy. The Fast Track Amendment Bill is being driven by that same obsession. They have wrapped it in the language of grocery competition, but it is a smokescreen. The real purpose is to speed up extraction projects by cutting Māori and community voices out of the way.”

Te Pāti Māori backs kura, NZEI, and iwi defending Te Tiriti in education preview image

Te Pāti Māori backs kura, NZEI, and iwi defending Te Tiriti in education

Te Pāti Māori stands in solidarity with NZEI Te Riu Roa, the National Iwi Chairs Forum, and kura across Aotearoa who have made it clear that Te Tiriti o Waitangi will not be erased from our classrooms. Te Pāti Māori will restore Te Tiriti protections to education law within the first 100 days when in government. This Government has torn Te Tiriti from our education law. “It is an act of ideological vandalism and a deliberate choice to silence the Māori Crown relationship in the one place every child passes through: our schools,” said Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa Packer.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer Invited to Speak in Hawaiʻi on Indigenous Sovereignty and Climate Action preview image

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer Invited to Speak in Hawaiʻi on Indigenous Sovereignty and Climate Action

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, has been invited by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Kamehameha Schools to deliver a keynote address in Honolulu as part of the prestigious Better Tomorrow Speaker Series. The invitation was extended by Associate Professor Robert Perkinson and Dr. Noelani Goodyear-Kaʻōpua, two leading Kanaka Maoli and global Indigenous scholars. The series brings together internationally recognised leaders, Pacific activists, and Indigenous academics to explore the intersections of climate justice, Indigenous rights, and ocean protection in the face of colonial and corporate exploitation. “This invitation is both an honour and a responsibility,” said Ngarewa-Packer. “It is about standing alongside our Pacific whanaunga as we face the shared legacies of colonisation and climate injustice and affirming that Māori, like all Indigenous peoples, hold the solutions through our whakapapa, tikanga, and rangatiratanga.”

10,000 People Call on Governor-General to withhold Royal Consent from Takutai Moana Bill preview image

10,000 People Call on Governor-General to withhold Royal Consent from Takutai Moana Bill

An open letter to the Governor-General signed by 10,000 people was delivered today, urging her to withhold Royal Assent from the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) (Customary Marine Title) Amendment Bill. The letter, delivered by Te Pāti Māori, calls on the Governor-General to “protect the constitution of Aotearoa and uphold the mana and tino rangatiratanga of your Te Tiriti o Waitangi partners, Te Iwi Māori.” “Te Tiriti o Waitangi underpins kāwanatanga in Aotearoa. As Governor-General, you carry a constitutional duty to withhold Royal Assent when legislation flagrantly breaches Te Tiriti and threatens irreparable constitutional damage.”

Government to Wipe Out Population of Invercargill in 2026 Election preview image

Government to Wipe Out Population of Invercargill in 2026 Election

The Government’s Electoral Amendment Bill will silence a population of voters the size of Invercargill in next year’s general election, the Justice Select Committee heard on Monday. In a briefing from the Electoral Commission, the committee was told that cutting voter enrolment 13 days before election day will eliminate 58,000 votes in the 2026 election, surging to more than 100,000 over the next three election cycles. Te Pāti Māori a will repeal the Electoral Amendment Bill, replacing it with reforms that expand participation, honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and uphold the right to vote for all citizens. This includes lowering the voting to 16 and reinstating the right of all prisoners to vote.

Ferris Calls on Governor General to Block Foreshore and Seabed Confiscation preview image

Ferris Calls on Governor General to Block Foreshore and Seabed Confiscation

Te Pāti Māori Spokesperson for Te Tiriti, Tākuta Ferris, has called on the Governor General to block Royal Assent of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Amendment Bill, after receiving a petition with 20-thousand signatures opposing the bill. Te Pāti Māori will return the foreshore and seabed to the rightful ownership of mana whenua when elected into government. “For the first time in the history of this nation, the Governor General must block royal assent to the Foreshore and Seabed bill,” said Ferris.

Chief Judge Rejects Govt Plan to Strip Tribunal’s Power - Ferris preview image

Chief Judge Rejects Govt Plan to Strip Tribunal’s Power - Ferris

On the 50th anniversary of the Waitangi Tribunal, Te Pāti Māori Treaty Spokesperson Tākuta Ferris says newly released OIA documents prove the Government’s “review” of the Waitangi Tribunal is a deliberate attempt to disempower it and bring it under Ministerial control. In correspondence released under the OIA, Chief Judge Caren Fox rejected suggestions the body be renamed from a Tribunal to a Commission. She further reminded officials that the Tribunal “exercises judicial functions” - a pointed defence of its independence from executive control.

Te Pāti Māori: Government’s Refusal to Recognise Palestine Entrenches Colonial Double Standards preview image

Te Pāti Māori: Government’s Refusal to Recognise Palestine Entrenches Colonial Double Standards

Te Pāti Māori is condemning the Government’s latest statement on Palestine as yet another exercise in colonial double standards. While Palestinians continue to endure genocide, siege, and daily dispossession, this Government couches its concern in bureaucratic language and conditions that strip Palestinians of their right to self-determination and their humanity. “It is unconscionable that Aotearoa New Zealand demands Palestinians prove their ‘governance’ and ‘democracy’ while remaining silent on Israel’s ongoing genocidal apartheid regime, breaches of international law, and the mass killing of civilians” said Te Pāti Māori Co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi.

The People Have Spoken: Oriini Kaipara Wins Tāmaki Makaurau with Overwhelming Mandate preview image

The People Have Spoken: Oriini Kaipara Wins Tāmaki Makaurau with Overwhelming Mandate

Te Pāti Māori celebrates the official results today and extends heartfelt gratitude to all voters who supported Oriini Kaipara and Te Pāti Māori. These special votes seal a resounding victory that strengthens our mandate to serve tangata whenua and all communities in this vital electorate. Following the counting of special votes, we can confirm that Te Pāti Māori has secured victory in Tāmaki Makaurau by 3,519 votes, winning 89% of all polling stations across the electorate. “This victory belongs to every whānau, every community member, and every supporter who believed in our vision for Tāmaki Makaurau” said Te Pāti Māori Co-leader, Rawiri Waititi.

Māori Democracy Undermined Again: Wairarapa Repeat of Whanganui Failures preview image

Māori Democracy Undermined Again: Wairarapa Repeat of Whanganui Failures

Te Pāti Māori Ikaroa-Rāwhiti candidate Haley Maxwell has expressed deep concern at yet another failure of Māori democracy, following confirmation that South Wairarapa Māori ward candidates’ profiles were excluded from the official voter booklet. “This is not an isolated mistake. Just days after Whanganui Māori candidates were erased from the official booklet, we now see the exact same failure repeated in Wairarapa” the candidate said. “This is a pattern, a systemic disregard for Māori wards, Māori candidates, and Māori voters. These are not small errors. They go to the heart of whether our people can participate fairly and equally in democracy.”

Electoral Commission Failure Disenfranchises Māori Voters in Whanganui preview image

Electoral Commission Failure Disenfranchises Māori Voters in Whanganui

Te Pāti Māori is calling out the Electoral Commission and Whanganui District Council for a major failure that has once again undermined Māori democracy. The official candidate profile booklet sent to voters in Whanganui has excluded every single Māori Ward candidate profile. This comes after earlier failures where Māori were wrongly removed from the Electoral Roll.

‘Unprecedented’- Te Tai Hauāuru forced back into Fast-Tack Seabed Mining Fight preview image

‘Unprecedented’- Te Tai Hauāuru forced back into Fast-Tack Seabed Mining Fight

Te Pāti Māori Co-leader and MP for Te Tai Hauāuru, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, says the Government’s fast-track process for the Taranaki VTM seabed mining project has triggered unprecedented interest, with between 50 and 60 councils, iwi, hapū, marae, community organisations and companies invited into a rushed 20-day process. “Our people have again been forced to fight for the moana under impossible timeframes” said Ngarewa-Packer. Iwi Authorities and Treaty Settlement Entities include Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahine, Ngā Rauru, Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Apa, Whanganui, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Hauiti, Raukawa, Muaūpoko and their hapū and marae.

“Being Māori is the Sweetest Victory Ever”: A Victory for Tāmaki Makaurau and te iwi Māori preview image

“Being Māori is the Sweetest Victory Ever”: A Victory for Tāmaki Makaurau and te iwi Māori

Oriini Kaipara has successfully retained the Tamaki Makaurau seat for Te Pāti Māori. "I am humbled by the trust the people of Tāmaki Makaurau have placed in me and the Māori movement. I am ready to do the mahi, ready to learn, and ready to fiercely advocate for our rohe and for Te Iwi Māori” says Oriini Kaipara. “This victory is not mine alone; it belongs to all of us who believe in mana motuhake and the power of our people. It belongs to the people of Tāmaki Makaurau and to every volunteer, community, organisation, and individual who gave their time and energy to ensure Māori voices remain strong.

Waititi: Shane Jones’ Attack on Ngāti Kuku a ‘Disgrace’ preview image

Waititi: Shane Jones’ Attack on Ngāti Kuku a ‘Disgrace’

Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi has condemned Regional Development Minister Shane Jones for recent comments directed at local hapū Ngāti Kuku, where Jones stated: “Ngāti Kuku, you have a strange name, please lay off imposing costs on the rest of Kiwis.” “Not only are these words immature, but they are also a disgrace. They diminish the mana of Ngāti Kuku and completely undermine their role as kaitiaki of Tauranga Moana” said Rawiri Waititi. Waititi also criticised the Port of Tauranga’s behaviour in its expansion bid under the Fast-Track Approvals Act, who have attempted to go beyond the scope of the law by seeking to extend on both Sulphur Point and Mount Maunganui, despite the Act explicitly limiting expansion to Sulphur Point.

Government’s Attack on Māori Health is Pure Evil preview image

Government’s Attack on Māori Health is Pure Evil

Te Pāti Māori stands with the claimants Te Puna Ora o Mataatua and Te Kōhao Health who are in High Court today challenging the Crown’s decision to abolish Te Aka Whai Ora. This Government has shown its fragility in all things Māori, tearing down Māori solutions, silencing Māori voices, and oppressing Māori wellbeing. Māori die up to seven years earlier than non-Māori and carry higher rates of preventable disease. These inequities are the direct result of systemic racism, chronic underfunding, and being locked out of decisions about our own health.

Te Pāti Māori: Jones’ Own Words Expose Corrupt Seabed Mining Agenda preview image

Te Pāti Māori: Jones’ Own Words Expose Corrupt Seabed Mining Agenda

Te Pāti Māori is condemning Minister Shane Jones after he openly admitted to media yesterday, “I’ve asked Mister Bishop if we can have a meeting with the conveners…” in relation to Trans-Tasman Resources’ (TTR) seabed mining application under the Fast-Track Approvals regime. “This statement exposes his absolute disregard for transparency and due process” said Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “The conveners are meant to be independent. For a Minister so loudly pro-seabed mining to admit publicly he is trying to gain access is political bullying and corporate cronyism at its worst.”

Government Fails Women, Unions Forced to Court preview image

Government Fails Women, Unions Forced to Court

Te Pāti Māori is standing in support of unions taking court action against the government over its failure to honour pay equity commitments, calling it a disgrace that wāhine workers have been forced to fight in the courts just to be heard. Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, said the case exposes the government’s contempt for working people, especially women. “It should never have come to this. Wāhine workers should not have to drag the government to court to get fairness. This elite government has failed women, failed unions, and failed Aotearoa.”

Update on Voter Deregistration- Te Pāti Māori preview image

Update on Voter Deregistration- Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori Co-leaders, Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, say they are not satisfied with the Electoral Commission’s response to concerns over the mass removal of voters from the roll, calling it a poor excuse that fails to address the real issue. In a formal reply to Te Pāti Māori, the Commission blamed the dormant roll process, where voters are shifted off the main roll if mail is returned and they cannot be contacted. By law, the Commission is meant to make reasonable efforts to contact voters before placing them on the dormant roll. “They can dress it up however they want, but whānau are being kicked off without knowing it, and that’s an attack on our mana and our rights” said Ngarewa-Packer.

Genocide Won’t Wait, Neither Should New Zealand preview image

Genocide Won’t Wait, Neither Should New Zealand

One person is killed in Palestine every 12 minutes. The Government says it will decide in September whether to recognise Palestine as a state. Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says that is moral cowardice. “Recognition cannot wait, and it must be accompanied with action. Without sanctions, without consequences, and with no intention of holding Israel accountable for genocide, the recognition of statehood is hollow” Ngarewa-Packer.

Māori Wards Are Democracy in Action, not a Privilege preview image

Māori Wards Are Democracy in Action, not a Privilege

Te Pāti Māori Co-leader and MP for Te Tai Hauāuru, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says it’s time to call out the racist myths driving opposition to Māori wards and to mobilise communities ahead of October’s local government referendums. At a public forum in Palmerston North, Massey University academic and former Crown historian Matt Wynyard joined a panel that dismantled false claims about Māori “special privilege” in local government. The Palmerston North City Council, like many others, will hold a binding referendum alongside this year’s elections to decide whether Māori wards remain. “Māori wards honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi. They don’t undermine democracy they strengthen it” said Ngarewa-Packer.

Govt Resumes Theft of Foreshore and Seabed preview image

Govt Resumes Theft of Foreshore and Seabed

Yesterday the Government confirmed it will ram through its Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Amendment Bill that has been deliberately designed to strip iwi and hapū of their customary rights. This comes after the Supreme Court already raised the threshold for iwi and hapū to have their rights recognised in November last year. The coalition decided that wasn’t good enough for them. They will not stop until they have erased every last one of our rights as tangata whenua.

Te Pāti Māori Acknowledges 60 Years of Self Government in Rarotonga preview image

Te Pāti Māori Acknowledges 60 Years of Self Government in Rarotonga

Te Pāti Māori wishes to acknowledge and celebrate our tuakana in Rarotonga today as they mark 60 years of self-government, a powerful milestone in their ongoing assertion of mana motuhake. We state unequivocally: we support Rarotonga’s right to self-governance, their autonomy to lead themselves, and their commitment to shaping their own future while maintaining their whakapapa-based connection with Aotearoa. “Our relationship with Rarotonga transcends politics” said Te Pāti Māori co leaders, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Rawiri Waititi.

Te Pāti Māori Co-Leaders to Attend Te Maeva Nui: One Ocean, One People, Multiple Waka preview image

Te Pāti Māori Co-Leaders to Attend Te Maeva Nui: One Ocean, One People, Multiple Waka

Te Pāti Māori Co-Leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi will travel to Rarotonga this week to attend Te Maeva Nui 2025, commemorating 60 years of self-government for the Cook Islands. The visit is being undertaken in their official capacity as Members of Parliament, with travel approved under the parliamentary programme. However, the Co-Leaders are clear: “We are not going as representatives of this Govt we are going as uri of the Pacific, as relations, as Māori. Our whakapapa crosses this ocean. Our kaupapa binds us. Our solidarity is ancestral” said Te Pāti Māori Co-leader, Rawiri Waititi.

Te Pāti Māori Takes Legal Action Over Māori Voter Deregistration preview image

Te Pāti Māori Takes Legal Action Over Māori Voter Deregistration

Te Pāti Māori has filed urgent proceedings in the High Court following alarming reports that Māori across the motu have been removed from the electoral roll or shifted off the Māori roll, without their knowledge, consent, or due process. “We are witnessing what can only be described as voter suppression. Our whānau are being stripped of their democratic rights in silence” said Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The party has sent formal letters to the Electoral Commission, the Minister of Justice, and the Ombudsman demanding urgent action, including a full investigation of the enrolment system and an extension for registrations in the upcoming Tāmaki Makaurau By-Election.

Govt Steals Voting Rights from 100,000 People preview image

Govt Steals Voting Rights from 100,000 People

The Government's Electoral Law reforms will trample on voting rights and make it easier for wealthy donors to influence our elections in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The changes include: Banning enrolments for 13 days before an election Banning all prisoners from voting, and Raising the donation disclosure threshold from $5,000 to $6,000 The Attorney General, Judith Collins, has stated that these changes will violate the constitutional rights of New Zealanders, and will disenfranchise over 100,000 people.

Te Pāti Māori Confirms Haley Maxwell to Contest Ikaroa-Rāwhiti in the 2026 General Election preview image

Te Pāti Māori Confirms Haley Maxwell to Contest Ikaroa-Rāwhiti in the 2026 General Election

Te Pāti Māori is proud to announce the nomination of Haley Maxwell (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa) as its candidate for the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate in the 2026 General Election. Raised in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa and grounded in the hau kāinga from Hikurangi to Wairoa, Maxwell is a wāhine Māori, māmā and nanny whose life’s work has centred on rangatahi justice, reo revitalisation and tangata-whenua-driven community development. “This wasn’t a choice- it was a calling,” says Maxwell. “Te Pāti Māori has been the unapologetic voice for our people when Te Tiriti, our reo and our haka have come under attack. I’m stepping forward for every whānau who feels forgotten, for our mokopuna who deserve to live proud and free, and for the rangatahi who will one day pick up this mantle and carry it further.”

More Mokopuna Made Homeless in Te Tai Tokerau, Kia Ora e Tama preview image

More Mokopuna Made Homeless in Te Tai Tokerau, Kia Ora e Tama

Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Housing and MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, is calling on the Associate Minister for ‘Homelessness’ Tama Potaka to urgently answer to all whānau and mokopuna left homeless in the wake of regressive changes to emergency housing eligibility. The consequences of these policy changes have hit our people hard in Te Tai Tokerau. The rise in rough sleeping, homelessness, and mokopuna living in cars is a clear testament to this government’s “tough on poverty” approach. Over 200 mokopuna in Te Tai Tokerau are sleeping on mouldy mattresses and in overcrowded housing. The health concerns for our mokopuna double by the day.

Government Attacks Māori Rights on World Stage preview image

Government Attacks Māori Rights on World Stage

Te Pāti Māori condemns the Government’s escalating assault on tangata whenua, following the letter sent by Regulations Minister David Seymour to the United Nations and Prime Minister Luxon’s weak attempt to distance himself while still endorsing its dangerous intent. “This Government is setting fire to Māori rights through regressive, colonial legislation. Seymour’s letter is not a rogue move, it’s a warning shot, signalling this Government’s intent to dismantle Indigenous rights” said Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “The real threat isn’t his tantrum, it’s the policy machine behind it, backed by every party in this coalition.”

Communities Can’t Foot the Bill for Climate Crisis preview image

Communities Can’t Foot the Bill for Climate Crisis

Te Pāti Māori sends aroha to whānau, and communities impacted by the recent severe weather across Nelson Tasman, Banks Peninsula, Northland and beyond. While dozens of people are still unable to return home, National and Labour are already hinting at a Climate Adaptation plan that would see impacted communities pay for their own recovery. “These so-called ‘once in a lifetime’ events are now happening every year. It’s only been one year since Wairoa flooded, and a year before that we had Cyclone Gabrielle” said MP for Te Tai Tonga, Tākuta Ferris.

Te Pāti Māori Announces Award-Winning Broadcaster Oriini Kaipara to Contest Tāmaki Makaurau By-Election preview image

Te Pāti Māori Announces Award-Winning Broadcaster Oriini Kaipara to Contest Tāmaki Makaurau By-Election

Te Pāti Māori have confirmed the selection of celebrated broadcaster and longtime West Auckland advocate Oriini Kaipara (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangitihi) as its candidate for the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election. Oriini’s deep whakapapa to Tāmaki Makaurau is grounded in her upbringing at Hoani Waititi Marae, where she was raised by her mother in a strong Māori environment. She has dedicated decades amplifying the stories of Māori communities, holding prime ministers to account and chairing nationally televised Māori electorate debates. “Oriini brings a lifetime of leadership and advocacy, both in media and in the community. Her voice is exactly what Tāmaki needs to honour the memory of Takutai Moana and to ensure Māori voices are heard loud and clear in Parliament” said Te Pāti Māori Co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

Government Sabotages Settlement: Te Pāti Māori Backs Te Whānau-Ā-Apanui preview image

Government Sabotages Settlement: Te Pāti Māori Backs Te Whānau-Ā-Apanui

Te Pāti Māori stands in solidarity with Te Whānau-ā-Apanui after revelations the Government is looking to derail their almost completed Treaty settlement. Minister Goldsmith has stated that the Government will not budge on its position that the Crown is sovereign. They are seeking to remove the ‘sovereignty clause’ agreed to under the previous Labour government. This is not just a broken promise it is a betrayal of whakapapa, a direct assault on mana, and a deliberate act of sabotage by Minister Paul Goldsmith and the Crown. “The government sees tino rangatiratanga as a threat, not a Treaty obligation” said Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Rawiri Waititi.

Luxon’s Complicity Puts Aotearoa at Risk: Te Pāti Māori Stands Against Global Military Aggression preview image

Luxon’s Complicity Puts Aotearoa at Risk: Te Pāti Māori Stands Against Global Military Aggression

Te Pāti Māori stands firmly against the rising tide of global military aggression. While the Luxon scrambles to appease Trump and Israel, we choose peace, sovereignty, and an independent foreign policy grounded in justice and truth. More than 56,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel over the past 20 months. In that time, Israel have launched attacks on Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. These countries have for a long time been barriers to US imperialism in the Middle East. It is why our government remains silent on Israel, and why Judith Collins signed off on $12bn in military spending right before the US bombs Iran.

Sick Leave is a Right, Not a Reward- Ngarewa-Packer preview image

Sick Leave is a Right, Not a Reward- Ngarewa-Packer

Te Pāti Māori is calling out the Government’s proposed changes to sick leave entitlements as a cruel step backwards that punishes low-income, part-time, single parents and essential workers. We staunchly support the concerns raised by PSA National Secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, that this move will disproportionately harm wāhine, who are most likely to take time off to care for sick children and whānau. “This Government’s obsession with attacking women, predominantly Māori and Pacific women, ignores equity and endangers public health” said Te Pāti Māori Co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

Out of Sight, Out of Mana- Rotorua Lakes Council’s Callous Attack on Homeless Whānau preview image

Out of Sight, Out of Mana- Rotorua Lakes Council’s Callous Attack on Homeless Whānau

Te Pāti Māori Co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi, has slammed the Rotorua Lakes Council’s treatment of homeless whānau as “inhumane and disgraceful,” following the forced police removal of people sleeping outside the Salvation Army on Amohia Street yesterday. “Our most vulnerable whānau were woken by police, trespassed like criminals, and had their belongings tipped out, broken, or hauled away like trash. Some were arrested, not for committing a crime, but for being distressed at the violent way they were being treated under cold, heartless council by-laws” said Rawiri Waititi. “This is not a solution, it’s state-sanctioned cruelty. These whānau are being pushed from footpath to footpath, not into homes. In the harsh winter weather, this kind of treatment is not just unacceptable, it is dangerous.”

Te Pāti Māori Demands Safe Passage of Madleen to Gaza preview image

Te Pāti Māori Demands Safe Passage of Madleen to Gaza

Te Pāti Māori condemns the Israeli navy’s armed interception of the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel carrying food, medical supplies, and international activists to Gaza, including Greta Thunberg. Communications of the Madleen have been cut, and there is no knowing if the crew are safe and unharmed. This is the latest act in a horrific string of violence against civilians trying to access meagre aid. Since May 27, more than 130 civilians have murdered been while lining up for food at aid sites.

Democracy Denied: Te Pāti Māori Slam Govt for Silencing Māori and Tangata Tiriti on the Regulatory Standards Bill preview image

Democracy Denied: Te Pāti Māori Slam Govt for Silencing Māori and Tangata Tiriti on the Regulatory Standards Bill

Today, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi slammed the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee’s refusal to extend the public submission period for the Regulatory Standards Bill, calling it a deliberate act to silence whānau, hapū, iwi, and community voices. Waititi had urged the Committee to extend the submission period by four weeks, citing both procedural fairness and technical failures- after the submissions portal repeatedly crashed on day one, echoing the same systemic failures experienced during last year’s Treaty Principles Bill. “The system is broken-again. It couldn’t handle the tidal wave of Māori opposition last year, and it’s collapsing under the same pressure now” said Waititi.

Te Pāti Māori Call on Te Whatu Ora to immediately Publish Gender Affirming Care Guidelines preview image

Te Pāti Māori Call on Te Whatu Ora to immediately Publish Gender Affirming Care Guidelines

Te Pāti Māori join health professionals, medical bodies, and community organisations across Aotearoa in calling on Te Whatu Ora to immediately release the updated Guidelines for Gender Affirming Healthcare. The guidelines were developed by medical professionals with expertise in this form of care and approved by Te Whatu Ora’s National Clinical Governance Group. They were due for release in March 2025 but have been indefinitely delayed due to political interference from the new Health Minister. “Guidelines for safe medical practice should be left to experts and practitioners, not politicians” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

Government Sacrificing Hapū, Iwi Tiriti rights for Offshore Profits preview image

Government Sacrificing Hapū, Iwi Tiriti rights for Offshore Profits

Te Pāti Māori is demanding to know how the government can justify fast tracking a replica of a seabed mining application that was already rejected by the supreme court in 2021. “Trans-Tasman Resources, a company with no operational experience, is back to the table with the same outdated and incomplete data the Supreme Court ruled against, but this time they’re being waved through a political back door” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “The Fast-track panel is being asked to assess their application based on environmental assumptions that are nearly a decade old. There’s no new seabed monitoring, no updated marine mammal data, and no clear understanding of cumulative risks to the moana.”

Te Pāti Māori Condemns Fast-Track Approval of Seabed Mining preview image

Te Pāti Māori Condemns Fast-Track Approval of Seabed Mining

Te Pāti Māori is gravely concerned by the Government’s approval of the Trans-Tasman Resources (Taranaki VTM) seabed mining project under its fast-track regime. This marks the first time a commercial shallow seabed mining operation has been approved anywhere in the world- pushed through with no transparency, no public input, and no consent from tangata whenua. “This project will extract 50 million tonnes of seabed every year, dumping millions of tonnes of sludge into the moana for 35 consecutive years,” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Te Tai Hauāuru, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

210,000 Māori Silenced: Committee Delivers Harshest Punishment in Parliament History preview image

210,000 Māori Silenced: Committee Delivers Harshest Punishment in Parliament History

Today the Privileges Committee handed down a severe punishment. Te Pāti Māori Co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer have been suspended for 21 days, and MP for Hauraki-Waikato Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke has been suspended for 7 days.

No Justice for State Abuse Survivors- Kapa-Kingi preview image

No Justice for State Abuse Survivors- Kapa-Kingi

Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau calls out the government’s decision to keep funding state abuse, turning their backs on justice and real change for abuse in care survivors. “The government has committed to throwing $744 million down the drain, reinforcing a violent regime of disrespect against the expertise and experience of survivors” said Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Oranga Tamariki Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.

Govt’s War on Te Tiriti Continues as Review of Treaty Act Announced preview image

Govt’s War on Te Tiriti Continues as Review of Treaty Act Announced

Te Pāti Māori is absolutely disgusted by the Government’s announcement to review the Waitangi Tribunal- a deliberate and dangerous escalation in its ongoing campaign to undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi and silence tangata whenua. “The Government’s onslaught against Te Tiriti continues with this latest move to review the Treaty of Waitangi Act and the role of the Waitangi Tribunal,” said Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Te Tiriti o Waitangi and MP for Te Tai Tonga, Tākuta Ferris. “This is nothing short of a continuation of colonial violence- enabled by a weak, Luxon-led Government that gutlessly gambles with Te Tiriti and the lives of tangata whenua.”

‘Govt’s Pay Bill Entrenches Discrimination Against Women’ - Kemp preview image

‘Govt’s Pay Bill Entrenches Discrimination Against Women’ - Kemp

Te Pāti Māori stands in staunch and emotional opposition to the Government’s so-called Equal Pay Amendment Bill, calling it a calculated attack on working women and a cruel betrayal of the generations who have fought for pay equity in Aotearoa. “This bill doesn’t just undermine equal pay — it completely erases it,” said MP for Tāmaki-Makaurau and Workers Rights Spokesperson, Takutai Tarsh Kemp.

RSE Draft Erases Rainbow and Takatāpui Youth preview image

RSE Draft Erases Rainbow and Takatāpui Youth

Te Pāti Māori is demanding urgent changes to the draft Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) framework, calling it a dangerous step backwards for Takatāpui, trans, and rainbow rangatahi. “This draft erases Takatāpui voices, ignores whānau diversity, and delays consent education. It’s not just inadequate, it’s unbelievably unsafe” said Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

Iwi Rights Under Attack in Government Treaty Clause Purge preview image

Iwi Rights Under Attack in Government Treaty Clause Purge

Te Pāti Māori warns that the Government’s Treaty Clause Review represents the most severe erosion of iwi rights in modern legal history. “Luxon's Government is doing what the Treaty Principles Bill failed to do. They are removing every legal reference to Te Tiriti across health, housing, conservation, and child wellbeing laws, clause by clause” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The Treaty clause review impacts 28 laws, including the Conservation Act, RMA, Oranga Tamariki Act, Climate Change Response Act, and the Pae Ora Act. Key protections for Māori health equity, kaitiakitanga, and tino rangatiratanga are being systematically erased.

Te Pāti Māori: Keep the Window Open- UCOL Must Stay preview image

Te Pāti Māori: Keep the Window Open- UCOL Must Stay

Te Pāti Māori stands firmly against any moves to downsize or close UCOL Whanganui. With over 30% of students identifying as Māori, the campus is a vital lifeline for education, upskilling, and community transformation in Te Tai Hauāuru. “Matapihi ki te Ao is more than a name, it’s a promise. A window to the world for our rangatahi and whānau,” says Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. "We won’t sit back while this Government shuts the door on Māori futures. Our commitment is clear—we would invest more in regional tertiary education, not less.”

Twice the Impact, Half the Budget: Budget 25 Must Invest in Whakaata Māori preview image

Twice the Impact, Half the Budget: Budget 25 Must Invest in Whakaata Māori

Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Broadcasting, Tākuta Ferris, and MP for Tāmaki Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, are demanding the Government significantly increase its investment in Whakaata Māori in Budget 2025. The call comes following the release of the network’s 2025 Social Value Report at an event today, attended by MP Kemp, highlighting more than $114 million in measured impact across Aotearoa.

Te Pāti Māori: Denying the Right to Vote is a Breach of Te Tiriti and Human Rights preview image

Te Pāti Māori: Denying the Right to Vote is a Breach of Te Tiriti and Human Rights

The National Party’s announcement to reinstate a total ban on prisoner voting is a shameful step backwards. Denying the right to vote does not strengthen society — it weakens our democracy and breaches Te Tiriti o Waitangi. “Voting is not a privilege to be taken away — it is a fundamental human right. Stripping whānau of their right to participate in democracy only deepens the cycles of marginalisation and injustice that our people have been subjected to for generations,” says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Justice, Tākuta Ferris.

Right-Wing Government Strips Māori Health Safeguards and Pretends Colonisation Never Happened preview image

Right-Wing Government Strips Māori Health Safeguards and Pretends Colonisation Never Happened

Right‑wing ministers are waging a campaign to erase Māori health equity by tearing out its very foundations. ACT’s Todd Stephenson dismisses Treaty‑based nursing standards as “off‑track distractions” and insists nurses only need “skill and a kind heart,” despite clear evidence that cultural competence saves lives. Health Minister Simeon Brown’s funding cuts, hiring freeze and “rightsizing” of hospitals have gutted kaiāwhina and other vital support roles that communities rely on. It’s indefensible to scrap proven Whānau Ora initiatives, like the Winter Preparedness vaccination programme while underperforming mainstream services such as Plunket continue.

Education Should be Led by Experts-Not Economists preview image

Education Should be Led by Experts-Not Economists

Te Pāti Māori are appalled by Cabinet's decision to agree to 15 recommendations to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector following the regulatory review by the Ministry of Regulation. We emphasise the need to prioritise tamariki Māori in Early Childhood Education, conducted by education experts- not economists. “Our mokopuna deserve an education system shaped by their needs - and that must be led by the total immersion Māori education sector,” said Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for education, Tākuta Ferris. “Research shows that a strong sense of identity is central to the success of tamariki Māori. Instead of defunding key programmes and continuing to allocate just 1% of total education funding to Māori education, the government should be investing in the Māori educational systems that are already delivering for our tamariki.

Ka mate te Pire- Ka ora te mana o Te Tiriti o Waitangi me te iwi Māori preview image

Ka mate te Pire- Ka ora te mana o Te Tiriti o Waitangi me te iwi Māori

Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting the very institution that tried to rewrite our founding covenant. “But today, we celebrate. Today belongs to Aotearoa. “This movement was not led by politicians. It was led by the people.

Te Pāti Māori Urges Governor-General to Block Repeal of 7AA preview image

Te Pāti Māori Urges Governor-General to Block Repeal of 7AA

Today, the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill has passed its third and final reading, but there is one more stage before it becomes law. The Governor-General must give their ‘Royal assent’ for any bill to become legally enforceable. This means that, even if a bill gets voted through all stages in Parliament, the Governor-General has the power to block it. Te Pāti Māori Co-Leaders, Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, have sent a letter to the Governor-General urging her to block the repeal of Section 7AA because it is a serious threat to the lives of our mokopuna.

Te Pāti Māori MPs Denied Fundamental Rights in Privileges Committee Hearing preview image

Te Pāti Māori MPs Denied Fundamental Rights in Privileges Committee Hearing

The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. Their haka, rooted in cultural expression, has been unjustly branded as "disruptive and disorderly." This characterisation undermines the significance of tikanga and highlights the ongoing marginalisation of te iwi Māori within the parliamentary system. Despite requests for a fair hearing, the Committee has denied key legal rights, including: Joint Hearing Denied: The MPs' request for a joint session was rejected, despite the collective nature of the incident. Legal Representation Restricted: The Committee has prevented counsel from making essential submissions on tikanga, pivotal to understanding the MPs' actions. Expert Testimony Excluded: The Committee refused to hear from Tā Pou Temara, an expert on tikanga Māori, undermining the MPs' defence. Scheduling Conflicts Ignored: The hearing date was set without accommodating the MPs' schedules or their choice of senior counsel, Christopher Finlayson KC. Double Jeopardy Concerns: Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, already sanctioned in the House for her involvement, faces repeated proceedings.

Te Pāti Māori Call for Mandatory Police Body Cameras preview image

Te Pāti Māori Call for Mandatory Police Body Cameras

In recent weeks, disturbing instances of state-sanctioned violence against Māori have shed light on the systemic racism permeating our institutions. An 11-year-old autistic Māori child was forcibly medicated at the Henry Bennett Centre, a 15-year-old had his jaw broken by police in Napier, kaumātua Dean Wickliffe went on a hunger strike after being beaten by prison guards, and Sam Matue who was tasered and pepper-sprayed before becoming unresponsive and being pronounced dead at the scene. This is what Crown violence looks like in 2025. This violence could have been prevented with mandatory police body cameras. "Māori are being subjected to abuse, and pushed into silence,” said Te Pāti Māori Spokesperson for Mental Health, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke.

Stand Up for Palestine: A Call to Action Against Israels Treacherous Attack preview image

Stand Up for Palestine: A Call to Action Against Israels Treacherous Attack

At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated areas, schools, homes, and shelters for displaced people in the middle of a ceasefire. Donald Trump, who claims credit for the ceasefire, was consulted ahead of this attack. Neither Israel nor the United States have provided any justification for their actions. “This was a clearly premeditated act of terrorism on people who are trying to piece their shattered lives back together during ceasefire,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader and Human Rights spokesperson Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

20 Years of Success Down the Drain: Govt Gut Whānau Ora preview image

20 Years of Success Down the Drain: Govt Gut Whānau Ora

Te Pāti Māori extends our deepest aroha to the 500 plus Whānau Ora workers who have been advised today that the govt will be dismantling their contracts. For twenty years , Whānau Ora has been helping families, delivering life-changing support through a kaupapa Māori approach. It has built trust where the government has failed, reached into homes where the system has ignored, and provided solutions that work for our people.

Good Riddance: Prebble Resigns from Waitangi Tribunal preview image

Good Riddance: Prebble Resigns from Waitangi Tribunal

Te Pāti Māori welcomes the resignation of Richard Prebble from the Waitangi Tribunal. His appointment in October 2024 was a disgrace- another example of this government undermining Te Tiriti o Waitangi by appointing a former ACT leader who has spent his career attacking Māori rights. “Regardless of the reason for his exit, Prebble was never fit to sit on the Waitangi Tribunal. His record speaks for itself- decades of bigotry and opposition to Māori self-determination,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi. “Prebble thinks that Hobson’s pledge has more mana than the Māori text of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, he apparently did not read any tribunal reports until after he was appointed, and he was surprised to find out that Māori did not cede sovereignty.

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi Enters Members Bill to Establish Mokopuna Māori Authority preview image

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi Enters Members Bill to Establish Mokopuna Māori Authority

Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. "This authority will be the primary national agency that ensures the care and protection for mokopuna and tamariki Māori, prioritising whakapapa because whānau know what is best for their own mokopuna, not the state," said Te Pāti Māori Spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.

Our Tamariki Deserve Better than Seymour’s Slop preview image

Our Tamariki Deserve Better than Seymour’s Slop

Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Education Tākuta Ferris. “Many tamariki rely on these meals as their only nourishment of the day, it is disgraceful that the government has put the wellbeing of their books over the wellbeing of our mokopuna. “David Seymour may as well have cut the program entirely instead of insulting our tamariki with this slop.

Taranaki Maunga Granted Legal Personhood preview image

Taranaki Maunga Granted Legal Personhood

Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. Its mana and mauri will forever be protected”, said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. "For over 150 years, the grief of the Maunga’s confiscation in 1865 has carried through our whānau and iwi. “This harm was not only an injustice but a deliberate act by the Crown to strip us of our connection, our taonga, and our mana. The impact of this muru raupatu has been felt across generations, and its mamae remain with us today.

Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’ preview image

Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’

Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. “We have placed sixteen Fast-Track applicants on notice that Te Pāti Māori will hold them retrospectively liable and immediately revoke their consents when we form the next Government," said co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi.

Luxon Folds on ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill preview image

Luxon Folds on ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill

Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, is calling Luxon’s leadership a joke after it was revealed this morning on Q+A that ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill was not a bottom line. "New Zealand officially has a laughing-stock Prime Minister whose leadership folded as he trades away the rights of tangata whenua for a taste of power," says Ngarewa-Packer.

Waititi Orders Police Withdraw from Matapihi preview image

Waititi Orders Police Withdraw from Matapihi

Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki is demanding that the Police Minister immediately remove the heavy Police presence in the Matapihi community, as hundreds of officers saturate the Western Bay of Plenty area. “Minister Mitchell must intervene immediately and order the removal of the armed Police presence in Matapihi, in my electorate,” said Rawiri Waititi, MP for Waiariki. “The New Zealand Police are causing public disorder in the Matapihi community, harassing and distressing residents, including kaumātua and kuia. “We have armed officers obstructing access to private property and even urupā where loved ones are buried. This is a disgusting overreach and must be withdrawn immediately.

Government’s First Year a ‘Catastrophe for Māori’ preview image

Government’s First Year a ‘Catastrophe for Māori’

Te Pāti Māori is calling the Government’s first year a catastrophe for Māori, following a year of policies that have done nothing but marginalise tangata-whenua. Today marks one year since the coalition was sworn into power. “This year has been an absolute catastrophe for Māori. This Government has fast-tracked us back towards the colonised and assimilated,” said co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “This Government is so focussed on taking tangata whenua backwards that it has become horribly clear that they are willing to finish off the colonisation process.

Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principles Bill preview image

Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principles Bill

The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. The three opposition parties are listening to the clear and unified voice of Te Iwi Māori. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is sidelining these voices and ignoring a scathing Waitangi Tribunal report, while pandering to a dangerous, reactionary fringe. It’s time for Christopher Luxon to stand by his word to Māori at Waitangi this year that he will “Honour the Treaty”.

Ngarewa-Packer Demands Support for Palestine Ceasefire from New Plymouth Mayor preview image

Ngarewa-Packer Demands Support for Palestine Ceasefire from New Plymouth Mayor

Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader and MP for Te Tai Hauāuru, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is calling on the Mayor for New Plymouth, Neil Holdom, to do the right thing. “I am shocked at his decision to disregard the petition presented by Palestine Solidarity Taranaki calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire”, said Ngarewa-Packer. “The group made up of his constituents have shown up week after week at Puke Ariki Landing for over a year to stand against the genocide taking place in Gaza, and the killing now extending to Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

Govt Must Clean Up ‘Its Shit’ From Sunken HMNZS Manawanui preview image

Govt Must Clean Up ‘Its Shit’ From Sunken HMNZS Manawanui

Te Pāti Māori is calling out the Government and New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for their inaction and disgraceful downplaying of the impact caused by the sunken HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa. “We demand the Government move without further delay to clean up its shit from the sunken HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa,” said co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Three weeks have passed since the sinking of HMNZS Manawanui, and our Government continues to carelessly let it spill diesel into the moana of Samoa. It is time this inaction is called out, and the Government is taken to task.

Sanctions Soar, Jobs Vanish – National’s Cruelty Exposed preview image

Sanctions Soar, Jobs Vanish – National’s Cruelty Exposed

Te Pāti Māori is enraged at the National government’s ruthless punishment of beneficiaries, all while jobs are disappearing. MSD data shows a 133% increase in sanctions over the past year, with over 14,000 sanctions in just three months. The kicker? The jobs this government insists people should find are nowhere to be seen. “The traffic light system is a dead end, a road to nowhere, a tool designed to punish whānau for not finding jobs the government itself has destroyed,” says Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

Police Perpetuate Siege on Ōpōtiki preview image

Police Perpetuate Siege on Ōpōtiki

Te Pāti Māori MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi, says today’s police-sponsored terrorism in Ōpōtiki is a continuation of the State’s predatory behaviour towards the iwi of Te Whakatōhea. "Ōpōtiki is once again being intentionally targeted and is the direct byproduct of this Government’s 'tough on crime' legislative changes,” said MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi. "This predatory action only exacerbates the broken relationship between Te Whakatōhea and authorities, which has been strained for centuries, ever since the death of Rev. Carl Sylvius Völkner in 1865.

ASA Declares Hobson’s Pledge Advertising Misleading and Socially Irresponsible preview image

ASA Declares Hobson’s Pledge Advertising Misleading and Socially Irresponsible

Te Pāti Māori Co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer welcome today’s ruling from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which found that a Hobson's Pledge advertisement regarding customary marine titles was misleading and socially irresponsible. The two-page wraparound ad, published in The New Zealand Herald, suggested that nearly the entire coastline of Aotearoa is under threat of being awarded to Māori through customary marine titles, implying that this would lead to widespread restrictions on public beach access. The ASA upheld more than 650 complaints, stating that Hobson's Pledge’s claims were materially misleading and failed to substantiate their arguments. The Board also recognised that the advertisement unnecessarily perpetuated fear, further marginalising Māori.

Govt Gambling Safety of our Moana preview image

Govt Gambling Safety of our Moana

Yesterday the government announced the list of 149 projects selected for fast-tracking across Aotearoa. Trans-Tasman Resources’ plan to mine the seabed off the coast of Taranaki was one of these projects. “We are disgusted but not surprised with the government’s decision to fast-track the decimation of our seabed,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, and MP for Te Tai Hauāuru, Debbie Ngarewa- Packer. “Seabed mining will wipe out habitats and lead to the extinction of entire species – compromising the livelihoods of our coastal communities.

Te Pāti Māori Statement on Israel & Iran preview image

Te Pāti Māori Statement on Israel & Iran

Over 41,000 Palestinian’s have been murdered by Israel in the last 12 months. At the same time, Israel have launched attacks against at least four other countries in the Middle East including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran. “You cannot play the aggressor and the victim at the same time,” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “What we are seeing today is the culmination of decades of US imperialism in the Middle East. Iran has for a long time been a barrier to Western control in the region. This is what the West’s uncritical support of Israel has been leading up to” Ngarewa-Packer said.

TPM issues warning to Govt: Back down or prepare for the wrath of the million Māori preview image

TPM issues warning to Govt: Back down or prepare for the wrath of the million Māori

Today the government announced a $30m cut to Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori- a programme that develops te reo Māori among our kaiako. “This announcement is just the latest in an onslaught of attacks on te iwi Māori,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi.

Crown Minerals Bill Advances Colonisation preview image

Crown Minerals Bill Advances Colonisation

Today, the Crown Mineral Amendment Bill was read for the first time, reversing the ban on oil exploration off the coast of Taranaki. It was no accident that this proposed law change was read directly after the Government started to unravel the ability of iwi and hapū Māori to have their rights in the Foreshore and Seabed recognised with the Takutai Moana Amendment Bill. “The insidious timing of the Crown Minerals Bill demonstrates this government’s true priorities: Short-term profit has been chosen over the rights and well-being of Māori communities, our moana, and our whenua.” Said MP for Te Tai Hauāuru and Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

Crown should prove their rights to Foreshore & Seabed – Te Pāti Māori preview image

Crown should prove their rights to Foreshore & Seabed – Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Justice, Tākuta Ferris, has hit out at the Government, demanding the Crown prove its rights to the foreshore, following the Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill, passing its first reading. "Māori rights to the foreshore pre-exist the Declaration of Independence, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and any law that this House has ever made. That right still exists today,” said Tākuta Ferris. “It should always have been the Crown coming to Māori to prove the rights they believe they have to the foreshore, not the other way around.

Tāmaki-Makaurau MP Urges Immediate Support for Families Impacted by Mill Closure preview image

Tāmaki-Makaurau MP Urges Immediate Support for Families Impacted by Mill Closure

Te Pāti Māori Member of Parliament for Tāmaki Makaurau is urging a full wraparound of services to intervene quickly with families affected by today's announced closure of the Penrose Mill. Seventy-five people are set to lose their jobs right on the eve of Christmas. "I want to extend my thoughts and aroha to those families who will be affected by today’s announced closure of the Penrose Mill. I am gutted," said Takutai Tarsh Kemp. "The mill, operated by OjiFS, employs a high number of Māori and Pacific people. The impact of the loss of jobs will be felt widely.

Govt Warned - Increasing Snapper Quota Breaches Fisheries Settlement preview image

Govt Warned - Increasing Snapper Quota Breaches Fisheries Settlement

An imminent decision to increase the total allowable commercial catch (TACC) for snapper would be a direct violation of the first-ever Treaty Settlement and inevitably breach Te Tiriti o Waitangi, says Te Pāti Māori. Te Ohu Kaimoana has sought a High Court declaration to prevent the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries from increasing the TACC without Māori receiving a proportional increase, as guaranteed in the Treaty of Waitangi (Fisheries Claims) Settlement 1992. "This coalition is reckless, undermining the principles of Te Tiriti, and now threatening, in the darkness of the moana at night, to place the Māori Fisheries Settlement into dispute,” said Tākuta Ferris, spokesperson for fisheries and MP for Te Tai Tonga.

Minister of Injustice seeks to Entrench largest land confiscation in History preview image

Minister of Injustice seeks to Entrench largest land confiscation in History

The Waitangi Tribunal has released an Urgent Report on the Government’s proposed amendments to the Takutai Moana Act 2011. The report calls out Paul Goldsmith’s proposal for what it is: a “gross breach of the Treaty” and an “illegitimate exercise of kāwanatanga”. The Tribunal is recommending the Crown step down in its efforts to amend the Takutai Moana Act and make a genuine effort to engage with Māori before it causes irreparable damage. “The largest confiscation of Māori land in history happened in 2004 with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This was the genesis of our Party,” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi. “This Government is hellbent on taking us back 20 years and entrenching the theft of our moana and coastlines. They better be prepared for what comes next because te iwi Māori will not stand for a repeat of the Foreshore and Seabed Act,” Waititi said.

Youngest MP to travel to Canada to accept Politician of the Year Award preview image

Youngest MP to travel to Canada to accept Politician of the Year Award

Aotearoa’s Youngest Member of Parliament, and Te Pāti Māori MP, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, will travel to Montreal to accept the One Young World Politician of the Year Award next week. The One Young World Politician of the Year Award was created in 2018 to recognise the most promising young politicians between the ages of 18 and 35 from around the world. The winners are selected by a panel of expert judges, including First Woman President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, based on their impact in their home countries and how they have used their position to benefit young people specifically.

Te Tai Tokerau MP Slams Govt Overreach in Scrapping Māori Wards preview image

Te Tai Tokerau MP Slams Govt Overreach in Scrapping Māori Wards

Mema Paremata for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, has reflected on the decisions made by the councils of the North amidst the government’s push to remove Māori Wards and weaken mana whenua representation. “Actions taken by the Kaipara District Council to remove Māori Wards are the embodiment of the eradication of Māori. It is emboldened by this government’s overreach and interference in the work of democratically elected local councillors to achieve racial injustice,” said Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. "The government has been cunning in its purposeful misuse of the term 'democracy' to manipulate local councils and their communities into eradicating Māori rights, voice, and opportunity.

Ngarewa-Packer devastated for Ruapehu following WPI closure preview image

Ngarewa-Packer devastated for Ruapehu following WPI closure

Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader and MP for Te Tai Hauāuru is devastated for the Ruapehu community following today’s decision to close two Winstone Pulp mills. “My heart goes out to all the workers, their whānau, and the wider Ruapehu community affected by the closure of Winstone Pulp International,” said Ngarewa-Packer. “WPI is Ruapehu District’s largest permanent employer, and this closure leaves 230 whānau without jobs during a cost-of-living crisis.”

Te Pāti Māori Pay Tribute to Kiingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII preview image

Te Pāti Māori Pay Tribute to Kiingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII

Papā te whatitiri, hikohiko te uira, i kanapu ki te rangi, i whētuki i raro rā, rū ana te whenua e. Uea te pou o tōku whare kia tū tangata he kapua whakairi nāku nā runga o Taupiri. Ko taku kiri ka tōkia ki te anu mātao. E te iwi whītiki, whītiki, whakarewa. Kua whati a roto, kua pohara te iwi Māori i tō wehenga atu. E te Ariki, e te Kiingi Māori Tuheitia, moe mai rā i roto i ngā ringaringa o te atua. Kaikini te aroha, kaikini te manawa, kaikini te wairua. Hei aha rā, hei aha rā, tū tonu te mahara.

Potaka Brings Whakaata Māori to its Knees preview image

Potaka Brings Whakaata Māori to its Knees

Today’s Whakaata Māori announcement is yet another colossal failure from Minister Potaka, who has turned his back on te reo Māori, forcing a channel offline, putting whānau out of jobs, and cutting Māori content, says Te Pāti Māori. “A Senior Māori Minister has turned his back on Te Reo Māori. Any move that reduces the prominence, visibility and auditability of Te Reo Māori is an attack on future generations. This is his failure, for our people and for our kids,” said Broadcast Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris. “This restructure will have huge implications for whānau, Māori content, and the revitalisation of te reo Māori. “For Potaka to sit by and allow a 25% reduction in operational budget is weak and gutless, and it has forced Whakaata Māori to its knees.

Waititi urges Rotorua Lakes Council to immediately stop works at Lake Rotokākahi preview image

Waititi urges Rotorua Lakes Council to immediately stop works at Lake Rotokākahi

Te Pāti Māori co-leader and Member of Parliament for Waiariki, which includes Rotorua, has written to Rotorua Lakes Councillors requesting they immediately stop sewerage piping works at Lake Rotokākahi in Rotorua. “Mana whenua have been urging Rotorua Lakes Council to stop works and look at alternative plans to protect the taiao, as well as the wāhi tapu at Lake Rotokākahi. The council needs to listen,” said Rawiri Waititi. “Lake Rotokākahi is a wāhi tapu (sacred site) for mana whenua and is the resting place of many of their tīpuna killed in the Mount Tarawera eruption of 1886. “Mana whenua are not only concerned about the desecration of their wāhi tapu by the current sewage scheme, but also the future environmental damage that will put their roto and its surrounding ecosystems at risk.

Govt Incarcerating our Mokopuna into a Failed System preview image

Govt Incarcerating our Mokopuna into a Failed System

Information released by the Minister for Children has revealed that almost 800 mokopuna Māori have been taken by the state this year, putting it on track for the largest displacement of tamariki Māori since the introduction of Section 7AA in 2019. “Oranga Tamariki is running a crusade against whakapapa Māori under the dictatorship of this Government,” said co-leader, Rawiri Waititi. "The incarceration of 790 children into a system that has proven itself to be an abysmal failure is dangerous. “The whakapapa protections in the current law is the final hurdle before the Govts kidnapping spree is unleashed. “Section 7AA lifts the curtains so the nation can see exactly what the Crown is doing to our mokopuna. It gives tamariki an extra layer of protection from being unjustly taken from their whānau and put in harm’s way.

Tribunal Scathes Government’s Anti-Tiriti Agenda preview image

Tribunal Scathes Government’s Anti-Tiriti Agenda

Today the Waitangi Tribunal issued a scathing report of the Government’s Treaty Principles Bill and Treaty Clause Review polices. The report described the government’s policy to whitewash Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a distortion of the language of the Treaty based on a false historical narrative. The Tribunal found no justifications for these policies which are designed to take away indigenous rights, assert Parliamentary dominance over Māori, and erase any duty of the Crown to act with honour and integrity. “We have the Prime Minister on record saying he is committed to upholding Article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Tino Rangatiratanga of Te Iwi Māori. He needs to prove this by immediately abandoning the Treaty Principles Bill and implementing all the recommendations of the Tribunal” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi. “The government have so far ignored all evidence and advice that contradicts their short-sighted anti-Māori, anti-poor, and anti-taiao policy platform. “Te Pāti Māori will not allow this weaponised ignorance to continue unchecked” Waititi said.