Te Pāti Māori expels Tākuta Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi

Te Pāti Māori's national council has voted to expel MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris, after a period of internal conflict.

The National Iwi Chairs Forum had been hopeful the party's two factions could patch things up at a hui at a Wellington marae this week.

That plan has been scuppered, after the co-leaders on Monday announced the party's council - made up of electorate representatives - met on Sunday night and voted "without opposition" to expel Kapa-Kingi and Ferris, with immediate effect.

In response to news of his expulsion, Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris has issued a statement, saying the decision "is plainly unconstitutional".

"I do not acknowledge the decisions and illegal resolutions made through unilateral measures."

In a statement posted on social media, Kapa-Kingi also called the decision unconstitutional and said she intended to appeal it "in all respects".

"In the meantime, I remain the duly elected Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau and will continue to stand for, and show up for the people of Te Tai Tokerau to do the job I was elected to do."

The MPs' statements confirmed Te Tai Tokerau had been excluded from the votes, and Te Tai Tonga abstained.

The affiliation of Ferris and Kapa-Kingi - whose son Eru has also been scathing of party president John Tamihere - has been in question as the stoush in the party escalated.

Co-leader Rawiri Waititi confirmed last Tuesday the party was considering explusion.

Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said it was the result of "serious breaches" of the party's consistution, and followed six weeks of rigourous debate across electorates and branches - and hui with external groups including the Iwi Chairs Forum.

"Irreconcilable differences remained. The resolution takes effect today.

"This decision was not taken lightly. Many hoped the end would be reconciliation - it could not be achieved. We acknowledge the mamae our people have felt.

"This internal matter should never have played out in public. It has been an unnecessary distraction at a dark time for our country as this government continues its relentless attacks on our people."

Waititi said they would continue to refocus the party.

"Our job is to make this a one-term government. That will require structure, fortitude and unity."

He said the party had begun "serious conversations" with Labour and the Greens and the party would not comment further on "this internal matter" from today.

"I have absolute confidence in the forefathers who wrote that constitution to bring us to, I think, the right decision made by the council last night.

"This is difficult and this was always going to be a difficult pathway, but as the leaders of this party it is our job to ensure that we bring stability back to the waka and we step up where we need to step up."

He said the relationships that led to the stoush "extend long before Parliament".

Whether to entirely expel the MPs from Parliament using the waka-jumping provisions had not yet been a consideration, the leaders said.

Ngarewa-Packer said Tamihere had not been present at the previous night's vote.

She said there were disciplinary processes being undertaken in relation to leaking of information about the stoush to the media.

Waititi said they would have preferred to deal with the matter inside of the caucus.

"That was out of our control. It was taken to the media before we even had an opportunity to speak about that and I must say that the media have enjoyed it over the last six weeks.

"It had to come to an end, and so we've brought it to an end, we must move on. And I wish both Mariameno and Tākuta all the best of luck as we head forward but we had to bring this to a close."

He said the MPs could legally challenge their explusion through an appeal process.

Ngarewa-Packer said the dispute had damaged the party and those who believed in it.

Also on social media, Eru Kapa-Kingi posted to say the party had adopted "colonial strategies of silencing and disowning".

"The word 'rangatira' literally means to bring people together for collective wellness. That role is given by the people, and therefore any rangatira must be accountable and listen to their people, even to the stuff that isn't nice to hear, but very real," he wrote.

"Pāti Māori leadership has fully abandoned this truth, and adopted instead colonial strategies of silencing and disowning.

"Our people are not stupid, and the tūpz will come for you soon".

Tamihere last week urged the MPs to quit after the National Council voted to suspend Kapa-Kingi over office overspending accusations.

That followed a vote of no confidence in Tamihere from Ferris' Te Tai Tonga electorate branch, which also called for his immediate resignation.

Tamihere accused them of plotting a coup against the co-leaders and said their behaviour was based on "greed, avarice and entitlement".

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