Activist Eru Kapa-Kingi Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Prominent activist Eru Kapa-Kingi has declared he does not "regret a single thing" about his dramatic cutting-of-ties with Te Pāti Māori, saying he knew he would be "dragged through the mud" for going public.
Te Pāti Māori hit back at Kapa-Kingi's claims of "dictatorship" within the party's leadership on Monday evening, instead accusing their former staffer himself of "bullying" behaviour.
The party emailed documents to its members late on Monday, including allegations that Kapa-Kingi had unleashed a "tirade of abuse" at Parliamentary staff last year, attacking one security guard as a "f***ing white baldhead c***" and threatening: "I will f***ing knock you out".
Kapa-Kingi has yet to respond to the direct allegations, nor has he replied to RNZ's repeated requests for comment.
However, in a new post on social media on Wednesday, Kapa-Kingi drew attention to reports that others within the party were also unhappy with the leadership.
"These are the silenced voices, almost all wahine, I stood up for. I knew I would get dragged through the mud for it, but I don't regret a single thing."
Kapa-Kingi said he understood that many people would feel "confused, disappointed, even let down" by recent events.
"I suffered silently through those same emotions for years because I was a die hard TPM supporter, but then saw things unfold on the inside. I tried multiple ways internally to fix the problems, and kept coming up short.
"I didn't come out to throw stones at anyone, but to speak truth and stand on kaupapa."
Kapa-Kingi thanked those who had shown him support and said he hoped the fallout would be an "opportunity to learn and heal".
"Kia kaha tātou and let's fix our whare so we can roll this blardy government!!!"
Kapa-Kingi is a spokesperson for the Toitū Te Tiriti protest movement and was a central figure at protests at Parliament, including in May and November 2024.
He is the son of MP Mariameno Kapa-King - who was demoted as party whip last month - and previously worked in her office. He is also a former Te Pāti Māori vice-president.
Earlier this month, he publicly broke with the party and accused its leadership of being toxic and dictatorial.
Ferris: 'I'm not happy'
In yet another sign of fractures within the caucus, Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris on Wednesday told The Post he was not pleased with how the saga was playing out.
"I'm not happy. I mean, we're supposed to be here doing a job for our people, continuing the kaupapa of Te Pāti Māori, which is to represent te iwi Maori, and to do it in an unrestricted, free and organised way," Ferris told The Post.
"It should be informed by our rohe [territory or region], led by our rohe, and that's where we need to get to."
Ferris was asked by The Post about media reports that his Te Tai Tonga electorate committee had called for a vote of no confidence in party president John Tamihere and the national executive.
He appeared to confirm that with an affirmative response, but his spokesperson later told RNZ the electorate had not called for such a vote - though members were unhappy with how recent events had been handled.
Speaking to The Post, Ferris said Te Tai Tonga had not been aware that the allegations would be sent out to the broader membership on Monday evening.
"That wasn't discussed. There wasn't a consensus about that," Ferris told The Post.
"Te Tai Tonga didn't know about it. And obviously the Te Tai Tonga position is pretty clear."
Ferris said he was "not too sure" what was next for the party: "It needs to be truthful to the start of the party and the kaupapa."
Tamihere: 'We don't like heads on platters'
Te Pāti Māori's leadership has also largely avoided questions from media, including RNZ, since its membership-wide email.
Appearing on The Bradbury Group podcast on Tuesday, party president John Tamihere challenged Eru Kapa-Kingi and whānau to determine "whether they're in the movement for self-advancement or not".
"If they are, well, then go and advance yourself, but don't do it at the expense of a movement. So they'll work their way through that."
Tamihere declined to answer questions about details of the feud - "I don't want to go there" - but criticised Kapa-Kingi for going to the media in the first place.
"The right tikanga is to tell our truth, but not run around all the media, work all the back door, okay? We're a party that is trying to play our tikanga, right? We don't like heads on platters."
Tamihere also pushed back at "our buddies on the left", saying they "have to learn how to count" as Te Pāti Māori's seats would be pivotal to forming a government.
"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work this out. There's only one Te Pāti Māori," Tamihere said.
The comment seemed to be a response to recent criticism by Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who on Tuesday said it was "not clear" how many Māori Parties there were, in reference to various factions within the caucus.
Hipkins has not ruled out working with Te Pāti Māori in future but has said the party looked "quite a long way away from being ready to play a constructive role in any future government".
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