Tamihere: Māori unity rising amidst rhetoric

Gideon Porter John Tamihere | Tamihere: Māori unity rising amidst rhetoric

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Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere says reports that the Māori electoral roll has grown by more than 2,000—following the Toitū Te Tiriti hīkoi—highlight its impact.

He says weak leadership from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, coupled with the divisive and provocative rhetoric of his coalition partners, has done more to unify Māori than any event since the Foreshore and Seabed hīkoi.

“What we’ve got to do is walk away from these activations, heading into 2026, with a new sense of self-belief, a new sense of organisation and administration. Get your friends and whānau on the Māori role. And that’s the outcome that we’re seeking from this whole six months ‘Hate on the Horis’ campaign that’s been licenced by Luxon,” says Tamihere.

John Tamihere says Māori are getting active in many ways – but politics is something that can make a real difference as well.

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