Te Pāti Māori is facing a defining period in its election campaign, with co-leader Rawiri Waititi recording a substantial lead in Waiariki, questions emerging over the party’s engagement with gang communities, and Labour leader Chris Hipkins signalling limits on the ministerial responsibilities he would offer potential coalition partners.
With the November 7 general election approaching, Te Pāti Māori is balancing its campaign for stronger Māori representation with questions about political relationships, its electoral strategy and the role of tikanga and Māori identity in national politics.
The developments come as the party continues to promote its candidate-vote strategy, encouraging supporters to prioritise Māori electorate representation while directing their party vote towards the Greens.
Rawiri Waititi Holds Substantial Lead in Waiariki
A Whakaata Māori-Curia poll conducted between September 21 and October 1 shows Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi on 42 percent support in Waiariki.
Green Party candidate Tania Waikato recorded 16 percent, Labour’s Toni Boynton 14 percent and The Opportunities Party’s Pāpā Wharewera 3 percent.
A further 18 percent of respondents were undecided.
When undecided voters were excluded, Waititi’s support rose to 52 percent.
However, the party-vote contest was much closer, with Labour recording 24 percent, Te Pāti Māori 23 percent and the Greens approximately 21 to 22 percent.
The survey involved 500 enrolled Māori voters in Waiariki and carried a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
The findings suggest Waititi retains substantial personal support in the electorate, but they also highlight the distinction between voting for a local candidate and supporting a political party nationally.
Cost of living was identified as the leading issue by 32 percent of respondents, followed by healthcare at 11 percent and housing at 9 percent.
Te Pāti Māori Doubles Down on Candidate-Vote Strategy
The party has also taken an unusual approach to its election list, announcing just one additional list candidate, party general secretary Lance Norman.
The decision reinforces its strategy of concentrating on winning Māori electorate seats rather than building an extensive party list.
Waititi has presented the approach as a way of prioritising collective Māori political representation over maximising his own party’s parliamentary numbers.
However, the strategy carries electoral trade-offs.
While a candidate vote determines who represents an electorate, the party vote largely determines the proportional composition of Parliament under MMP.
The Waiariki polling demonstrates that voters may support Waititi personally while preferring Labour or the Greens for their party vote.
Whether that distinction is reflected across other Māori electorates will be an important question as election day approaches.
Gang Hui Sparks Political Controversy
The campaign has also been drawn into a dispute over engagement with Mongrel Mob members after politicians from Te Pāti Māori and the Greens attended a whānau health and wellbeing election hui.
Te Pāti Māori representatives Oriini Kaipara and Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke attended alongside Green Party politicians Hūhana Lyndon and Michel Mulipola.
Images shared by Mongrel Mob lifetime member Harry Tam prompted criticism from National’s justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith, who accused the parties of giving priority to gangs rather than victims of crime.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson defended the engagement, arguing that political representatives should be prepared to engage with all communities.
The dispute raises competing questions about political accountability, crime prevention and community engagement.
Critics argue that politicians must be mindful of the harm caused by organised crime and the experiences of victims.
Those defending engagement point to the importance of reaching whānau affected by poverty, addiction and social exclusion, including people associated with gangs.
Attending a community meeting does not itself establish support for criminal activity, but the controversy illustrates how differently political parties approach relationships with communities affected by crime.
Moko Kauae Brings Tikanga Into the Campaign
Another campaign development has placed Māori identity and tikanga in the spotlight, with a Te Pāti Māori candidate receiving her moko kauae during the election campaign.
The moment highlights the relationship between political representation, whakapapa and cultural identity.
For many wāhine Māori, moko kauae is an expression of identity, whakapapa, mana and connection to tūpuna.
Its visibility during a national election campaign also reflects the increasing presence of tikanga Māori in parliamentary politics.
The development offers a different perspective on Te Pāti Māori’s campaign, one in which cultural identity and political participation are closely connected.
The specific circumstances of the moko kauae ceremony could not be independently verified from the linked Stuff report.
Hipkins Draws Boundaries Around Coalition Roles
Meanwhile, Labour leader Chris Hipkins has signalled that the Greens and Te Pāti Māori would face restrictions on holding major ministerial responsibilities in any future Labour-led government.
The issue emerged during a New Zealand Herald leaders’ debate and has been sharpened by the controversy surrounding the Mongrel Mob hui.
Labour campaign chair Kieran McAnulty has subsequently confirmed that certain law-and-order portfolios would not be available to those parties under Labour’s proposed coalition arrangements.
McAnulty has also expressed a preference for working with the Greens and The Opportunity Party rather than Te Pāti Māori, while acknowledging that coalition negotiations would depend on the election result.
Labour is contesting the Māori electorates against Te Pāti Māori, creating an additional political complication for any potential post-election relationship.
The comments raise questions about what influence Te Pāti Māori could exercise in a future government, particularly on issues including Te Tiriti, Māori health, justice, housing and constitutional reform.
Under MMP, coalition arrangements are negotiated after the election, meaning the precise composition and responsibilities of any future government remain undetermined.
Kapa Haka Recognition Highlights a Wider Cultural Conversation
Beyond the election campaign, the recognition of kapa haka at the 2026 APRA Silver Scroll Awards has provided a reminder of the growing visibility of Māori language, creativity and cultural identity in national life.
Rob Ruha became the inaugural recipient of Te Tihi o te Maunga Tito, the Kapa Haka Songwriting Award, for Te Tapuni, performed by Te Taumata o Apanui.
The historic award acknowledges kapa haka composition alongside contemporary songwriting and other musical disciplines.
Although not a Te Pāti Māori campaign event, the achievement reflects a wider national conversation about Māori cultural recognition, the value of mātauranga Māori and the place of indigenous expression in Aotearoa.
Ruha also used the occasion to call for greater recognition and fair remuneration for kapa haka performers and composers.
Election 2026: Representation, Relationships and Results
The developments highlight several issues confronting Te Pāti Māori as the election approaches.
Rawiri Waititi’s polling in Waiariki demonstrates significant electorate-level support, while the closer party-vote contest illustrates the complexity of the party’s electoral strategy.
The Mongrel Mob controversy has brought questions about community engagement and political accountability into the campaign.
Labour’s position on ministerial responsibilities raises further questions about Te Pāti Māori’s potential role in post-election negotiations.
Meanwhile, the visibility of moko kauae and the recognition of kapa haka reflect a broader discussion about the place of Māori identity, tikanga and cultural expression in public life.
For voters across the seven Māori electorates, the central considerations include representation, the cost of living, healthcare, housing, Te Tiriti and whether political parties can deliver on their commitments.
As November 7 approaches, Te Pāti Māori’s campaign will be tested not only by support for its candidates, but also by how voters assess its policies, political relationships and proposed approach to Māori representation in Parliament.
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