Te Pāti Māori has come to the defence of former Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni following her resignation over gang-related campaigning, with Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi accusing political parties of turning Māori whānau into political ammunition just two weeks out from the general election.
Leoni resigned as Labour’s candidate for Tāmaki Makaurau on Friday, October 23, after footage emerged showing her campaigning at a gathering attended by Mongrel Mob members earlier this month.
The controversy has sparked a heated political debate about gang affiliations, whānau relationships, political accountability and the boundaries of election campaigning.
But Te Pāti Māori says the fallout has gone beyond legitimate political scrutiny and risks further stigmatising Māori communities.
Waititi Says Whānau Connections Cannot Be Erased
In a strongly worded statement, Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi acknowledged Leoni’s contribution to Tāmaki Makaurau and the work undertaken by her campaign team.
Waititi described the resignation as a sad day for Māori, arguing that people should not be forced to choose between their political responsibilities and maintaining relationships with their own whānau.
He said gang affiliation did not erase whakapapa connections or the responsibilities people have towards their relatives.
The party argues that Māori communities are too often left carrying the consequences when politicians turn complex social relationships into campaign controversies.
Waititi also accused parties on the political right of exploiting the situation to create divisions between Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori.
Those accusations are Te Pāti Māori’s political assessment rather than established findings about the motivations of other parties.
Leoni Says Her Whānau Became a Political Weapon
Leoni’s resignation followed the release of footage from an October 3 gathering where she was seen encouraging attendees, including people associated with the Mongrel Mob, to enrol and participate in the election.
A separate photograph showed Leoni alongside people wearing gang regalia.
The former Auckland councillor subsequently explained that the gathering was a whānau event attended by a mixture of relatives, children, kaumātua, gang members and people without gang affiliations.
Leoni said the intense public scrutiny of her family and community had become increasingly difficult, and that she did not want the controversy to continue being used against Labour during the campaign.
She maintained that she would not turn her back on her whānau because of their circumstances or affiliations.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins criticised Leoni’s judgement, while acknowledging the significant personal consequences of her resignation.
Despite withdrawing from the campaign, Leoni’s name will remain on the Tāmaki Makaurau ballot because candidate nominations have already closed.
Gang Engagement Divides Political Parties
The controversy has exposed differences between political parties over whether elected representatives and candidates should engage with gang members.
National leader Christopher Luxon has criticised Labour’s handling of the situation and argued that the controversy raises questions about the party’s approach to law and order.
ACT has also challenged Labour over the incident.
Labour, meanwhile, has faced questions about consistency after previously criticising Green and Te Pāti Māori politicians for visiting a gang pad during the election campaign.
Te Pāti Māori maintains that political engagement with communities should not automatically be interpreted as endorsement of criminal activity.
The debate raises a wider question about how political representatives engage with communities where gang affiliations exist alongside family, cultural and social relationships.
Te Pāti Māori Calls for Opposition Unity
Despite its criticism of the handling of Leoni’s resignation, Te Pāti Māori says it does not want the controversy to derail cooperation between parties seeking a change of government.
Waititi has reiterated his party’s preference for a change of government involving Labour and the Greens alongside an independent Māori political voice.
The party continues to advocate an electoral strategy that separates the electorate vote from the party vote, encouraging support for its candidates in Māori electorates while directing party votes towards Labour or the Greens.
That remains Te Pāti Māori’s campaign position, rather than an endorsement by Radio Waatea.
Māori Representation and Whakapapa at the Centre of Debate
For Māori communities, the controversy touches on questions extending beyond party politics.
Whakapapa relationships, whānau obligations and the responsibility to support relatives can exist alongside legitimate concerns about criminal offending and public safety.
The political dispute has brought those competing considerations into sharp focus, particularly as parties seek to demonstrate their positions on crime and community engagement.
With advance voting beginning on Monday, October 26, and election day scheduled for Saturday, November 7, the resignation has become another significant issue in the final stages of the campaign.
For Te Pāti Māori, the message is that political disagreements should not come at the expense of whānau relationships or the dignity of Māori communities.
The wider question now facing political leaders is how to balance public accountability, community engagement and the realities of whakapapa without reducing complex social issues to election campaign attacks.
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