4 Sep 2025

Te Pāti Māori apologises for MP's social media post

From Checkpoint, 4:27 pm on 4 September 2025

Te Pāti Māori has apologised after one of its MPs attacked Labour's Tāmaki Makaurau candidate on Instagram. Tākuta Ferris posted a photo of Labour MPs and volunteers posing with a Peeni Henare billboard, saying it was mind-blowing to see "Indians, Asians, Black and Pakeha" campaigning to "take a Māori seat away from a Māori". Te Pāti Māori's co-leaders have asked Mr Ferris to remove the post and apologised for any hurt it caused. Political reporter Lillian Hanly spoke to Lisa Owen.