In an explosive late-night email, Te Pāti Māori has accused one of its MPs of "major overspending issues" and her son of abusing Parliamentary security.
The unsigned Monday night email - obtained by RNZ and other media - makes a number of claims against MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and separately her son Eru Kapa-Kingi, a key spokesperson for the Toitū Te Tiriti movement.
The email was characterised as a "direct response" to recent allegations of dictatorial leadership made by Eru Kapa-Kingi two weeks ago. It also follows Mariameno Kapa-Kingi's demotion as party whip.
Eru Kapa-Kingi posted on Instagram on Tuesday afternoon: "I joined Te Pāti Māori as a young, passionate man, with the belief I could help create a better world for our people. Instead, I learnt a long and hard lesson - power can truly corrupt people you once looked up to.
"Regardless of the noise, my whānau have and always will be, on the ground, kaupapa people. Those who know us know there is no question of integrity, and we will continue to be side by side with our people. Kia hīkoi tonu tātou, āke āke āke."
Te Pāti Māori's media contact, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, president John Tamihere, and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi have all been approached by RNZ for comment.
Parliamentary Service said it did not comment on "individual employment matters or internal party correspondence".
Mariameno Kapa-Kingi (File photo). Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
The allegations
Among the documents sent to members was an apparent Parliamentary Service report about an alleged incident last year involving Eru Kapa-Kingi.
It included claims that the Toitū Te Tiriti spokesperson "tailgated" through security gates at the Beehive and then swore at Parliament's staff when questioned.
Eru Kapa-Kingi was accused of using terms such as, "you are just a piece of s..." , "f... you c..." and, "I will f..... knock you out".
The email to members alleged "bullying" by Mr Kapa-Kingi of security personnel, resulting in him being trespassed from the Parliamentary premises.
It claimed that he had been working for his mother - for $120,000 per annum - but had the contract terminated for "serious misconduct".
Eru Kapa-Kingi. Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker
The email claimed Mr Kapa-Kingi was later brought back under a different company name as a way of circumventing the Parliamentary Services termination.
The late-night email also alleged "major overspending issues" by Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, incuding that Parliamentary Services had warned on 7 July that she was on track to overspend her office budget by up to $133,000.
Attached was a separate email from president John Tamihere to Ms Kapa-Kingi on 2 August "explaining the difficulty and gravity of her position and the impact it could have on the wider party".
It stated that Ms Kapa-Kingi might have to pay the money back from her salary or external sources.
The email to members said: "A further allegation has surfaced that most of this money, or rather the debt, occurred because Mariameno was paying Eru Kapa-Kingi. We will leave it to Mariameno to front that allegation and declare how much has been paid out to Eru."
Mariameno Kapa-Kingi last night told the NZ Herald she did not want to get into a bigger conversation about the email to members from as it was late at night and "I just need to get my head on ... and just be clear of the things that I think are worth responding to or not responding to."
Party tells members why Mariameno Kapa-Kingi was demoted as whip
The party's email to members said Ms Kapa-Kingi lost her job as whip (Matarau) because she was not seen at meetings in Northland.
"The Matarau position tethers the MP to the business of the Parliamentary precinct and makes it difficult for them to campaign in their electorates, which are large in any regard. Iwi leaders had approached us at a number of hui to say Mariameno was not seen at huihuinga through Te Tai Tokerau."
The party also said Kapa-Kingi had a "very marginal seat" and needed to focus on next year's election campaign.
Christopher Luxon. Photo: MARIKA KHABAZI / RNZ
"Her competition in Te Tai Tokerau are simply superb candidates that any Party would greatly desire in Huhana Lyndon (Green Party) and Willow Jean Prime (Labour Party).
"We are 11 months out from having the numbers to determine the next Government of Aotearoa. These decisions are about clear tactical decisions made to support Mariameno's run into Election 2026."
The party said Kapa-Kingi was also also required to step into the Social Services Select Committee role after the death of MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp
National says Labour should rule out working with Te Pāti Māori
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the Labour Party should rule out working with Te Pāti Māori.
"[Te Pāti Māori] isn't a serious outfit. They're an activist organisation that doesn't really have any answers to any of our challenges or opportunities that we have in this country," Luxon said on his way into National's caucus meeting on Tuesday.
"It's Chris Hipkins that wants to work with that chaos. I don't. I think he should come out and say he's not going to work with them ... Just rule them out."
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she had always known Te Pāti Māori was "a mess" and senior minister Chris Bishop said it was clear the Māori Party was in "deep disarray".
"There's no credible pathway to government for [Labour] without Te Pāti Māori," Bishop said.
"On the current polling anyway, you can't see a scenario in which they wouldn't have to rely on them. They've made their bed, now they've got to lie in it."
Labour to set out parties it can work with before election - Hipkins
But Hipkins said he wouldn't be taking advice from the National Party.
"I've only seen some of the email trail that's been publicly released. Those are ultimately matters for Te Pāti Māori, it's clear they have some internal issues that they need to work through."
Hipkins was asked if he would rule out working with the party in the future.
"I've said that before the next election I'll set out the parties that we can and can't work with, where we think that there is common ground and where we're just clearly not willing to go," he said.
"I'll set that out closer to the election, as I did before the last election, but I don't think Christopher Luxon is in much of a position to give anybdoy else lectures on that."
Pushed on polling numbers that have, for months now, indicated Labour would need Te Pāti Māori to form an alternative government, Hipkins said he was focused on growing Labour's vote.
"My job between now and the next election is to grow Labour's vote as much as I possibly can and my message to New Zealanders is if you want a government that's stable, that's sensible, that's focused on the issues that really matter like jobs, health, homes and cost of living, then vote Labour."
Senior Labour MP Peeni Henare said the allegations of financial mismanagement, raised in the Māori Party's correspondance to members were "extremely disappointing".
"I know Mariameno personally, I've known that woman all my life. She's a woman who's always operated with high integrity and a passion for kaupapa that she belivies in and supports so that's why I'm curious about how we find ourselves here."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
