Bold claim: a sitting dispute within Te Pāti Māori has spiraled into a legal battle, as expelled MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi petitions the courts for an interim injunction against the party’s president, John Tamihere.
New court records show the urgent High Court filing, with a hearing scheduled for tomorrow morning in Wellington. Kapa-Kingi had previously indicated that she would take legal action to challenge her expulsion from Te Pāti Māori.
Last week, she led a hui in Te Tai Tokerau that was organized by Ngāpuhi. Although the event drew attention, Te Pāti Māori’s leadership did not attend, despite being invited.
The upcoming hearing arrives just days before the party’s annual general meeting in Rotorua, where the council is expected to decide whether to formalize the expulsions of Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris. The internal rift has persisted for weeks, culminating in expulsions, a petition for the president’s resignation, and external efforts by iwi leaders to intervene.
Publicly, the controversy began to surface when Eru Kapa-Kingi, Mariameno’s son, described toxicity and a coercive leadership style within the party through his group, Toitu Te Tiriti, which portrays itself as independent from Te Pāti Māori. When asked about his remarks, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi stated that change is necessary and beneficial, expressing optimism about the current moment: “It’s time for change, is what I see. Change is good for us. I think, particularly now.”
1News has attempted to obtain responses from Te Pāti Māori and Kapa-Kingi but has not received replies yet.
