Te Pati Maori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi says Prime Minister Christopher Luxon not showing up to Waitangi Day would show he has “no balls and may be a drop nuts.
Waititi said Labour’s claim it might be unsafe for government officials to turn up to the Northland town and other rhetoric suggesting Māori spaces are not safe was unhelpful.
Christopher Luxon said he was yet to make a decision about attending.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he hoped Luxon would be upfront, considering the government policies affecting Maori, including ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill.
“When you’re doing something that’s controversial, that’s upsetting a lot of people, it’s more important than ever that you show up and talk about it,” Hipkins said.
Labour’s Willie Jackson agreed, but said he had also heard “off the grapevine that they’re very worried about the safety of some of the MPs”.
Jackson said people were “still very very angry at this government. While 95 percent of people will be fine up there, you just never know so I can understand why there’d be some trepidation”.
“Māori are angry, Māori are furious, and we saw that with the hīkoi, but at least it was a very peaceful hīkoi but if I was part of the government I’d be worried going up there too.”
Waititi said comments like that were unhelpful.
Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the party would be attending Waitangi, and the prime minister should stand by his rhetoric.
“The prime minister has made quite a lot of noise about the fact that he stands in opposition ot the treaty principles bill and that he wants to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi so I think that all politicians who say those things should walk the talk.”
Photo Credit: Pacific Media Network
