Local MP takes a big step

By Frank Neill

After nearly 10 years as the Labour Party’s Member of Parliament for Te Ikaroa-R whiti, Meka Whaitiri left Labour to join Te P ti M ori on 3 May.

“The decision to cross the floor is not an easy one, but it is the right one,” Ms Whaitiri said when announcing she was joining Te P ti M ori.

She was making the move, she said, “to join an unapologetic M ori political movement to achieve what was promised to us 183 years ago.”

In doing so, she said she was making a clear commitment to M ori voters across the country.

“To the voters of Ikaroa-R whiti, I have served you tirelessly for the last 10 years.

“Let me continue to serve you. I will be contesting the seat again in October 2023 as the Te Ikaroa-R whiti candidate.”

Ms Whaitiri currently sits as an independent member of the House of Representatives.

Following her decision to resign from the Labour Party, Ms Whaitiri lost her roles as a Minister. She served asMinister of Customsand Minister for Veterans from 2020 and Minister for Food Safety from 2022.

Te P ti M ori co-leader Debbie NgarewaPacker has welcomed the move.

“This is a momentous day for our proud to be M ori movement,” she said on 3 May.

“Today marks yet another milestone in creating an Aotearoa hou as Meka Whaitiri crosses the floor to join Te P ti M ori.”

Ms Whaitiri “will bring extraordinary strength and has shown enormous courage and leadership in service to tangata whenua.

“By crossing the floor Meka demonstrates a clear commitment to the continued fight for a Te Tiriti centric Aotearo,” Ms NgarewaPacker said.

The “Wainuiomata News” made a series of attempts to speak to Ms Whatiri, but she did not respond to the messages the paper left.

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