Labour candidate resigns a day after Hipkins declared 'absolute' confidence

Summarised by Centrist

Labour's Tāmaki Makaurau candidate Kerrin Leoni has resigned after footage emerged of her campaigning alongside Mongrel Mob members at a gathering that also served as a fundraiser.

Just a day earlier, Labour leader Chris Hipkins had expressed "absolute" confidence in Leoni, despite admitting he had not personally spoken to her about the controversy.

Footage obtained by Te Ao Māori News shows Leoni wearing Labour campaign clothing, greeting Mongrel Mob members and encouraging people to vote at an October 3 gathering in Papakura.

“Some of them you might know who aren’t enrolled to vote and they can have the power to change the government,” she told attendees.

Leoni maintained that she had attended a whānau function involving relatives with gang affiliations, not a gang pad. Te Ao Māori News reported that the gathering also served as a fundraiser. No financial arrangement between Labour and the gang has been established.

Hipkins had previously condemned Green and Te Pāti Māori politicians for visiting a Mongrel Mob pad, describing their actions as a serious error of judgment.

Speaking to RNZ on Thursday, Hipkins acknowledged he had not spoken directly to Leoni, relying instead on assurances obtained by his office.

Asked whether he retained full confidence in her, he replied, "Yes, absolutely."

By Friday morning, that position had changed.

"The footage that has emerged is inconsistent with the standards I expect of Labour candidates," Hipkins said in a statement announcing her resignation.

"I understand that families are complex. You can't choose your family," he said, adding that candidates remained responsible for their own choices.

Despite her resignation, Leoni continued to attract support from across the political left. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi defended her, describing the controversy as a "sad day for Māori".

Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan also defended Leoni on Friday morning, accepting her explanation that she had attended a family gathering. "She was there at a whānau event, and that's the information that I have," she told the NZ Herald.

Even Hipkins, while acknowledging Leoni had exercised "very very bad judgement" and failed to provide Labour with the full information, suggested racism had contributed to the backlash. "Our Māori MPs get held to a very different standard to others," he said, accusing National of exploiting the controversy.

Because nominations have closed, Leoni's name will still appear on the November 7 ballot, although Hipkins says she no longer represents Labour.

Leoni's resignation comes just three days after a Whakaata Māori–Curia poll placed her on 31% in Tāmaki Makaurau, just two points behind Te Pāti Māori incumbent Oriini Kaipara on 33%. The contest was effectively tied within the margin of error, making Labour's decision to disown its candidate particularly significant. Leoni will nevertheless remain on the ballot because nominations have closed.

Read more at RNZ | Te Ao Māori News

Re-published from the Centrist with permission

Original article at The Centrist