Summarised by Centrist
A leaked internal email sent to Te Pāti Māori members exposes Te Pāti Māori’s internal fractures at the highest level.
The leak counters whistleblower Eru Kapa-Kingi’s “Pākehā press” claims of bullying and dictatorship with allegations of assault, nepotism, and serious financial mismanagement.
The email, circulated to members on 14 October under the subject “Te Pāti Māori Fact Sheet – Eru Kapa-Kingi Allegations,” accuses Kapa-Kingi of violent conduct and misconduct while on the parliamentary payroll.
“On 2nd August 2024, we are now aware that Mr. Kapa-Kingi assaulted two security personnel in Parliament,” it says. “This led to him being trespassed from the Parliamentary premises.” It adds that he was “on a Parliamentary service contract to his mother for $120,000 per annum,” and that this arrangement was “terminated for serious misconduct.”
The message further claims he was later rehired “by way of a company called Tautoru Ltd as a way of circumventing Parliamentary Services termination.”
The second flashpoint is the party’s blunt attempts to recast nepotism as cultural solidarity within its ranks. “We make the following acknowledgement to all Māori,” the email states. “‘Pākehā apply a word to us called nepotism. The Māori word for nepotism is Aroha ki te whānau, tautoko tō whakapapa.”
The line is likely to raise eyebrows given the context of alleged payments between MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and her son.
Another bombshell is the confirmation of a major financial investigation into Mariameno Kapa-Kingi’s office. “Parliamentary Services advised that Mariameno Kapa-Kingi was tracking to overspend by $133,000,” the document says.
The email concedes that “a further allegation has surfaced that most of this money, or rather the debt, occurred because Mariameno was paying Eru Kapa-Kingi,” but defers responsibility: “We will leave it to Mariameno to front that allegation and declare how much has been paid out to Eru.”
Read more over at Matura Kahurangi
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