Table of Contents
Summarised by Centrist
Te Pāti Māori says it is confident of a political comeback ahead of the 2026 general election, despite a year marked by internal conflict, collapsing poll numbers, and the departure of MPs who now sit as independents.
The party entered 2025 riding high. At its peak, Te Pāti Māori was polling as high as 7 percent. By year’s end, some polls placed the party closer to 1 percent, a reversal co-leader Rawiri Waititi openly acknowledged.
The party has been destabilised by a series of internal disputes. Former allies accused the leadership of operating a “dictatorial” structure, an allegation the party rejects. MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris were expelled for alleged constitutional breaches, though Kapa-Kingi later had her party membership reinstated by the courts. Ferris, meanwhile, has made public allegations of bullying and mistreatment within the party, claims the leadership disputes.
Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer conceded the party mishandled the public fallout, saying internal disputes spilled beyond leadership circles into electorates, executives, and public opinion.
Iwi leaders were drawn in to mediate, and questions were raised about the ongoing role of party president John Tamihere.
Despite this, the co-leaders claim the party retains a strong base and has learned from the turmoil. They say future strategy will place less emphasis on social media mobilisation and more focus on grassroots campaigning, returning to the approach that helped rebuild the party in 2020.
