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Summarised by Centrist
Winston Peters ripped into Te Pāti Māori in a scathing speech, accusing the party of abusing tikanga to justify “anarchy” and attacking Parliament itself.
The New Zealand First leader said the party “don’t want democracy, they want anarchy,” after its MPs disrupted a vote on the Treaty Principles Bill with an unannounced haka.
“Countless people have done haka in this Parliament,” Peters said. “But after first consulting the Speaker… There was no attempt [here] whatsoever.”
He slammed the MPs’ refusal to apologise and said they were using Māori culture “as an excuse for disgraceful behaviour… an insult to Māoridom.” Peters also claimed they had fleeced Māori communities:
“Hundreds of millions of dollars fleeced off the Māori people out in South and West Auckland—it’s all there.”
He then aimed at co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and MP Takuta Ferris, calling them out over identity politics while questioning their own:
“Look in the mirror. What is the majority of your DNA?”
“If you’re disgraced by your European DNA – we over here are not.”
Peters added: “They’ve got no record of doing anything for Māori — apart from bleeding Māori resources and a marae up in Auckland.”
He ridiculed Rawiri Waititi’s cowboy hat and mataora as media bait, saying he “hates Western values” and calling the party “the product of feeble minds and bad sociology classes.”
“They’re bludging off their voters,” he said. “They’re not turning up in Parliament. And their end is not long.”
