This is edition 2026/020 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Hi all,
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
The Quiet War at Waitangi 2026
Bryce Edwards
- 🌿 Peaceful Waitangi, But Tensions Linger: The expected fireworks at Waitangi 2026 were subdued, but beneath the calm surface, Māori unity and political divisions simmered.
- 🤝 Māori vs Māori: The real conflict was within te ao Māori, with divisions in Te Pāti Māori and internal political struggles overshadowing the usual Māori-Crown tensions.
- 🛑 Protest Failures: A planned protest against the Government was shut down by Ngāpuhi, highlighting the fractured state of Māori activism and diminishing energy for protest.
- 🔥 Te Pāti Māori's Turmoil: Te Pāti Māori's internal strife was on full display, with a public rift led by figures like Eru Kapa-Kingi and Rawiri Waititi's gesture of reconciliation undermined by Kiri Tamihere-Waititi's confrontation.
- 💔 Labour's Māori Exodus: Labour faces increasing instability as senior Māori MPs like Peeni Henare step down, further alienating Māori voters.
- 🌳 Greens Poach Māori Votes: The Greens are positioning themselves to attract disillusioned Māori voters, raiding Te Pāti Māori’s talent pool and drawing criticism from the latter.
- 😶 Government's Smooth Sailing: The Government faced little opposition at Waitangi, with Chris Luxon delivering a controversial speech that pleased his base but alienated many Māori.
- 🐦 Opposition's Fragmentation: Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori are increasingly divided, making it harder to mount a united challenge to the Government before the election.
