A video has emerged from the hui at the gang pad in which Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara tells the Mongrel Mob that Te Pāti Māori's policies would reinstate what should have existed all along.
Depending on how you interpret that statement and the context of what she had been discussing beforehand, she was either suggesting that Te Pāti Māori's policies would reinstate housing support for gang members or restore the mana of gang members. Either way, neither is likely to be a priority for most voters.
But it gets worse. The video appears to show that the hui was a campaign event, with parties effectively seeking votes. That directly contradicts what the Green Party claimed. They said it was a health and wellbeing promotion day. It certainly does not look that way.
It gets worse again because Oriini Kaipara has now given an interview defending her actions, in which she says she is more concerned about MPs in suits pushing policy changes relating to the Waitangi Tribunal than she is about gang members.
And it gets worse yet, if you can believe it. Kiri Tamihere-Waititi, the daughter of John Tamihere and wife of Rawiri Waititi, has posted an Instagram video criticising Labour for condemning meetings with gang members who are whānau.
You do not need me to tell you that this is bad. Just when Chris Hipkins finally got on the phone to Marama Davidson and, by all appearances, told the Greens to stop talking about it, which they largely did by the end of last week, Te Pāti Māori decided to weigh in.
This is damaging for the left because swing voters generally dislike gangs, which can push them towards the right. At the moment, both sides are competing for roughly 15 percent of voters who remain undecided or persuadable.
It also drowns out everything the Labour Party and the Green Party are trying to say. While this story remains in the headlines, any policy announcement they make will be overshadowed by questions about gangs. Every day the controversy continues is another day spent answering questions about gangs.
It is remarkable that the Greens and Te Pāti Māori appear to be taking turns digging this hole even deeper for themselves.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and radio broadcaster who hosts Newstalk ZB's weekday Drive-Time Show – where this article was sourced.
6 comments:
It’s not remarkable at all, they are dunderheads plain and simple.
Vote for the left and expect more of the same when Cindy was at the helm.
Why did they choose the Mongrel Mob and not Black Power or some other gang?
It's because The Greens and Te Pati see the mongrel mob as family. Who knows, they may even use them.as bodyguards or police if they are elected. You've heard them say so themselves. They are family. Kiri Waititi, wife of the Tepati leader, said in her latest facebook rant, that they spend Christmas and birthdays with the mongrel.mob. She said that. It's still on facebook. This is the same woman who ranted with all sorts of curse words about how they should just take the country back. Orini's recent speech to.the mongrel mob also makes their intentions clear. She said everyone should be scared of us once we are in power..By " us" she means Greens Tepati and the mongrel mob, the owners of Aotearoa. I mean, how is this even allowed?. Shouldn't the police be getting involved? Isn't saying you want to take comtrol of Nz treason?
Also how on earth willl it be possible for weak little Hipkins to control this rabble? Despite any formal coalition that is set up, Tepati and Greens won't care sbout rules.and will behave as if they are in charge. Parliament will barely function.There will be a haka every 5 minutes and fully patched mongrel mob in the gallery.
Opinion polls seem to suggest it is having no impact and if it does it will simply cement candidate vote TPM party vote Green.
It's the optics Anon 9.01. A vote for the left is a vote for gang influence. Why else would Labour tell the Greens to stop talking about it. Its the proverbial bugger's muddle and the more the merrier so far as the right is concerned.
What is strange is that Heather thinks this is bad. It is wonderful that TPM, the Green and Labour have shown themselves to be supporters of gangs in the public forum. The only problem is if voters still vote for them despite this.
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