Act Party leader, and soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister, David Seymour, felt the full force of the frustration felt by Māori towards his Treaty Principles Bill while attending the annual parliamentary welcome to Waitangi.
The scene was set Wednesday morning when a group representing Toitū Te Tiriti left the Treaty grounds before the pōwhiri started.
Eru Kapa-Kingi could be heard yelling in Seymour’s direction, “I hope that one day you find within yourself to love being Māori and to love being Ngāpuhi.”
The initial reception was anything but warm, marked by a hostile rendition of the haka Arā Ngāpuhi, with iwi member Mori Rāpana getting right up in the face of Seymour.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says she felt the wairua of the occasion
“He tohu o te riri o ngā haukāinga. It was obvious that the people were feeling, rightfully, angered by the racism that this government is allowing. So, tautoko ahau i a rātou.”
Nāwai i riri, ka takariri rawa atu
From there, the pōwhiri reached boiling point once Seymour got a chance to address the marae.
On multiple occasions, David Seymour’s microphone was taken away from him by Ngātiwai leader, Aperahama Edwards, effectively silencing Seymour’s address.
Ngāpuhi had the chance to drive home the discontent when members of the iwi stood and turned away from Seymour.
Edwards says it was time for Ngāpuhi to convey its message firsthand to Seymour.
“E rongo ake hau, e wawaro mai ana ngā wairua o ō tāua mātua tūpuna, mai i tua o te ārai. E tatari tonu nei, kia mana ngā ōati i te wā i a rātou.”
“Ki a au, ko ngā kōrero i whakatakoto mai ki tana aroaro, otirā, ki te aroaro o te whare pāremata katoa, me pania rātou katoa ki te whakamā, kia tukua ai tēnei pire kia rewa, ahakoa mō tētahi wā poto e mea ana ētahi.”
Prime Minister nowhere to be seen
The National Party arrived without its leader, following Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s decision to forgo Waitangi this year, and was spared much of the attacks.
Former deputy leader Shane Reti said that his party had come in the spirit of respect.
“We came here with the respect and dignity to wear the face of the guest, and we felt well welcomed by Ngāpuhi and the people at the whare rūnanga, and we came here with respect, and we are well pleased.”
Whakakorea ngā moni ka whakawhiwhia ki te Tarahiti o Waitangi
E ai ki te mema pāremata o Aotearoa Tuatahi, ki a Shane Jones, me mutu tā te Kāwanatanga tuku i ngā moni, e rewa ake ai ngā kaupapa whakanui i te rā o Waitangi.
Koirā tana ki te Hērora i tēnei rā.
“Obviously, this is an independent body, but I just gave them $10 million, so if you want to take the money, you take the responsibility of looking after your manuhiri [visitors].
“There’s an expectation that when the manuhiri come to an area like this, they’re not going to come back if they’re mistreated.”
“Obviously, the money’s already been allocated, but if they don’t buck their ideas up, don’t look to central government to fund an organisation that’s independent and can’t raise enough revenue to look after itself.”
“I‘ve certainly lost my zest in pushing any future grants forward unless they buck their ideas up and look after their manuhiri.”
