16 Sep 2025

Te Pāti Māori president backs MP's controversial comments

From Checkpoint, 5:29 pm on 16 September 2025

Te Pāti Māori's leader Rāwiri Waititi has finally responded to questions about Tākuta Ferris's controversial race comments, but with a catch, he would only answer question in te reo. It comes after Tākuta Ferris took aim at "Indians, Asians, Black and Pakeha" in an Instagram post two weeks ago, criticising them for campaigning alongside Labour for the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election. His co-leaders apologised - but Mr Ferris has since doubled-down - and now the party's president John Tamihere has weighed in too. Political reporter Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira spoke to Lisa Owen.