Labour Minister Meka Whaitiri has this morning announced her immediate resignation from the party.
At a closed event at Waipatu Marae in Hastings, Ms Whaitiri told the crowded room she had notified the Speaker that she was leaving Labour to join Te Pati Maori, where she'll stand as their Ikaroa-Rawhiti candidate at this year's election.
Meka Whaitiri is the sitting MP for Ikaroa-Rawhiti, and won the seat in 2020 with an overwhelming majority of more than 6,000 votes.
She has been stripped of her Ministerial responsibilities, with Kieran McAnulty taking over as the Acting Hawkes Bay Lead Minister for Cyclone Recovery. Ayesha Verrall, Peeni Henare and Damien O'Connor will temporarily take over her other Ministerial roles.
RNZ's Political Editor, Jane Patterson, spoke to Charlotte Cook.
