MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi announced she is leaving Te Pāti Māori to launch a new political party.
Māori politics has erupted as Mariameno Kapa-Kingi launched a rival party, Te Pāti Māori fractures deepen, and the battle for the Māori vote heats up.
The fight for the Māori vote has intensified, with one of the most dramatic political showdowns in recent memory on the cards.
Bitter infighting, whispers of more defections, coalition questions, and the possible return of political heavyweight Hone Harawira are adding fuel to the fire, which blazed last week after Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi announced she was breaking away from Te Pāti Māori to launch a new political movement after months of escalating conflict behind the scenes.
"The focus on the Māori seats this election is absolutely warranted," RNZ political reporter Lillian Hanly tells The Detail. "Not only could they determine various coalition make-ups, and whether even Te Pāti Māori make it back into parliament; the contest in the seats between Labour, Te Pāti Māori, the Greens and now an independent, is going to be fascinating."
