Summarised by Centrist

In a Q&A interview with Jack Tame, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer acknowledged Māori have separate rights under Te Tiriti o Waitangi as tangata whenua. When pressed on whether this meant different standards of citizenship, she said, “We have different expectations and different rights, absolutely.” 

She argued these rights are essential to protect all New Zealanders from “corporate exploitation” and the “Atlas agenda coming at us”. 

Ngawera-Packer offered as proof of an “Atlas conspiracy” the suggestion that the libertarian leaning Atlas Network is chaired by Debbi Gibbs, whose mother, Dame Jenny Gibbs, is an ACT party donor. 

While evasive regarding answers surrounding the use of parliamentary resources in relation to the hīkoi to Parliament, organised by a Te Pāti Māori staffer, Eru Kapa-Kingi, Ngarewa-Packer admitted: “He’s partly paid by parliamentary services.”

However, she alluded to the practice being commonplace amongst political parties. She attempted to distance her party’s involvement by stating the hīkoi was “run by the people.” 

When asked if the hīkoi was a recruitment drive, she, again, deflected saying: “I cannot say that that’s been our focus.” However, she continued: “The priority was to make sure our people knew how to get on the Māori role.”

Watch the whole interview over on YouTube

_{Image: YouTube}