Summarised by Centrist
A former Te Pāti Māori candidate who confronted Cabinet Minister Casey Costello at a Wellsford food court is now under fire – not just from the public, but from veteran activist Hone Harawira.
Pere Huriwai-Seger sat down uninvited at Costello’s table and told her, “of course you’re gonna get it,” a comment she took as threatening.
He later claimed it was meant only in a verbal sense – “you’re gonna get my words” – but the incident has drawn widespread attention in a political climate already tense over rising threats toward female MPs.
Harawira, who says he’s no fan of Costello himself, publicly rebuked Huriwai-Seger for targeting a woman in public. “I don’t like you pushing yourself into a woman’s space and I don’t like you telling her she’s ‘gonna get it’,” he said on Facebook. “Pat yourself on the back if you think that makes you a big man, but don’t try that on me or my wife,” he said.
Police confirmed they were called about the incident, but no threats or offences were identified and no further action was taken.
Huriwai-Seger posted his own version of events to Instagram, framing the confrontation as a political statement: “You can’t drive all this division and harm in our communities and then just come in here like nothing.”
Asked if it was appropriate to confront a minister during dinner, he replied, “They should expect backlash from the public.”
Huriwai-Seger acknowledged Harawira’s criticism, but said he doesn’t believe he crossed the line.
Te Pāti Māori, whose list he ran on in 2023, declined to comment.
