Labour, Kingitanga starting afresh
The last time a Labour Party leader visited the Ma¯ori King, Tuheitia, he was rushed off the marae in a golf cart.
Next month Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will head to Waikato’s Turangawaewae Marae for an official sit-down with the King, and the Government will be hoping her fate is better than that of her predecessor’s, Andrew Little.
In August 2016, Little attended the coronation where King Tu¯ heitia made a speech that threw Kı¯ngitanga (the Ma¯ori King movement) support behind the Ma¯ ori Party. He went on to later endorse the party’s candidate, Rahui Papa, in the HaurakiWaikato seat over his own niece, Nanaia Mahuta, who subsequently increased her majority and is now Ma¯ ori development minister.
When Little’s staff got word that King Tu¯ heitia was about to unleash on Labour they whisked him into a golf cart and shot off the marae before the controversial speech took place.
A Labour leader hasn’t been back since, though Mahuta has built a bridge with the King since the election.
Wha¯nau Ora Minister Peeni Henare, who is on Tekau Ma Rua – the king’s 12-person council – also maintains a relationship with him.
While Papa, a spokesman for the King, says Ardern should expect a ‘‘warm and welcome reception’’ there’s questions remaining over where the his political feelings rest.
In Rotorua at the weekend the Ma¯ ori Party held its annual meeting and selected Che Wilson as their new president to take over from outgoing Tukoroirangi Morgan – one of King Tuheitia’s closest advisers.
Wilson is also on Tekau Ma Rua – so while Morgan has cut the tie between the King and the Ma¯ ori Party, his replacement has stitched it back together.
In March last year when the King endorsed Papa, Little blamed Morgan for meddling.
‘‘I think this particular King is problematic and I think he’s abusing his office, because I think he’s under the influence of Tukoroirangi Morgan – but his time will pass and any relationship will bloom,’’ Little said at the time.
Little and Henare blamed Morgan for the scenes at the King’s coronation speech the year before and NZ First leader Winston Peters accused King Tuheitia’s advisers of manipulating the King and putting the whole movement under threat.
Ardern says she has a diary clash on March 17 when the King will hold his annual regatta – an event she’s been formally invited to – but a meeting between the pair has been organised for later in the month.
‘‘That will give me an opportunity to have a more substantive conversation than I might be able to have alongside the fringes of the regatta,’’ she said.
The pair met briefly at Ratana earlier this year and that was when they discussed that it might be useful to have a formal meeting.
She’s not concerned that the last official visit went badly and sees it as an ‘‘opportunity to talk about future work we can undertake together’’.
Ardern has no plans to let relationships between other political parties and the King ‘‘get in the way of us having a really beneficial relationship’’.
‘‘So far from my perspective we’re starting afresh and I won’t let that taint any of our engagement.’’
Papa is adamant the first meeting between King Tu¯ heitia and Ardern will be about getting to know each other and will be nothing but warm.
He said the Government had received an overwhelmingly positive reception at both Ratana and Waitangi this year and ‘‘each region has its own way of doing things’’.
But don’t expect Kingitanga to miss the chance to offer their own baby name for Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford. But, ‘‘it’s a state secret until it’s announced’’, Papa said.