Peters to Bridges at Waitangi: You looking for trouble?
Politicians descended on Waitangi for a powhiri ahead of Waitangi Day tomorrow, and the occasion swiftly turned into a game of political point-scoring between Winston Peters and Simon Bridges.
Peters wouldn’t stand next to Bridges as MPs were welcomed onto the marae, instead positioning Green Party co-leader James Shaw so that he stood between them.
The row played out against the backdrop of the National Party leader’s decision to rule NZ First out of any post-election coalition talks.
Bridges used his speech at the powhiri to attack the Government’s ‘‘year of delivery’’, claiming it had failed to deliver for Ma¯ ori, especially in the north.
There were accusations the speech was ‘‘pokanoa,’’ which comes from ‘‘to trample’’, implying Bridges trampled over the conventions about the nonpoliticisation of Waitangi.
NZ First leader Peters didn’t waste the opportunity to take a swipe at Bridges. He took a speaking slot reserved for Shane Jones, using it to launch a broadside at the National leader.
‘‘It was not my intention to speak here but after what I’ve heard and the politicisation of this event I’m seriously concerned about the next eight months,’’ he said.
He then directed an Elvis Presley quote at Bridges: ‘‘If you’re looking for trouble, you’ve come to the right place’’.
Serious politics played second fiddle to the Bridges-Peters grudge match.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern used her speech to reaffirm her commitment to Ma¯ori and her desire to be held to account.
Her Minister for Treaty Negotiations, Andrew Little, delivered his speech entirely in te reo Ma¯ ori. The speech impressed leaders on the paepae.
Ardern said that Little’s speech was an example of the direction of Ma¯ ori and Pa¯ keha¯ relations, which would mean Pa¯ keha¯ increasingly working in the Ma¯ ori world, in the way Ma¯ ori had been asked to work in the Pa¯ keha¯ world.
Politicians will stay in Waitangi until the dawn service tomorrow, after which most will decamp ahead of Parliament returning next week.