By Lillian Hanly of RNZ
A meeting yesterday between ousted Te Pāti Māori MPs and their former colleagues was a chance to "sit down together, spend some time, have a cup of tea" and talk through recent events, says Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris.
The newly independent MPs, Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, had their first day back in Parliament today since being expelled from Te Pāti Māori on Monday, posting a video to social media with a song titled 'Welcome back'.
In an interview with RNZ, Ferris described the expulsion process as a "joke" and underhanded.
Ferris believed Te Pāti Māori MPs Oriini Kaipara and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke were now "trapped" in the party which was behaving "way below the line".
"Our mates, they weren't told we were getting expelled. They were told by the press release. This is the degree of the conduct, right? It's way below the line."
He said that would lead people to "naturally come to the conclusion, well, you can't exist in that".
"We're now expelled, so now Hana and Oriini are stuck, are trapped there. What are we going to do? Just leave that there like that? I don't think the people will agree with that."
Ferris, Kapa-Kingi, Kaipara and a representative for Maipi Clarke held a hui yesterday without their co-leader.
Ferris said the meeting was simply about "getting back together" and they did not discuss the possibility of forming a new party.
Last week, Ferris, Kapa-Kingi and Kaipara sent a letter to the National Council of Te Pāti Māori requesting an "immediate audience" to discuss some of their concerns about the party and the experiences of those three MPs.
Ferris said they had yet to receive a response.
"It's just sitting there being ignored, but it's got three signatures," he said.
"Three current MPs have signed that letter. Fifty percent of your caucus have signed that letter - and they just ignored it and expelled two of them."
Kaipara and Maipi-Clarke have yet to speak publicly following the expulsion, but both have posted on social media addressing their electorates.
Ferris said it was going to be "extremely awkward" and "extremely difficult" for Kaipara and Maipi-Clarke in the party's offices at Parliament.
When asked about the meeting between the MPs, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said yesterday they were entitled to meet with "whoever they want to meet with".
She wasn't concerned about what was being discussed or potential implications for the party.
Back at Parliament
Ferris told RNZ he was back at Parliament to "do a job" and was planning to get on with his work as the representative of Te Tai Tonga.
Both he and Kapa-Kingi were still Te Pāti Māori MPs when it came to the kaupapa, he said.
"We're here for the kaupapa of Te Pāti Māori, not the personnel of Te Pāti Māori. We're here for the vision that Whatarangi Winiata had and that Tariana Turia had, and that Pita Sharples had."
Ferris confirmed he intended to challenge the expulsion process, questioning why so few people were part of the meeting where the decisions was made.
He said just 11 people attended that meeting when there should have been 36, and only two MPs when there should have been six.
"The amount of holes in it, it's just so easy to debunk."
Te Tai Tonga abstained from the vote, with Ngarewa-Packer pointing out on Monday the motion had gone "without opposition."
Ferris said the view of the Te Tai Tonga executive was that taking a position would suppose they agreed with the process in which the National Council arrived at the motion being passed in the first place, so chose to abstain.
Ferris said no one had explained to him yet how he had breached the constitution.
"No one's come to explain to me exactly what the breaches are and explain how the breach occurred and whether there is or was an actual breach."
RNZ understands one breach was Ferris doubling down on racially charged comments during the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election, comments party president John Tamihere later supported in essence.
Ferris flatly rejected Tamihere's accusation that he had been plotting a leadership coup. Asked directly if he had leadership ambitions, he said he was "leading Te Tai Tonga".
He said a lot of meetings were still to take place before the upcoming AGM in early December, and the people of Te Tai Tonga would be issuing a 'please explain' about his expulsion.
"They all want answers from the executive. They expect answers."
Ultimately though, Ferris said the party "has suffered" and "continues to suffer reputational damage" and an assessment would need to be made at some point whether that could be repaired.
"Do we have the time or the energy or the resources available to repair that, whilst we've got to move all our people towards making sure that the government goes away next year?" He said.
"The people will speak up. The pressure will be so immense from outside that the only option will be to reorganise the party, and the National Council will step in and do the job they're supposed to do."
Ferris said Tamihere needed to step down, else the party would have no future.
"No future because the people won't follow it. And if there's no people, there's no nothing."
Te Pāti Māori has been approached for comment.
