Prime Minister Chris Hipkins makes tracks to west Auckland whānau music festival for a boogie

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he was proud to lead a country where respect is key. Photo / Te Whānau o Waipareira

On the road back from Waitangi, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni stopped at the Waitangi@Waititi music festival in west Auckland to join 25,000 others who were in the groove.

What started out at 9am with around 1500 hearty whānau at Parrs Park, Oratia, turned into 25,000 enjoying a day of music and whānau hookups.

Hipkins and his ministerial entourage had been at the dawn service in Waitangi before the convoy headed to west Auckland to join the Waitangi festivities - Westie style.

Hipkins told the whānau friendly crowd that he was thrilled to be at Hoani Waititi Marae to celebrate our national day and acknowledged Sepuloni, a true red westie and the local MP, other Labour MPs and Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson, who has supported Waitangi@Waititi since its inception in 2013.

“Today is Waitangi Day and a great opportunity to celebrate all the things that are unique about New Zealand,” Hipkins said.

“Let’s celebrate Waitangi Day and celebrate we are all here together.”

Jackson said it was fitting that the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister turn up to what has become the biggest Waitangi Day event in Aotearoa.

Carmel Sepuloni and her moko (whose 1st birthday was yesterday), Chris Hipkins and Willie Jackson. Photo / Supplied

“It was brilliant the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister stopped by to Waitangi@waititi to acknowledge this community event run by John Tamihere’s Te Whanau or Waipareira,” Jackson said.

“What a way to finish a great weekend where celebration and not division was the kaupapa.

“JT managed to stop the rain and the whanau in their thousands turned up to Hoani Waititi to enjoy another fantastic day.

“When I see our people - Māori and non-Māori coming together to celebrate Waitangi Day - from the events at Waitangi to west Auckland, that says to me that we are not as split as some would have you believe.”

Waipareira CEO and Te Pāti Māori Party President John Tamihere said having the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister stop into Waitangi@Waititi was an honour, and the fact the music event even happened was testament to the Waipareira kaimahi.

Waipareira CEO John Tamihere acknowledges the special guests. Photo / Te Whānau o Waipareira

“This is what we all needed right now, all of us and especially this community,” Tamihere said.

“For the Prime Minister to take the time to be here with us, and also walk around meeting our local stallholders was a real highlight.

“There was never any thought of cancelling. Thousands and thousands of happy people having a great day and going away smiling. That’s what Waitangi @ Waititi is all about and we will do it all again next year even bigger and even better.”