Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer receive hundreds of racist posts and emails each week. Photo / Whakaata Māori
Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer receive hundreds of racist posts and emails each week. Photo / Whakaata Māori
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Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has hit back at racist letter writers she says are wrongfully targeting her party over Labour Government policy.
Ngarewa-Packer told the Herald that while Te Pāti Māori supports some of Labour's policies - including co-governance and Māori local body wards - blaming Te Pāti Māori for all Labour-led legislation was just stupid.
As MPs, Ngarewa-Packer acknowledges they are public people, and her and co-leader Rawiri Waititi are happy for others to have a freedom of choice and freedom to express their opinion, but says that "targeting us because of our race and culture is not on."
"I was called a racist c*** in the New World Supermarket carpark in New Plymouth last week.
"I now use a Safe Hub app - which all MPs have, and [which] is an app connected to police.
"We are very mindful now about our safety. The first 12 months of being an MP freaked me out and was a learning curve, but now we depend on whānau and our community for our welfare when we are among them.
"We have a checklist that includes staff when we go anywhere or [are] at a function and [notes] where exits are if we need to get out."
Written threats made to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi. Images / Supplied
Ngarewa-Packer said between her and Waititi, Te Pāti Māori receives hundreds of letters, tweets, Facebook posts and replies with a racist angle per week. Most are managed by parliamentary staff before they get to an MP.
But Te Pāti Māori occasionally go public.
"The way we lift the trauma thrown at us - like written threats - is to share it, and not let that trauma sit with us, but back with the letter writers and abusers," Ngarewa-Packer said.
In a handwritten letter sent to Te Pāti Māori last week, the author wrote: "F*** the Māori." Next to a picture of Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi, the author wrote "Clown", with an arrow pointing to Waititi.
The author adds: "You are racist. 3 Waters. F*** Treaty. Māori want to retire at 57. Don't work anyway lazy. N*****s. Captain Cook forever."
On a second piece of paper, the rant continues: "F*** the Māori. Not the first people to live in New Zealand. You ate them. F*** the treaty."
Written threats made to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi. Image / Supplied
Ngarewa-Packer said that of note was typical of New Zealand "keyboard warrior behaviour".
She said whenever Act and or NZ First release anti-Māori policy, Te Pāti Māori cops a lot more abuse.
"There is a spin-off effect, as happened when Act released polices on World Indigenous Day. When Winston says we are racist and separatist, it triggers more abuse to us.
"If you look at the written letter, what is quoted aren't Te Pāti Māori policies, yet we are tarred with it.
"It's the same when claims are made about the MPs with moko kauae, when Nanaia Mahuta wears it; I wear it as well, because of what we symbolise.
"This last six months, the level of abuse has increased and is connected to headlines and other things happening from political parties on the right.
"Te Pāti Māori absolutely agrees with people and freedom of speech, but to absolutely hate someone for a policy that doesn't even belong to your party, is anti-culture and anti-Māori.
"We see comments about Rawiri's mataora and my moko kauae. They are not statements about policy, but anti-Maori statements.
"That's what we are navigating through. They hate Māori."
Ngarewa-Packer says because Te Pāti Māori don't play the political game, like other political parties, they can stay loyal to their kaupapa.
