The Māori Party is out of Parliament after losing all of the Māori seats to a resurgent Labour Party, energised by the leadership of Jacinda Ardern.
Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox didn't mince words in her defiant speech after losing the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat to Meka Whaitiri. Fox claimed that in supporting Labour her electorate had voted for a member of parliament to sit in opposition and warned of the dangers of any New Zealand First coalition government.
"Now you're about to have a man that no matter which party rules, whether it's red or blue, this guy wants to get rid of the Treaty out of every piece of law, this guy wants to get rid of Māori seats, wants to get rid of independent Māori voice," claims Fox.
"Because what I think the whānau have done is that they have gone back to the mother ship, they've gone back like a beaten wife to their abuser."