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Politics

Judith Collins’s Waitangi speaking spat is 'whitewashing tikanga' – Māori Party co-leader

At this year's Waitangi commemorations, National leader Judith Collins wasn’t afforded the same speaking rights as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. She said it wasn’t her marae, and she wasn’t going to break the rules set out by the people of the marae.

However today, she's calling for change.

“I think it's time for us to call this out.”

“It's not something that I'm going to be accepting again and I don't think any other political leader, certainly not the leader of the opposition or the prime minister should apologise for their gender,” she said

However, Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngārewa Packer finds it ironic that the leader of a political party who she says peddles anti-Māori rhetoric is demanding a spot to speak on the marae. She says that its not an issue of equal rights for women, but rather a commitment to upholding tikanga.

“Well I'm a wahine Māori, and the first speaker on the marae as we all know are wahine. We get to decide who comes on, we get to decide what their intent is.

“Mana wahine is not at stake here. What is at stake is Judith Collins wanting to whitewash our tikanga and assert her role in a way that shouldn't be.”

Tikanga vs political profile

Kaikaranga, who welcome people on to the marae in Waitangi, have come out criticising the issue, saying there are misconceptions on the roles played by women on the marae, as not having a voice. The kaikaranga beg to differ.

Muritere Apiata, one of the resident kaikaranga at the Waitangi Marae says that the role of women on the marae holds just as much importance as the men and that “men's and women’s roles work in cohesion.”

"Ko ngā pōwhiri ka tū ki Waitangi. He kaupapa hei whakanui i te hainatanga o te tiriti o Waitangi. Ae, tika. He pōhehe tō etahi he wahi tutū ai te puehu mo ngā kaupapa tōrangapū, ehara. Ki te kore ia e ū ki tenei kaupapa, kaore he aha ki ahau"

"The pōwhiri that happen in Waitangi are to begin commemorations of Waitangi. Some may be confused that this is an opportunity for political mudslinging, but it's not. If these processes are not adhered to, that's not a good thing," she said

Te Ao Māori News sought comment from the Waitangi National Trust today to no avail.

The National Party see a way forward working together with the National Trust to come to a conclusion.

“We're very pleased that the Waitangi Trust has decided to take this issue into its deliberations but we'll wait for it to make its recommendations,” deputy leader Shane Reti said.