Mike Bain/cvnznews.com
What began as a controversial photo opportunity has now become a full-blown election issue, with fresh video footage raising new questions about a meeting between Green Party and Te Pāti Māori politicians and members of the Mongrel Mob.
When images first emerged showing candidates posing alongside gang members at a Mongrel Mob pad linked to senior gang figure Harry Tam, the gathering was described as a “whānau, health and wellbeing election hui”. Oriini Kaipara defended the visit as being focused on the wellbeing of gang-affiliated whānau and argued that engagement did not amount to endorsement
However, newly released footage from inside the meeting appears to tell a more political story.
The video reportedly shows Green and Te Pāti Māori candidates being handed a microphone and addressing attendees directly, with Oriini Kaipara promoting party policies and telling gang members that Te Pāti Māori would help restore what she described as their “mana”. [
The footage has intensified criticism from political opponents, who argue the event was not simply a community engagement meeting but an election campaign stop.
National has been among the strongest critics. Justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith accused the Greens and Te Pāti Māori of prioritising gang members over victims, noting the role gangs play in drug offending, intimidation and violence.
ACT deputy leader Nicole McKee went further, accusing the parties of actively courting gang support and questioning why politicians were taking photographs with patched gang members rather than meeting victims of gang crime.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has also sought to distance himself from the controversy, describing the visit as a “huge error of judgement”. He subsequently ruled out Green or Te Pāti Māori MPs holding police, corrections or justice-related ministerial portfolios in any government he leads.
Yet the Greens remain unapologetic.
Co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have defended the engagement, arguing politicians must be willing to meet all communities, including those living on society’s margins. They say addressing gang harm requires understanding the causes that drive people into cycles of crime and violence.
Te Pāti Māori has adopted a similar stance, maintaining that gang members remain part of whānau and society and should not be excluded from democratic engagement.
The political fallout shows no sign of fading. What began as a debate over a single meeting has evolved into a much larger argument about gangs, crime, victims, rehabilitation and exactly where politicians should draw the line when seeking votes.
