Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi have sent a letter to the Speaker of the House, urging action against Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters for what they allege were“racist and hateful” remarks.
The letter said the Deputy Prime Minister had had an “abhorrent outburst” in Parliament, telling students in te reo Māori lessons to “keep their mouth shut”.
“This was not merely a throwaway comment — it was a calculated, blatant, racist assault on our tamariki and a contemptuous dismissal of te reo Māori.
“Peters has a disgraceful history of making vile and divisive comments about Māori, and this latest attack shows his determination to degrade our people and culture.
They also challenged the Speaker’s “inability to uphold the standards of Parliament” by allowing Peters to make those remarks.
“As Speaker, your role is to uphold the standards of Parliament and ensure it does not become a cesspit for racism and abuse.
“To allow Peters’ remarks to go unpunished is to endorse hate speech and spit in the face of the values of respect, inclusivity, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
“The time for silence has passed; every second that Parliament fails to act is a second spent betraying our tamariki and the future we owe them.”
The party is demanding the Speaker censures Peters, forces a public apology, and makes it unequivocally clear that bigotry will not be given a platform in the House.
Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi claim it is not just about the one comment but instead about defending the Māori language, culture, and tamariki.
They called for the public to “speak out” and contact the Speaker directly about the issue.
“It’s time to stand up for te reo Māori and take a stand against hate, for a future grounded in justice and honour."
In response, Peters told Te Ao Māori News: “They have been so seduced by their own unrightful acquisition of power they cannot tolerate anyone challenging their unrifled use of it."
