Eru Kapa-Kingi allegations confirmed

Violence and nepotism

I began writing this early this morning, before I received the leaked email from Te Pāti Māori. This piece comes in two parts: first, my thoughts before knowing the full story, and second, my reaction after seeing the email. Nepotism runs deep in Māori culture, and so does violence.

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Is anyone really surprised that Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and her son Eru are now the latest in Māori figures facing allegations of misconduct and overspending? Because I’m not. The warning signs have been flashing for a while.

Let’s start with Eru Kapa-Kingi, the self-proclaimed activist who thought it was a good idea to get a face tā moko right before leading the Toitū Te Tiriti march across the country. The same march that clogged up roads, disrupted everyday New Zealanders, and achieved absolutely nothing. It was never going to change a single word of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill - it wasn’t even going to get passed anyway. It did give Te Pāti Māori plenty of free publicity. Let’s not forget the conveniently timed merch sales. Their website proudly claims that “all profits go directly towards the kaupapa.” Sure they do. If you believe that, you probably also believe that Eru is a serious political thinker and not just another angry opportunist trying to cash in on a movement.

Now we have this report from Parliamentary Service following an investigation into Eru’s conduct on Budget Day 2024. The details aren’t public yet, but I’d hardly fall off my chair if it turns out violence was involved. This is, after all, the same guy who once challenged David Seymour to a fight because he didn’t like what he said about his mummy. That’s the level of maturity and intellect we’re dealing with here. And we’re supposed to take this guy seriously as a scholar and political voice? Get whāked!

Then there’s his mother, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. Officials raised concerns that she was in danger of blowing her office budget by up to $133,000, and had to be told to take “urgent action” just to make sure her staff got paid. It’s worth noting that her dear son Eru has previously worked in her office. Of course he did. Because when Māori politicians get into positions of power, nepotism tends to come as part of the package.

Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer insists that the budget issue has since been “resolved.” But that’s not really the point, is it? The point is that this is just another example of a party that talks endlessly about integrity, mana, and protecting Māori interests, yet seems to fall apart the moment someone checks the receipts.

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Now, in a classic twist, the airing of these allegations seems to be payback after Eru started running his mouth about Te Pāti Māori’s so-called “dictatorial leadership style” and the demotion of his mum as party whip. It’s giving schoolyard drama, not political movement. He’s clearly still angry that mummy got told off.

So no, I don’t know how anyone can act shocked. This is exactly what happens when ego, entitlement, and activism mix with taxpayer money. And it’s becoming harder and harder to take Te Pāti Māori seriously when their biggest headlines are about tantrums, turf wars, and taxpayer-funded chaos.

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Earlier this morning I wrote the above about the Kapa-Kingi mess, long before I was leaked a Te Pāti Māori email from a confidential source regarding the allegations against Eru Kapa-Kingi. Guess what? I was right. The allegations involved violence.

You could almost see it coming. Anyone with half a brain could tell that a bloke who tried to call out David Seymour for a fight had a serious chip on his shoulder.

The email, titled “TE PĀTI MĀORI FACT SHEET – ERU KAPA-KINGI ALLEGATIONS”, states the following:

“On 2nd August 2024, we are now aware that Mr. Kapa-Kingi assaulted two security personnel in Parliament. This led to him being trespassed from the Parliamentary premises. In addition, we learned that he was on a Parliamentary service contract to his mother for $120,000 per annum, and this contract was terminated for serious misconduct. He was brought back by way of a company called Tautoru Ltd as a way of circumventing Parliamentary Services termination. I attach as Appendix 3 the Parliamentary Service Report on the incident.”

There it is, in black and white - violence and attempts to dodge accountability. Of course, the nepotism angle is glaring - a $120,000 contract to his mother’s office, terminated for serious misconduct, then brought back through a shell company.

This isn’t an isolated incident. We see this pattern time and time again in Māori political culture, where entitlement, aggression, and the bending of rules seem ingrained into daily practice. Te Pāti Māori can talk all it wants about kaupapa and integrity, but the reality on the ground is very different.