Oriini Kaipara proves she’s a waka-wreck in politics
Stick to reading the news, aunty
Watching Oriini Kaipara on Q + A today was embarrassing. She might be OK at reading the news, which is debatable, but politics? Not so much. Her attempt at stepping into the political arena has been a waka-wreck from the start.
When asked who she would support as New Zealand’s first Māori prime minister, Kaipara dropped a bombshell: “I want to give that back to Peeni Henare.” She has more trust in Peeni Henare than her own Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi. I could mention Debbie Ngawera-Packer, but if she were to become prime minister, she would actually be New Zealand’s first Irish one.
It gets worse. She was asked, “What has your party achieved in their last two terms of parliament that has materially changed the lives for te iwi Māori?” And what did she do? She rifled through her pocket, looking for her phone to find an answer. This is the problem. Kaipara is good at reading teleprompters because someone else wrote them, but independent thinking? Clearly not her strong suit.
She did manage to tick a few boxes in Te Pāti Māori’s playbook. She spoke at length about racism facing Māori, highlighted the most cringeworthy haka New Zealand has seen in recent memory, and rambled about tikanga, wairua, and Te Ao Māori. It was all filler, substance was nowhere to be found. Politics isn’t just about feelings, culture, or spirituality; it’s about making decisions that actually improve life for everyone in the country. Too many Māori politicians seem to think politics is only about Māori or Palestine.
Kaipara might attract votes from the uneducated, low-IQ Māori supremacist crowd, assuming they can be bothered to get off the couch and actually vote. Most of them will probably be at home, drinking Cody’s and making sure the knives on the stove are red hot for their next spot.
Oriini Kaipara might be OK at reading from a teleprompter. Politics? Not so much. If she wants to contribute, she should stick to what she does best - reading the news on Te Karere.
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