New Zealand Government Hit by Defection As Election Looms
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
(Bloomberg) -- New Zealand’s governing Labour Party has been hit by the defection of a minister just five months before the nation holds a general election.
Most Read from Bloomberg
PacWest Is Weighing Strategic Options, Including Possible Sale
Nigeria Targeted a UK Mansion; Its Next Leader’s Son Now Owns It
Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri has quit Labour to join the tiny Māori Party, she said on Wednesday. Whaitiri gave little explanation for her move, referring to a commitment to Māori political activism during a press conference in the North Island city of Hastings.
Her departure whittles Labour’s parliamentary majority down to two. The Māori Party currently has two seats in parliament and could potentially hold the balance of power after the Oct. 14 election.
Latest polls have Labour slightly ahead of the main opposition National Party, with both needing the support of minor parties to achieve a majority.
Read more: Māori Party Dismayed as Hipkins Signals Co-Governance Slowdown
The news broke while Prime Minister Chris Hipkins was traveling to London for the coronation of King Charles III.
Acting Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni said Whaitiri has been immediately removed from her ministerial responsibilities.
“Obviously we’re disappointed in Meka Whaitiri’s decision. But we are moving on,” Sepuloni said. “Labour is proud of our track record for Māori.”
Referring to the Treaty of Waitangi — New Zealand’s founding document — Whaitiri said she is “joining an unapologetic Māori political movement to achieve what was promised to us 183 years ago.”
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
Twitter’s Unpaid Bills Threaten to Be an Even Bigger Problem for Elon Musk
Europe’s ‘Golden Visa’ Programs Are Dying Out as Housing Costs Rise
Cadillac’s Lyriq EV Might Be a Winner If GM Can Build Enough of Them
The Company Behind Ben Shapiro Is Trying to Build a Right-Wing Magic Kingdom
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.
