New Zealand’s political debate over politicians’ interactions with gang members has intensified after a photograph emerged showing Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka posing with members of the Mongrel Mob, raising questions about the standards being applied to political candidates across party lines.
According to Stuff, the photograph was taken in January 2024 at Hui ā-motu, an event organised by the late Māori King Tūheitia. The image surfaced as National continued to criticise left-wing politicians and candidates over their interactions with gang members during the election campaign.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has repeatedly rejected engagement with gangs, stressing his government’s tough stance on organised crime.
“No, no, no, no, no, absolutely no,” he said on Friday when asked whether National would be open to engaging with gangs.
“Yeah, I'm not dealing with gangs. Sorry, sorry, I'm not. I am not tolerant of gangs at all. I have no time for gangs, and you've seen that with our actions”, Stuff has quoted.
Luxon made the remarks while responding to the resignation of Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni, after photographs and footage emerged of her attending a gathering where gang members were present. Leoni described the occasion as a family gathering.
Criticising the incident, Luxon said:
“I'm just saying to you, that's the problem, isn't it? That they actually think that even their candidates think it's okay to hang out with gang members and pal around with them. Clearly, it's not. We don't think it is,” he said, as quoted by Stuff.
Potaka Says Photograph Was Taken at Public Event
Potaka told Stuff that the photograph with the gang members was taken at a public event and that one of the individuals was a former schoolmate who had asked for a picture.
“One of those guys was a school mate of mine and wanted a photo,” Potaka told Stuff.
He argued that the circumstances were different from politicians deliberately meeting gang members while campaigning.
“That was at a public event prior to the gang patch ban,” he said. “I think you’ll find, Jenna its very, very distinct circumstance”, Stuff has quoted.
When questioned on Saturday about whether any National MPs had engaged with gangs, Luxon initially said he was unaware of any such instances before acknowledging the photograph of Potaka.
“Tama Potaka, I’m aware there is an image of him at a Kiingitanga event,” he said.
“Tama and National are under no illusion we’re tough on gangs.”
Luxon said he had not discussed the photograph with Potaka and maintained that it did not indicate political engagement with the gang.
“I’m just saying to you, he had a photo with a gang member at a big event,” he said, as quoted by Stuff.
“He's not campaigning. He's not fundraising. He's not raising funds for the Mongrel Mob. And go talk to Tama. He's very much against gangs, like the rest of us in the National Party for sure,” Stuff has quoted.
Senior minister Mark Mitchell also defended Potaka, saying the photograph was taken at a public event three years earlier and was not connected to election campaigning.
“So Tama was at, three years ago, was at the Kiingitanga for an event there, when that photo was taken, he wasn't campaigning. He wasn't engaging gang members to ask them to get organized to vote for the National Party,” he said, as quoted by Stuff.
“In fact, he was probably getting a hard time because we were implementing our gang legislation. There is a big difference between being at a public event and attending a public event, and have gang members approach you.”
Mitchell said Potaka was attempting to be respectful when approached for the photograph.
“We had actually been clear that we didn't think that it was appropriate to have patched gang members there, and it's obvious that he was put in a position where someone wanted to take a photo. I wouldn't read anything into that,” as quoted by Stuff.
He also argued that photographs taken with members of the public should not be equated with politicians deliberately visiting gang headquarters.
“We get thousands of photos every day of people in a public place. We don't know every individual. We don't know their background. We don't know their history. That's just the nature of public life. There is a huge difference between that and actively going to a gang pad,” Stuff has quoted.
Hipkins Challenges Luxon Over Double Standards
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has called on Luxon to apply the same standards to Potaka that he has demanded of opposition politicians.
"He now needs to answer why he thinks National MPs should be held to a different standard to the standard he demands of others," he said, as quoted by Stuff.
The political dispute has also drawn attention to a photograph of Hipkins with a man whom long-time Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam has identified as a gang member. The man was not wearing a gang patch in the photograph.
Tam shared the image on social media with the caption: “Two face Hipkins validating gang member when it suits him. A man of poor judgement he lost the last election and may loose (sic) this one too.”
Asked about the image by Stuff, Hipkins said he did not recall the circumstances in which it was taken.
“I don’t recall that. I mean, it could have been some time ago,” Hipkins said.
“How would you know? I mean, we’re about to go for a walkabout through a shopping mall where we have hundreds of photos. How would you know who they are?”, as quoted by Stuff.
Gang Controversy Spreads Across Political Parties
The controversy has been developing since October 14, when Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara published photographs of herself and Green and Te Pāti Māori candidates at a Mongrel Mob gang pad.
Hipkins criticised the visit as unacceptable and said the two parties would not be eligible to hold law and order portfolios in a cabinet led by him.
The issue escalated on Wednesday night during a candidates’ debate for Tāmaki Makaurau, where Kaipara alleged that Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni had also visited the gang pad. Leoni denied the allegation, Stuff has reported.
Footage subsequently emerged of Leoni attending a gathering on October 3, which she described as a whānau function, where some attendees were gang members. Wearing a Labour jacket, she was seen holding an election hoarding featuring herself and Hipkins and encouraging people to enrol their friends to help change the government.
Leoni resigned the following morning.
According to Stuff, the latest developments have intensified scrutiny of how New Zealand’s political parties distinguish between being photographed with gang members at public events and deliberately engaging with gangs during election campaigns. National has urged MPs who are photographed with gang members to ask how they obtained their patches.
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