Live updates from Waitangi: Luxon’s speech met with boos and heckles

Mōrena and nau mai to The Spinoff’s Waitangi 2026 live updates. It’s the eve of Waitangi Day, meaning it’s the most political day of Waitangi week – hot takes and inflamed tensions are expected, but forecasted rain may yet put a dampener on any fiery face-offs.

Today, parliamentarians of all stripes will be welcomed with a pōwhiri at Te Whare Rūnanga on the upper treaty grounds at 11am. After giving Waitangi commemorations a year ago a miss, prime minister Christopher Luxon will be there to deliver a speech, following a meeting with the Iwi Chairs Forum on Wednesday. Almost exactly nine months out from the general election – and having missed Rātana to visit weather-torn communities last month – the prime minister is likely to try to patch over some of the tensions in Māori-Crown relations created this parliamentary term, sparked by the likes of the treaty principles bill.

So far, the biggest news to come out of the treaty grounds this week is the resignation of senior Labour MP Peeni Henare. The former Whānau Ora minister announced on Monday that he’d be stepping down from his role in the coming weeks following his loss in the Tāmaki Makaurau byelection last September to “focus on my family, my wellbeing and my future”. But according to New Zealand First minister Shane Jones, that’s not the whole story.

There was supposed to be a joint announcement from Greens MP Tamatha Paul and Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke today, but that’s been put on hold. But there will still be a Green Party announcement of some description, made by MP Teanau Tuiono following the parliamentary pōwhiri. There could be more announcements throughout the day, with political parties hosting press stand-ups on the upper treaty grounds – unfortunately, The Spinoff has no intel on whether “volunteer” journalist Guy Williams and Act Party leader David Seymour are set for another tiff.

The protest at this morning’s pōwhiri for the politicians – including prime minister Christopher Luxon – is expected to be more reserved than originally planned.

Wikatana Popata, who jostled John Key on Waitangi Day back in 2009, had planned for civilians to link arms to stop coalition government MPs and Luxon from entering Te Whare Rūnanga. Aotearoa Liberation League, which is helping to host the demonstration, said on its Instagram page that at least 20 protesters were willing to be arrested.

But last night, Popata appeared on social media alongside Aotearoa Liberation League founder Chris Huriwai and Far North radio announcer Joel Bristow, indicating the “activation” would no longer include forming a human chain to prevent the politicians from entering.

Instead, the group would be observing from the sidelines, planning to sing waiata and chant. The change of plans came after a request from the haukainga at Waitangi, who said the process for planning the protest “was not tika”. Despite the alterations, Popata, Bristow and Huriwai said they were still eager to let their feelings about the government be known. Bristow also said he was eager to meet with haukainga to discuss their tikanga and kawa when it came to welcoming manuhiri onto this whenua. A key concern of Bristow appeared to be the behaviour on display at last year’s pōwhiri, which saw some locals turn their back during certain speeches.

The group will be meeting at 10am to finalise plans before the pōwhiri at 11am.

There’s a noticeably larger police footprint at Waitangi this year, with New Zealand Police deploying specialist units alongside its regular frontline staff. In addition to the Dignitary Protection Service, the Military Police and the Special Tactics Group are also present at this year’s commemorations.

Northland district commander Superintendent Matt Srhoj said the scale of the operation reflected the complexity of the week rather than any single flashpoint. “It takes months of extensive planning from a large cohort of people and agencies to ensure this week of events goes off without a hitch,” he said in a statement.

Heavy policing at Waitangi has long been contentious. Critics in previous years have argued that a strong visible presence can heighten tension, feeding friction between protesters and Crown representatives, rather than easing it. This morning, however, The Spinoff overheard an officer briefing colleagues that “high-level tactical intervention will only be required where there is a threat to life or property” – a line likely intended to reassure both attendees and critics watching closely.

As commemorations continue, how visible – and how restrained – that police presence remains will be closely scrutinised.

On the soggy lower treaty grounds, inside the Waitangi forum tent, a panel discussion on te Tiriti and parliament kicked off the day. Hosted by lawyer and activist Annette Sykes, Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick, Labour MP Willie Jackson and MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi – speaking as an independent and as an almost-member of Te Pāti Māori – the panel covered how the parties plan to kick out the “coalition of chaos”, restore pay equity, uplift Māori media and tackle climate change.

Asked what their parties would do to honour the treaty if they made it into government at the end of the year, Swarbrick urged for a move away from a Westminster parliamentary system to a te Tiriti-led system. When it came to Jackson’s turn, he couldn’t help himself but poke a bit of fun at the panel mate to his left.

In an attempt to mihi Kapa-Kingi, “I was gonna say, ‘from the Māori Party,’” Jackson said. “We’re waiting on that, eh?”

But Jackson’s answers fell flat when he tried to suggest that those who live in Māngere aren’t aware of their tino rangatiratanga. “They know about the Warriors,” Jackson said, emphasising Labour’s focus on jobs, health and homes on the campaign trail.

“Gummon,” was the reply from Greens MP Hūhana Lyndon.

Kapa-Kingi was brought to tears when paying tribute to Labour MP Peeni Henare, who on Tuesday announced he would be leaving politics in the coming weeks. Kapa-Kingi said she found strength to stay in parliament by “never leaving [myself]”.

“It’s the experience that I bring, it’s the maturity that I bring, and the fact that I speak great Pākehā,” Kapa-Kingi said. “It never lessens he Māori ahau.”

When called out by Sykes for the lack of policy detail on Te Pāti Māori website, Kapa-Kingi acknowledged that policy was an area the parties “need[s] to do better on”.

The weather continues to keep everyone guessing at Waitangi this morning. After on-and-off rain since early hours, there have been a few short but heavy downpours moving through the surrounding areas over the past couple of hours.

According to MetService, conditions are expected to remain partly cloudy with intermittent showers through late morning, before easing later in the day. Temperatures are sitting around the low 20s, with light southeasterly winds that aren’t offering much relief from the humidity.

With the pōwhiri for politicians scheduled for 11am, organisers and attendees alike are keeping a close eye on the sky. The rain hasn’t been constant, but when it arrives it’s been strong enough to send people scrambling for jackets, umbrellas or nearby shelter, before easing just as quickly.

If you’re heading towards Te Tii or the treaty grounds in the next half hour, a rain jacket would be a smart call.

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A group of around 50 protesters has gathered by the flagstaff at the upper treaty grounds. They are chanting loudly and preparing to approach the line when the politicians arrive.

The protesters have been instructed by leader Wikatana Popata to not breach the rope barricade or it’s likely they will be arrested.

“You say whatever you want to express to this government. Go hard… We are the brave ones. The rest of our iwi are getting ready to pōwhiri these guys on,” Popata told the group.

Politicians have been welcomed into Te Whare Rūnanga by the haukainga as a group of protesters performed their own haka to the sidelines, with security preventing them from getting too close. Some in the group shouted hōhā and kūpapa at the government representatives.

Speaker Gerry Brownlee was the first to accept the wero laid down, followed by David Seymour and Winston Peters, the leaders of Act and NZ First respectively.

The group has now gathered for the whaikōrero on the ātea of Te Whare Rūnanga. Protesters are continuing to chant, attempting to disrupt the proceedings. However, they are strongly outnumbered by their own whanaunga, who are playing host to the government party.

Prominent activist Eru Kapa-Kingi has just spoken at Te Whare Rūnanga, telling the government they have “thrown peanuts on the ground for Māori to feast on, as if we are monkeys”.

Kapa-Kingi said (translated from te reo Māori) that Māori have recognised the “dog-like acts of the government”. “This government has stabbed us in the front, but other governments have stabbed us in the back,” he said.

Addressing outgoing Labour MP Peeni Henare, Kapa-Kingi said he sympathised with the former Whānau Ora minister’s decision to depart parliament after 12 years.

“Labour, sort yourself out,” Kapa-Kingi said. “You have milked mana Māori over the years.” And to Te Pāti Māori, whom Kapa-Kingi last year described as having a dictatorship at the leadership level: “You are the same as Labour.”

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Speaking rights have now passed to the manuhiri side, with Māori-Crown relations minister Tama Potaka first to speak for the politicians.

Speaking in te reo Māori, Potaka first paid tributes to the victims of the recent Mauao landslide and related weather events. “I did not come to gain votes,” said Potaka, adding that the government – regardless of colour – needed to work together with Māori.

The treaty would never be torn down or broken as the foundational document of New Zealand, said Potaka, before paying tribute to retiring Labour MP Peeni Henare, whose departure he said was a waste. Addressing him as “taku taokete [my brother-in-law], taku hoa [my friend]”, Potaka switched to English to say “form is temporary, class is permanent: “He tino classy koe,” he added, addressing Henare directly.

A small group of protesters behind a cordon called out “e noho” as Potaka spoke, and another call of “Tama Potaka is a kūpapa” came from outside of the Whare Rūnanga grounds. Potaka responded that he was “kūpapa mo te kaupapa”.

Green MP Teanau Tuiono was the next to speak, and backed the comments made by Eru Kapa-Kingi. “I endorse what Eru said,” he said in te reo. “Those outside, I want to thank you for your efforts and strength upholding tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake.”

Tuiono announced that Tania Waikato, a prominent treaty activist and former lawyer for Te Pāti Māori, would be standing for the Greens in the Māori electorate of Waiariki, currently held by Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi. Waikato’s Greens candidacy was announced in December, but the electorate she would be standing in had not been revealed.

Tuiono also confirmed current Green MP Hūhana Lyndon would be standing in Te Tai Tokerau again, and Heather Te Au-Skipworth, a former Te Pāti Māori candidate, would be standing in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, which was announced in a press release yesterday.

Departing Labour MP Peeni Henare, who has been mentioned in several speeches today, said that according to custom, if someone is named on the marae they are entitled to speak, and so he would speak. “We must be very humble, extremely humble. And so that’s why I stand humbly before you.”

He thanked those who had put their belief and faith in him. “Parliament kept me safe over the years. We have reached a point in time where I have completed my work. And so I ask everyone to turn their thoughts to what was said this morning: the hopes, aspirations and desires of our people. It’s not just in parliament, but it lies on our marae, our homes throughout.

“To my leaders I say I will return to you in a humble manner.”

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi addressed the crowd, while Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is at home in Taranaki with her husband, who is recovering from illness.

Responding to earlier comments made by Eru Kapa-Kingi, Waititi thanked the son of the party’s former MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi for laying out his criticisms of Te Pāti Māori on the paepae. “I want to acknowledge that this is the right place to hold these discussions,” Waititi said. “I can hear the anger, and I can feel the pain, and the courage to stand before the people.”

He urged the younger Kapa-Kingi to “stamp conflict and anger under one foot.”

“We are great at consuming ourselves in conflict amongst ourselves,” Waititi said. “But if it goes out to the world, the horse will bolt.”

He said that political polls had shown Labour and the Greens would be unable to govern without the support of Te Pāti Māori. “If we turn and leave it for those parties who have been in parliament for a long time to disparage us, then that’s something for us to think about today. There is no other party who will embed te Tiriti in law – some are just massaging the sides.”

NZ First’s Shane Jones kept his kōrero short, acknowledging those gathered and complimenting Ngāpuhi elder Hōne Sadler on his “sartorial style”.

Breaking from English to address departing Labour MP Peeni Henare, he said, “Peeni, you’re not the first Māori from Tai Tokerau to leave the Labour Party, bro. I’ll just leave that right there.”

Jones, of course, left Labour in 2014, joining NZ First in 2017.

Speaking exclusively to The Spinoff, former Te Pāti Māori MP and independent member for Te Tai Tonga Tākuta Ferris confirmed he would be seeking reelection as an independent. Ferris was unsure whether Te Pāti Māori would stand a candidate in the electorate.

He said the decision of the court case against the party – led by Te Tai Tokerau Mariameno Kapa-Kingi – would impact him “indirectly”. However, whatever the outcome of the case, Ferris confirmed he would not seek to return to parliament under the party’s banner.

Ferris won the seat by a majority of 2,800 votes, or 10%, at the 2023 general election.

At the end of Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi’s kōrero, his whānau joined him for a haka. Kiri Tamihere-Waititi, Waititi’s wife and the daughter of Te Pāti Māori CEO John Tamihere, approached the haukainga side, coming close to Eru and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.

The Herald and Stuff are reporting that as Waititi-Tamihere turned to return to the manuhiri side of the pōwhiri, Mariameno stood and said “hoki atu”, meaning “go back”.

Flanked by Peeni Henare on his right and Willie Jackson on his left, Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke about first being accompanied to Waitangi 14 years ago by former Labour MPs Parekura Horomia and Shane Jones.

“We haven’t always honoured the spirit of kotahitanga but it is a powerful platform for us into the future,” he said. “Manaakitanga is reciprocal, it goes both ways.”

Hipkins said it was not easy to be a Māori MP, regardless of which side of the House they sat on, and said he respected all Māori MPs for the path they walked. Acknowledging Henare, he siad, “Peeni our hearts are heavy today.”

To conclude his speech, Hipkins drew on a whakatauki from overseas about two wolves and being sure to feed the “the good one”. Speaking about what our children will celebrate in 14 years from time: “What they celebrate will be chosen by the wolf you feed.”

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters struck a combative tone during his pōwhiri address, pushing back sharply against interruptions from the crowd.

“Don’t get up and insult us – we’re not going to take it,” Peters said early on. “Dick,” was the response of one man, whose interjections continued throughout the speech. At several points the exchange became heated, as Peters jostled and paused mid-speech to respond directly.

Peters framed his appearance as separate from day-to-day political combat, telling the crowd: “We didn’t come here to speak about politics,” adding that there were plenty of other days in the year set aside for that. The line was met with mixed reactions, as interruptions continued.

As tensions simmered, Peters finished with a pointed warning to critics: “There’ll come a time very soon when you’ll want to talk more with me and my party than I’ll want to talk with you,” a remark that drew nervous laughs across the crowd.

His speech concluded amid lingering noise and emotion, closing not with policy but with a familiar line drifting through the space: “What now, my love — now that it’s over.”

As he stood to speak and adjusted his microphone stand, Act leader David Seymour said, “I’ll hold on to this tight” – a reference to protesters repeatedly removing it as he attempted to speak a year ago.

Seymour criticised the “myopic drone” that everything about colonisation is bad. “Very few things are completely good or completely bad.”

His response to hearing that his government “had no care or love for Māori” was “give us a break”, adding that there were a lot of positives. “It’s efficiencies that matter, not dividing people into groups… We all have equal right to that opportunity whether our ancestors were the first settlers or the most recent.”

A man in the crowd blew a pūtātara (conch shell) during Seymour’s speech as some heckles rang out.

People started singing ‘Ngā Iwi E’ during the end of his speech, initially drowning out the Act MPs’ waiata tautoko for Seymour.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said that although niceties were being exchanged at Waitangi, the government continued to trample of te Tiriti and te taio while corporations benefited.

“Honour te Tiriti, it is not hard,” she said. “Don’t you dare try to remove Treaty from who we are – because it is who we are.”

She also called for land to be returned, saying, “I riro whenua atu, me hoki whenua mai.”

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi introduced herself as the person “responsible for that boy” Eru Kapa-Kingi, who made a fiery speech earlier.

The expelled but temporarily reinstated Te Pāti Māori MP was only given a few minutes to speak, and used that to reaffirm her commitment to serving Te Tai Tokerau as the local MP.

“I am not going anywhere,” Kapa-Kingi promised.

The much-anticipated speech by prime minister Christopher Luxon started off by paying tribute to leaders since passed, like the late prime minister Jim Bolger. Luxon said the government was “deeply committed to continuing that work” Bolger made on treaty settlements.

Luxon also acknowledged recent severe weather events in the region, saying “It’s been tough for many.” A voice rose up from the crowd: “What do you know, bro?” Another asked, “Did you bring any KFC?”, a reference to the KFC Luxon handed out to volunteers in storm-hit Te Araroa late last month.

Luxon acknowledged the “very heated” atmosphere leading up to Waitangi Day, saying it was important for New Zealanders to engage in lively debate.

Then, he went through each article of the Treaty. He backed his “unapologetic” approach to boosting economic productivity, and applauded his government’s effort in devolution for iwi.

“The Crown is deliberately standing back to allow iwi to drive more [results on the ground],” Luxon said, citing efforts made in education, with education minister Erica Stanford’s name receiving a hearty “boo”.

As he spoke about last year’s tough economic conditions, one person yelled “that was your fault, bro!”

“We can manage our differenced without tearing the house down,” Luxon said.

Speaking exclusively to The Spinoff, Waitangi National Trust chief executive Ben Dalton said he was pleased with how this year’s proceedings had gone so far: “They [the politicians] have actually had a chance to speak.”

Dalton said it didn’t feel strange standing on this side of the rope, considering he was once part of Ngā Tamatoa protesters at Waitangi: “It was different for us back then, because we weren’t a part of the [planning] process – they [the protesters] are able to be a part of this,” Dalton said.

When questioned about the activation at this morning’s pōwhiri, Dalton said the trust was “gearing up for a big one”. Dalton said he had been approached about potentially trespassing some of the activation organisers, using the social media posts circulating online as evidence, but he was against the trust taking such action. He was fearful trespassing them would add fuel to the fire, encouraging people to take more extreme action.

Instead, Dalton credited local groups like Te Tai Tokerau Border Control, the waka crew from Waitangi, and haukainga with helping to deescalate the situation. He agreed with the sentiment that the tikanga followed by the group wasn’t correct and also highlighted the fact many of the group were from Te Hiku.

Speaking to media after the pōwhiri, deputy prime minister David Seymour said he believed colonisation had been “beneficial for Māori”, doubling down on a long-held position that immediately drew attention.

Seymour argued that even those worst off in New Zealand were comparatively well placed by global standards. He pointed to access to healthcare, housing and childcare, saying these were examples of how the poorest New Zealanders were still “well off” when measured against poverty in other countries.

When questioned by The Spinoff about how he himself lived if those experiencing poverty lived like “kings and queens”, Seymour replied that he lived “like a slave”, adding that he was required to front media and answer questions.

The comments are likely to add to an already tense political atmosphere at Waitangi, with Seymour’s remarks landing just moments after a pōwhiri marked by visible dissent and protest.

Speaking to media after the pōwhiri, Treaty negotiations minister Paul Goldsmith reiterated the Crown’s preference for a single financial settlement for Ngāpuhi, paired with multiple strands of cultural redress – including land returns – across different hapū groupings.

Goldsmith’s comments come amid renewed attention on a long-stalled Ngāpuhi settlement and ongoing disagreement over who, if anyone, holds a clear mandate to negotiate on behalf of the country’s largest iwi. While the Crown has signalled urgency – Goldsmith saying earlier this week he wants to “go faster” – questions remain over whether hapū are ready, or willing, to unify under a single negotiating entity.

The minister’s remarks follow a series of Crown moves signalling momentum, including last year’s initialling of the return of Kororipo Pā near Kerikeri to Ngāti Rēhia, and continued government stewardship of the $150m Ngāpuhi investment fund, Tupu Tonu. Goldsmith has previously described the fund as likely to play “a big” role in any eventual settlement, despite it formally sitting outside Treaty negotiations.

For many Ngāpuhi leaders, however, the core issue remains unchanged: progress without mandate risks repeating past failures. As debates over unity, representation and rangatiratanga continue to surface at Waitangi, the path to settlement still looks politically urgent – and fraught.

That’s us done from Waitangi for today – a day that began in showers and ended in heckles, with the pōwhiri at Te Whare Rūnanga unfolding under a watchful police presence and a very live-wire political mood.

Thanks for reading, and for supporting our coverage. We’ll be back tomorrow with coverage and analysis from Waitangi.