Treaty Principles Bill protest hikoi

Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand Winston Peters has criticised the recent hīkoi in a Facebook post, labelling it an "astroturf" effort orchestrated by the Māori Party rather than a genuine "grassroots" movement.

"The Māori Party just used and manipulated thousands of Māori yesterday for their own pointless political stunt," Peters said.

"They staged a protest against a piece of legislation that they already knew is not going to pass into law."

He wrote that the organiser of the hikoi is the son of Māori Party MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, and the company that coordinated it, Toitu Te Tiriti, was incorporated in September by the wife of Rawiri Waititi and the daughter of Māori Party president John Tamahere.

Peters accused the Māori Party of using the protest as a recruitment and fundraising tool while misleading the public about the purpose of the event.

"New Zealand is a democracy whether the Māori Party like it or not. And using ‘Māori culture’ as an excuse for their disgraceful behaviour is an insult to Māoridom," he said.

"We will not be bullied by these cultural elitist extremists. We stand for one people, one country, one flag, united as one – Māori and non-Māori.

"It is the only way our country will ever succeed – and we will never give up fighting for that."