Several Māori Labour MPs have rejected Meka Whaitiri's claim she did not feel "heard" within Labour.
Whaitiri, formerly a minister, defected from the Labour Party last week in favour of Te Pāti Māori.
This morning, breaking her silence on TVNZ's Breakfast, Whaitiri said she didn't feel she was heard in Labour - the party she spent 10 years with as the MP for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti.
"It's been my calling to return back to an unapologetically Māori party."
Following those comments Justice Minister Kiritapu Allan - who is also the East Coast MP - said she was "unapologetically from the East Coast, I'm unapologetically relentless in pursuit of what's right for our people up there on the coast".
Allan said she felt "very much heard in our team and in our caucus".
She said discussions in the Māori caucus were "free and frank yarns" but there was no sense internally of Whaitiri's dissatisfaction.
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said Whaitiri held senior roles in the Labour caucus "and if you're representing at that level, you are heard".
"She's moving on, we're moving on, we've got a lot to do."
Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson said Whaitiri had never raised any of her concerns with him.
"Our prime minister's door's open all the time. The Māori caucus have clear access to him. I'm surprised to hear that [Whaitiri doesnt feel heard] but that's her view."
Asked if he felt heard, he said "of course".
"Absolutely I feel heard."
He said Ikaroa-Rāwhiti was "not a seat we'll take for granted".
"But that's a Labour Party seat and we expect to win the seat."
Tourism Minister Peeni Henare said he did not think it was fair for Whaitiri to say she did not feel heard.
"I don't think that's fair at all. I've engaged regularly and consistently with... Meka Whaitiri, in the time that we served together as ministers.
"I'm sad because for 10 years her and I fought on all the issues that matter to our people."
Māori Crown Relations Minister and deputy leader of the Labour Party Kelvin Davis said Whaitiri's comments were "the sorts of excuses you come up with when you don't have a real excuse".
"Everyone has an opportunity so speak, so she had ample opportunities.
"We're all pretty sad and disappointed in what happened."
He said he had no plans to speak to Whaitiri today now she was back at Parliament.
Northcote MP Shanan Halbert said Whaitiri had not raised any feelings of not being heard to him.
"It's not something that I've experienced either."
"Meka is an auntie of mine so I would pay no disrespect to her, but as Māori I think it's important that we hohou te rongo (make peace), which is a reconciliation process, and no doubt that that will happen."
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins also fronted questions on Whaitiri's comments, and said he had "a very open approach".
He said he was "disappointed" Whaitiri felt that way.
"MPs, ministers, anyone in the Labour team can contact me at any point, they've all got my number, and they routinely do.
"We have a really strong and well-functioning Māori caucus, Māori are involved in all of our decisions. We've got more Māori representation in Cabinet than ever before. I'm confident that Māori have a very strong voice within our party and within our government.
"I've got a lot of trust in my team, and where issues arise then yes I'll work with them to manage those, but I also trust them to get on and do their jobs.
Regarding the scandal more broadly, Hipkins said he'd have preferred it didn't happen but the Government was "still a very stable and functioning government".
He said the voters of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti would "deliver their own verdict".
"We are a team and Meka wasn't raising any concerns."
National Party leader Christopher Luxon said the situation was "a total shambles and mess".
"It's a government that's falling apart.
"We've rolled through Gaurav Sharma to Kiri Allan to Marama Davidson to Stuart Nash to Meka Whaitari [sic] - Whaitiri - and here we are talking about it all week."
Asked if he had a short memory with regard to National's turbulent times preceding his leadership, deputy Nicola Willis, who was at his side, said the National Party had "been through it" so knew how distracting disunity issues could be.
"We've put that chapter behind us. I think one of the marks of Chris' leadership is that he's united our team.
"It's bad for morale. When you have someone who was a minister just a week ago refusing to say they trust the prime minister, that tells me that there are problems at Camp Labour."
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