A group of Māori leaders have accused ACT and New Zealand First leadership of playing "political football" with indigenous people, and wants potential coalition partner Christopher Luxon to call it out.
The 17 leaders - who include Waikato-Tainui Te Arataura chair Tukoroirangi Morgan and Ngāti Kahungunu chair Baden Barber - issued "a call to condemn racism" joint media release today.
Manukau Urban Māori Authority chair Bernie O’Donnell struck out at David Seymour and Winston Peters, telling 1News the two party leaders - both of whom are of Māori descent - were "almost Māori by accident".
"They don't live a Māori life. They're full of racist undertones and we need to call that out as well," he said.
"I can't deny people whakapapa, but what you do with the whakapapa is the point.
"I really think that Aotearoa as a nation is really better than those two."
Seymour has called the racism accusations "false", saying figures like O'Donnell are not "helping with the healthy honest debate that New Zealand requires".
"I think people are tired of being accused of racism with no evidence whatsoever," he responded.
Peters argued the authority did not represent most Māori, saying co-governance was "a virus".
National leader Luxon has sidestepped calls to address his possible partners' remarks, deflecting attention to Labour Leader Chris Hipkins.
"The conversation about race that Chris Hipkins has started is because he wants to campaign built on fear and negativity," he told 1News.
"I appreciate he's a desperate, desperate guy at this point in time, but race is not a conversation in this election."
Luxon was referring to Hipkins' comments at the Newshub debate this week where he read out a quote from an NZ First candidate he claimed was racist.
Hipkins then challenged Luxon on why he would consider working with NZ First.
NZ First candidate Robert Ballantyne said his comments were taken out of context by Hipkins and he was only referring to elite Māori being an issue not all Māori.
Hipkins, meanwhile, has no intention of backing down on the subject.
"I will be very active in calling out people who are dog whistling with racism," he said.
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