Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has withdrawn from attending the annual Rātana celebrations tomorrow – opting instead to visit communities hit by severe weather.
1News understands the PM has pulled out of attending the celebrations at Rātana Pa and called Tumuaki Manuao Tamou to advise him of the decision this afternoon.
Luxon will be visiting the East Coast and Bay of Plenty instead.
In a social post this evening, the Prime Minister said he had spoken with the mayors of Gisborne, Tauranga, Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki, Whangārei, and the deputy mayor of the Far North about the dangerous weather in their regions.
"Right now, the Government is doing everything we can to support those impacted.
"We are standing with these local communities in the response – and we will stand with them in the recovery too.
"Once again, my thanks go out to emergency responders, local marae, the Defence Force, and all those putting themselves in harm’s way to help their fellow Kiwis."
National will still be represented at the event by deputy leader Nicola Willis and MP Tama Potaka. Labour leader Chris Hipkins and representatives of the Greens, New Zealand First, and Te Pāti Māori were expected at the event. ACT did not typically attend Rātana.
Opposition and coalition parties look for points of difference as campaigning gets underway. (Source: 1News)
The annual celebrations at Rātana, a small pā near Whanganui, were considered the unofficial start to the political year.
The Rātana Church was founded around 100 years ago by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana and members gather every year to mark his birthday, January 25, although the celebrations usually took place over several days.
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