Kerrin Leoni breaks silence on resignation, says whānau turned into 'political weapon'

Kerrin Leoni says she quit as a Labour candidate to stop the controversy surrounding her association with the Mongrel Mob being used as a "political weapon" to help National win the election.In her first public comments since resigning, Leoni said the intense focus on her whānau had become "increasingly difficult"."I can handle the media scrutiny. I can handle the National Party attacking me. That comes with being in politics," she wrote on Facebook on Friday afternoon."What has become increasingly difficult is the intense focus on my whānau and community."Leoni resigned as Labour's Tāmaki Makaurau candidate on Friday morning, after footage emerged of her campaigning alongside Mongrel Mob members at an event in early October.The video showed the former Auckland councillor encouraging those present to enrol to vote and change the government. A separate photograph showed her posing with people wearing Mongrel Mob regalia and making gang-related hand gestures.Leoni said a "whānau function", attended by mokopuna, kaumātua, gang members and non-gang members had been turned into a "political weapon", used for political gain and media clicks."Is this really the kind of New Zealand we want to live in? Is this really the behaviour we want to model to our tamariki and mokopuna? Is this really how desperate some political leaders have become to cling onto power?"She said she had always tried to show her family members other opportunities in the hope they would choose a different path."I cannot change who my whānau are or who I grew up with, nor would I ever turn my back on them."Leoni said she was proud to have represented Labour and stood by her apology to Labour leader Chris Hipkins: "I want everyone to know that I am okay. I will be back."Earlier on Friday, Hipkins told reporters Leoni had displayed "very very bad judgement" and had paid a "very high price" for that.'What's good for the goose is good for the gangster'The coalition parties were quick to seize on the past day's developments, arguing they had revealed Labour's true colours.National leader Christopher Luxon said the "chaotic situation" proved Labour could not be trusted when it came to law and order."The Mongrel Mob clearly want them to be elected to power, because they know that they're soft on crime," he said."Even their candidates think that's okay to hang out with gang members and pal around. We don't think it is."Luxon said National was not open to engaging with gangs in any capacity: "I am not tolerant of gangs at all. I have no time for gangs."National leader Christopher Luxon said the "chaotic situation" proved Labour could not be trusted when it came to law and order.RNZ / Lillian HanlyACT leader David Seymour also came prepared to his daily media conference with a string of one-liners. He said the saga showed that the Labour did not truly believe that gangs were bad."[Leoni] has revealed that what's good for the goose is good for the gangster," he said."You've got a real possibility that the Labour Party is being funded by P money, and I don't mean the artist from the 1990s."Hipkins earlier said he had been assured that the function was not a fundraiser.Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi accused the political right of exploiting the controversy.RNZ / Rachel Moore'A sad day for Māori'In contrast, Te Pāti Māori defended Leoni, with co-leader Rawiri Waititi describing her resignation as "a sad day for Māori"."Our whānau do not stop being our whānau because they wear a patch, and our responsibility to them does not disappear because someone finds their presence politically inconvenient."Waititi accused the political right of exploiting the controversy to divide parties seeking to replace the government."The right benefits every time we turn on each other, and we will not give them that victory."He urged voters to give their electorate vote to Te Pāti Māori and their party vote to Labour or the Greens."We can disagree on how this has been handled without losing sight of what unites us. Our people cannot afford another three years of this Government."