Te Pāti Māori's Oriini Kaipara on gangs: 'I see whānau'

Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara is doubling down on her support of gangs saying "I will not ever turn my back on whānau and need".The MP for Tāmaki Makaurau promised to "restore mana" to Mongrel Mob gang members when she visited a gang pad alongside other MPs from her own party and the Greens earlier this month.Speaking to Midday Report with Guyon Espiner, Kaipara said she can understand people might see her actions as an endorsement of gangs, but engaging with that community is more important than any perceptions people might have."I think what we need to clarify first Guyon is the fact you see Mongrel Mob, I see whānau. I see mums and dads, I see uncles who have been trapped in intergenerational trauma who have not been listened to, especially in the last three years by this government who continuously target those behind the patch.""We do not discriminate against anybody, and especially where Māori are over represented, and in the gangs we know that there are many Māori whānau in gangs."Responding to those comments, National leader Christopher Luxon told RNZ he was proud there were 2000 more people in prison, with half of them gang members."They are not Probus or the Lions or Rotary, they're not a community organisation, they peddle misery and death and suffering."Kaipara accepted there was a harrowing history of sexual violence against women in gang culture."I am not dismissing the stark realities and the violence and the crimes committed by many a gang, not just this one," she told Midday Report.She said, however, when you look at the definition of victims "it goes without saying that gangs exist because of systemic failures, because of the government of the time creating state care abuse".Luxon said the findings of an inquiry into Abuse in State Care about intergenerational trauma isn't "an excuse" for gang behaviour."Abuse in State Care has had a whole bunch of challenges in a whole range of areas, but actually it's a little bit too cute, because here's what happens - gang members go get people hooked up on meth and drugs, that is their business model."He said both Te Pāti Māori and Green Party MPs were "making excuses"."They're hanging out with gang members who caused pain and suffering, and do the bashings and do the beatings. Did any of them ask the gang members they were hanging out with how they got their gang patches?"Labour, meanwhile, has rejected suggestions a left-leaning government would "restore mana" to Mongrel Mob gang members.Leader Chris Hipkins has ruled that out, saying it's "all the more reason to vote Labour"."No, I think gangs are a scourge on society," he said. "They do enormous harm."They peddle drugs, they perpetuate violence. I've dealt with victims of gang violence, including women who have fled gang relationships, where they have been the subject of violence."I have no time for the gangs. They will not get any support from any government that I lead."Hipkins said Labour also would not support changes to the gang patch ban."Other parties can promote that, we will not support it."Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said it was for Te Pāti Māori to answer to its comments about restoring the mana of the Mongrel Mob."Oriini Kaipara made those comments, not the Green Party, and that is for Te Pāti Māori to answer to."National's justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith also weighed in saying Kaipara's comments were "outrageous"."There is no excuse for gang sympathy. They peddle misery and havoc throughout New Zealand."Unlike Te Pāti Māori, National has been focused on restoring mana to victims, not the gangs," he said.