Two newly independent MPs, Takuta Ferris and Mariamino Kapa-Kingi, were absent from Parliament after their expulsion from Te Pāti Māori. Their former co-leaders, Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, defended the decision as members across Te Tai Tokerau and Te Tai Tonga voiced hurt and confusion. Other parties have wasted no time moving into the space — Labour says it’s seeing strong interest in the Māori seats, while the Greens are backing Te Tai Tokerau candidate Huhana Lyndon as a “formidable presence”. Read more: For full coverage visit www.Stuff.co.nz Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/2JPg8oB ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stuff is New Zealand's largest and most popular news site. With more than 500 journalists spread from Northland to Southland, we cover breaking news, politics, business, sport, crime, the environment, health, education, home and property, food, lifestyle, entertainment, weather, travel, technology, motoring, farming and much more. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Social media channels: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nzstuff Twitter: https://twitter.com/NZStuff