Oriini Kaipara defends Mongrel Mob pad visit and mana promise

Te Pāti Māori MP for Tāmaki Makaurau Oriini Kaipara promised to "restore mana" to Mongrel Mob members during a visit to a gang pad. RNZ The pad was in Auckland. NZ Herald Kaipara visited alongside other MPs from Te Pāti Māori and the Green Party.

In remarks to Guyon, Kaipara said "you see Mongrel Mob, I see whānau" when discussing gangs. She said she sees "mums and dads" and "uncles" when describing Mongrel Mob members as whānau. She said she "will not ever turn my back on whānau and need".

Labour leader Chris Hipkins ruled out restoring mana to Mongrel Mob members. He said Labour would not support changes to the gang patch ban.

The visit and the promise have been reported as part of Election 2026 coverage. ACT New Zealand issued a press release titled "The Mongrel Mob Have No Mana" on 19 October 2026. Scoop