Te Pāti Māori rejects move-on orders — "We will not police our way out of homelessness"
Issued by Oriini Kaipara MP (Te Pāti Māori, Housing and Homelessness spokesperson)
What happened
On 23 February 2026, Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara (Tāmaki Makaurau, Housing and Homelessness spokesperson) rejected the Government's proposal to amend the Summary Offences Act to expand police authority to issue 24-hour move-on orders against homeless people, with penalties up to $2,000 or three months' imprisonment. Te Pāti Māori's alternative platform: large-scale investment in Māori-led housing developments, immediate youth-homelessness prevention pathways, direct funding to iwi and Māori housing providers, and expansion of Housing First and wraparound services.
What's at stake
- Who feels it
- NZ rough-sleeper population; iwi and Māori housing providers; Housing First services; police; affected councils
- Money in play
- Existing government Summary Offences Act amendments would carry $2,000 fines and up to 3 months imprisonment per offence
- How it works
- Te Pāti Māori position opposes proposed amendments to the Summary Offences Act 1981; their alternative requires major Budget reallocation to Māori-led housing
- Key context
- Direct counterpoint to the Coalition's law-and-order approach. Te Pāti Māori positions homelessness as a housing-supply failure, not a public-order issue.
- Wider effects
- If government move-on amendments pass, police workload + court load increases. Te Pāti Māori alternative would significantly increase Māori housing capex.
Who feels it
Source on record
https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/te_p_ti_m_ori_rejects_move_on_orders_we_will_not_police_our_way_out_of_homelessnessTracked neutrally by LexNZ. Status reflects the primary source as of 27 May 2026. Not legal advice.
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