New Zealand Labour leader Chris Hipkins faced sharp criticism from the ACT Party following his speech at in Auckland, where he accused the coalition Government of targeting Māori with its policies. Hipkins, alongside iwi representatives and Labour Party members, expressed outrage over recent governmental actions.

"We are here after a week in Parliament that, like all other weeks in Parliament under this Government, has seen Māori unfairly targeted," Hipkins declared, condemning the reversal of legislation that secured Māori seats on local councils.

He linked the Government’s actions to "historical abuses" highlighted in the Royal Commission of Inquiry's report on Abuse in State Care, which exposed a "shameful history of abuse" predominantly affecting Māori.

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ACT's response was swift and scathing. Todd Stephenson, ACT's justice spokesperson, accused Hipkins of perpetuating division in New Zealand.

"Labour pitted employers against employees; landlords against renters; made licensed firearm owners and farmers feel like criminals; and created an occupation on Parliament’s lawn that had to be broken up with batons and shields," he said, further criticising Labour's Covid response for exacerbating socioeconomic divides.

Stephenson argued that Labour's policies, including reinstating youth offender bootcamps and introducing a draft Treaty Principles Bill, were fundamentally divisive.

"New Zealanders aren’t stupid – they know Labour attempted radical constitutional change by giving different groups different rights," he stated.

Hipkins defended his stance by claiming the need for Māori wards to be treated equally to other local government wards and condemned the bootcamps, which he linked to past abuses.

However, Stephenson countered that Labour's actions had left New Zealand "more divided than ever."

Despite Hipkins' claims that "most New Zealanders want us to work on improving outcomes for Māori," Stephenson insisted that unity could be achieved without Labour's divisive policies.

"We can celebrate Māori culture, and every other, within the framework of a liberal democracy that unites us on the basis of our common humanity," he concluded.