ACT has accused the Greens and Te Pāti Māori of showing “New Zealanders where their priorities lie” after candidates from both parties visited a Mongrel Mob pad south of Auckland and posed for photographs with patched gang members.

Te Pāti Māori MPs Oriini Kaipara and Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke joined Green MP Hūhana Lyndon and Māngere candidate Michel Mulipola at the property.

Kaipara, who holds Tāmaki Makaurau, posted photographs and videos of the visit on Wednesday.

ACT deputy leader Nicole McKee criticised the decision to campaign at the property.

“It’s hardly surprising these parties think the Mongrel Mob is a promising place to campaign,” McKee said.

“The Greens oppose measures to put more offenders behind bars, and Te Pāti Māori wants to abolish prisons by 2040.”

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson defended the visit.

“We’re not apologising,” Davidson said.

McKee said Kaipara had described the visit as being about the health and wellbeing of the Mongrel Mob community.

“Their health and wellbeing would be a lot better if they stopped cooking meth, assaulting each other, and abusing their families.”

The National Party also criticised the visit, accusing the candidates of aligning themselves with people who “profit off misery and addiction”.

McKee defended ACT’s approach to gang crime, pointing to the return of three strikes legislation, the removal of the prison population reduction target and a proposed three year prison sentence for offenders convicted of three burglaries.

“It’s one thing when these parties are in Opposition, but imagine the Mongrel Mob having the ear of Cabinet Ministers.”

The Government introduced a ban on displaying gang patches in public places in November 2024, with offenders facing fines of up to $5,000 or six months in prison.

However, the legislation does not generally prohibit gang members from wearing patches at private properties.

McKee questioned why the candidates had chosen to visit the gang.

“I wait for the day where Green and Te Pāti Māori candidates meet with the victims of gang violence,” she said.