Political defection takes media by surprise 

Te Pāti Māori livestreams from local marae don't usually attract much mainstream media interest. But the defection of government minister Meka Whaitiri on Wednesday was carried by every major outlet after Whakaata Māori's late-night scoop sparked a media scramble. It also created a "constitutional cluster" that needed clarity.Te Pāti Māori livestreams from local marae don't usually attract much mainstream media interest. But the defection of government minister Meka Whaitiri on Wednesday was carried by every major outlet after Whakaata Maori's late-night scoop sparked a media scramble. It also created a "constitutional cluster" that needed clarity. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details