Watch: 'What is a woman' - Political disruptor heckles Hipkins at market visit

Serial political disrupter Karl Mokaraka heckled Labour leader Chris Hipkins at the Ōtara markets this morning. 

He also appeared to get into a brief altercation with former Labour Speaker Trevor Mallard, who tried to get between Mokaraka and Hipkins. 

It appears Mallard and Mokaraka bumped into each other, prompting Mallard to recoil. 

Labour leader Chris Hipkins is confronted by Karl Mokaraka during a visit to the Ōtara Markets on Saturday morning. 

Until then, it had been a peaceful morning for Hipkins. 

Despite the rain, the Labour leader received a warm response, engaging those at the markets on issues such as the cost of living and unemployment. 

The scene was very different from ahead of the 2023 election campaign, when members of Hannah Tamaki’s Visions NZ party and Brian Tamaki’s Freedoms NZ disrupted a walkabout at the markets. 

Hipkins told the Herald he was enjoying speaking to people. 

At the end of the walkabout, as Hipkins was walking to his car, Mokaraka came out of nowhere with a Visions NZ sign. 

The pair shook hands as Mallard tried to put himself between the two. 

“I haven’t seen you in a whole three years,” Hipkins said, smiling. 

“What is a woman, Mr Hipkins?” Mokaraka said. 

At this point, Mallard and Mokaraka appear to collide, with the former Speaker recoiling. 

Former Speaker Trevor Mallard steps between Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Karl Mokaraka at the Ōtara Markets. 

“Hey, stop that,” Mallard said as Mokaraka kept walking. 

Hipkins then got into his car as Mokaraka heckled him, asking whether Hipkins would apologise for leaving South Auckland “in a mess”. 

Mokaraka has previously sought to turn his political activism into elected office. 

He stood unsuccessfully for Vision NZ in Panmure-Ōtāhuhu at the 2023 general election and later ran as an independent for the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board. 

Before his local government bid, Mokaraka told the Herald he hoped to swap heckling politicians from the sidelines for debating issues “from inside the tent”. 

He had previously disrupted events involving political leaders including Hipkins, Christopher Luxon and David Seymour.