Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says it would be "illegal" for Māori and Tangata Tiriti to strike on Thursday in protest of his Coalition Government's policies and suggested "that's what we have weekends for".
His comments come amid plans for a nationwide day of action to protest the Government's policies affecting Māori.
The Coalition Government will release its first Budget on Thursday, with Māori marching to Parliament in protest to coincide with the day.
Toitū Te Tiriti, alongside Te Pāti Māori and the party's co-leader Rawiri Waititi, shared a post on Instagram that said: "We are being attacked for being Māori."
The post asked people to take strike action for the day "to prove the might of our economy by disconnecting entirely from it".
Another post outlined plans for the hikoi.
When asked whether he thought the strike was appropriate on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said: "No, that would be illegal."
Luxon went on to say it was "entirely wrong" for Te Pāti Māori to be encouraging it.
"Feel free to protest, that's what we have weekends for but I would just say to you - Te Pāti Māori - they're completely free to protest as they will as long as it's legal and it's peaceful and it's lawful.
"But I am not focused on that, I'm focused on making sure I deliver a Budget for New Zealanders whether they're Māori or non-Māori to get ahead."
Luxon added the rules around striking are clear and Thursday's plan doesn't appear to meet legal standards.
Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer hit back at the Prime Minister's comments on Tuesday.
Waititi said the kaupapa of the strike is to "stop allowing kāwanatanga to assume that they have sovereignty or mana over us".
"It's now time for us to step comfortably into our rangatiratanga and to not give too much to this Pakeha Government with their Pakeha Budget for their Pakeha economy."
Ngarewa-Packer, meanwhile, hit back at suggestions the strike was "irresponsible", saying people have had enough of the "oppressive Government".
"I don't think it's irresponsible to call our people and meet their request for us to call them to action," she said.
"People have had enough and I don't know where you want to start whether it's ending the genocide, the way the Government has been marginalising rainbow communities, our tangata, our reo, where do you want to start?
"What we've got is the important voice and the strongest mandate for Māori than any other political people in this place and they have asked us to mobilise them. They have been waiting for months."
She said politicians shouldn't be able to tell people how they can and can't protest.
"This is an oppressive Government and we're not going to listen to a Prime Minister telling us, with the largest Māori mandate, how we should call our people when they've said they've had enough of this Government.
"Our whanau have a right to be heard and be seen," she added.
Opposition leader Chris Hipkins meanwhile said he encouraged people to use their right to free speech as long as they followed the rules.
Hipkins added he did not believe the strikes were illegal as Luxon had suggested.
"I absolutely defend the right of people to protest and what people do in their own time is completely their business. If they want to protest then they are completely entitled to do that. There are parameters around withdrawing your labour in a strike as in strike from work that everyone needs to follow."
But Hipkins said climate strikes previously weren't an employment strike and people can absolutely protest on Thursday without breaking the law.
"I think people can participate in a protest on Thursday without breaking the law and we need to be careful about making sweeping generalisations about that," he said.
Protests are planned across the country with those in the vicinity of Wellington central being asked to meet at the front of Wellington Train Station at 12pm, then walk to Parliament Grounds.
But outside the capital, a day of action is being organised around the country.
Those up north are being asked to meet at either the Orana Motel in Kaitāia or the Farmers carpark in Whangārei at 9am.
In Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, there are four meeting spots - BP Hobsonville at 6:30am, Z Karaka Petrol Station at 6:30am, Palmers Albany Garden Centre at 6:30am and Aotea Square in town at 11am.
In Hauraki Waikato, there are also four meeting locations - Kirikiriroa Marae in Hamilton at 7:30am, Matamata Woolworths at 6:45am, Weraroa Marae in Te Puaha at 8:30am and Victoria Park, Thames at 12pm.
Moving down the North Island, those in Tauranga are asked to meet at Whareroa Reserve at 8am, Whakatāne Bridge at 7:30am, by the Ōpōtiki welcome sign near the golf course at 7am, by Lake Terrace at Coffee Cart in Taupō at 8am, and Main Carpark 78 Tūrangi Town Centre at 9am.
There are four planned events in Rotorua at 7am - at Bennetts and Lake Rd intersection, Old Taupo Rd and Pukutua St intersection, Fenton St and Amohau St intersection, and Sala St and Te Ngae Rd intersection.
In Tairāwhiti Gisborne, people are asked to gather at Heipipi Park at 7am, while there's also meetings at Hastings Clock Tower at 7am and outside the old Town Hall in Masterton at 12pm.
Those in Palmerston North are asked to meet at Te Marae o Hine at 7:15am before taking the 8am train to Pōneke.
There'll also be meetings at Te Whare o Ruaputahanga (Netball Courts) in Hāwera at 10:30am and at Leith Pl in Tokoroa at 8am.
For those wanting to participate down south, there are three locations - the Bridge of Remembrance in Ōtautahi Christchurch at 11am, Pikimai/Church Hill steps in Nelson at 12:30pm and Queens Gardens Dunedin at 12pm.
This second day of activation comes after a nationwide day of action in December.
Te Pāti Māori called for protests against the new government's policies on co-governance and the Treaty. The first protests coincided with the opening day of Parliament.
