Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson has revealed he met with gang members four times since the election.

ACT has spoken out against the move, saying the government should be standing up to the gangs not having cups of tea with them.

And the Sensible Sentencing Trust says the government should work with victims instead.

However, Jackson told Heather du Plessis-Allan that there is a long history of politicians meeting with gang leaders. 

He says he only met with Mongrel Mob once in December and Black Power representative Eugene Ryder - who Jackson says had dinner with former PM Sir John Key at Government House - three times. 

"I'll meet with them any time I like because we have to look after whanua, our communities, we have to run a twin strategy where we're tough on these gangs, but these women asked me to come out and meet with them and I did, because I'm worried about domestic violence."

Jackson says that what he wants is a safer community, and Police Minister Poto Williams is running that strategy.

He says he abhors gangs but there are wives and community members involved, and there needs to be a strategy to calming gangs and communities down. 

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