Investigation Underway: Māori Party Faces Allegations of Misusing Resources for Election Votes by 12 Agencies
Māori Party President John Tamihere, who leads a network of interconnected organizations, is at the center of the allegations.
Twelve government agencies, including the police, are currently investigating the Māori Party (Te Pāti Māori) for various allegations regarding the misuse of funds and resources provided to affiliated organizations for campaigning purposes.
Acting Public Service Commissioner Heather Baggott confirmed that she convened a meeting of the heads of Stats NZ, the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Internal Affairs, Te Puni Kōkiri, Oranga Tamariki, and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, along with the Electoral Commission and the police.
Similarly, Oranga Tamariki is conducting an investigation into the proper use and management of its data.
The NZ Police have also received complaints and are conducting their own investigation. Stats NZ has notified the Privacy Commissioner and provided information on the reported allegations.
Attack on Māori: Party President
The party’s president, John Tamihere, has characterized the allegations as part of an ongoing attack on “all matters Māori” and has dismissed the claims as “baseless innuendo.”
He stated, “The fact of the matter is, as usual, Māori are being used as a scapegoat to cover up and deflect from what is really going on in this country. Te Pāti Māori are constantly under attack, and the issue has been turned into a racial debate without our involvement.”
