Summarised by Centrist
The Waipareira Trust, under John Tamihere’s leadership, has faced allegations of financial mismanagement, conflicts of interest, and improper political involvement—including $385,000 in interest-free loans to fund Tamihere’s campaigns.
His response? Cry ‘racism’.
Journalist Liam Rātana writes:
“Being criticised for receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest-free loans from a charitable trust to sponsor your own political aspirations? Racist. An inquiry being launched into Manurewa Marae and the potential misuse of census data by Te Pāti Māori? Racist. Giving other potential Whānau Ora commissioning agencies a chance to pitch for funding? Racist. Te Pāti Māori being told to file a financial statement, as required under law and already done by every other political party? Racist.”
“Charities must be politically neutral,” Rātana states. This is why Waipareira’s financial support for Te Pāti Māori—including hosting campaign events—raises red flags.
Government contracts with Tamihere-affiliated entities have been temporarily suspended due to concerns about improper data use.
The Public Service Commission has now referred the matter to the Privacy Commissioner.
Rātana argues that Tamihere’s strategy of framing all criticism as racism is dangerous. “What I do reject is the idea that every single time a Māori organisation is questioned, it’s racist,” he writes.
Tamihere’s actions, according to Rātana, “blur the necessary boundary between charitable work and political engagement, which is a risk not just for Waipareira but for the integrity of kaupapa Māori governance as a whole.”
