Brian Tamaki calls out John Tamihere and Māori elite after news Waipareira Trust to be deregistered

Summarised by Centrist

Brian Tamaki blasted John Tamihere and his Waipareira Trust, calling its deregistration by Charities Services a long-overdue move against what he calls a “Māori-money cartel.” 

Tamaki claims Tamihere has benefited from being at the control point  for over  $1.185b in government funding since 2010. “And that’s not even counting the other government contracts Tamihere has picked up with Te Puni Kōkiri, ACC, Oranga Tamariki, Statistics NZ, the Electoral Commission and more,” Tamaki alleges.

According to the NZ Herald, Waipareira’s de-registration stems from a four-year investigation into its political funding and marks one of New Zealand’s largest charity scandals. 

Charities Services concluded the trust breached rules by donating to Tamihere’s campaigns and hosting Te Pāti Māori events, with violations disguised as interest-free loans. 

Waipareira now faces a potential $30m tax hit, impacting the trust’s $104m in assets, and the loss of its tax-exempt status.

Tamaki alleges “John Tamihere, as CEO of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency (WOCA), has made himself the gatekeeper of all Māori funding.”

Tamaki argues that while billions have been allocated to Māori organisations, urban Māori face worsening conditions in housing, crime, and health.

He called for “draining the Māori elite swamp” and demanded accountability from leaders who, in his words, “rob their own people.” 

Tamaki also questioned mainstream media’s reluctance to scrutinise Te Pāti Māori, accusing them of complicity.

Editor’s note: Read more about the investigation into Waipareira Trust here and John Tamihere here.

Read more over at X and The NZ Herald (paywalled)

_{Image: Te Pāti Māori}

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