I didn’t think it was possible to find more murk on Te Pati Maori, but it turns out that it is possible to pile the dung heap even higher. Andrea Vance has discovered a video where key members of Te Pati Maori are caught discussing collecting peoples voting forms and “ticking the box for them” on a Facebook live in October 2022 – when three people from the Marae, Tash Kemp, Rangi McLean and Hilda Peters, were standing as candidates for a local board on the Manurewa-Papakura Action Team ticket.
John Tamihere hosted a Facebook Live ‘Tamihere Talks’ on October 5, 2022, ahead of the local body elections, with Manurewa Marae chief executive Taukutai Moana Natasha Kemp, chair Rangi McLean and Jacqui Harema, all running on the Manurewa Action ticket.
The party “strenuously” denies those allegations.
In September 2022, Auckland Council and the city’s electoral officer received complaints, some from rival candidates, about marae staff campaigning on behalf of Action Team.
It was claimed voting papers were collected by marae staff as they delivered ‘tabloids’ – newsletters featuring the Action Team candidates.
The complaint included two social media posts from marae staff member Te Kou o Rehua Panapa. He wrote: “Our Manurewa Marae whanau are out and about delivering tabloids and picking up whanau voting papers.” Kemp and Peters were also tagged.
Electoral officer Dale Ofsoske made inquiries with Action Team.
“I contacted the group’s main spokesperson to advise that this was an unwise practice,” Ofsoske told the Star-Times. “The spokesperson advised such a practice was unlikely as all of their team had been advised not to undertake such a practice.”
However, a Facebook Live with candidates, broadcast three days before the October 8 vote, makes repeated references to the practice.
In the video, Kemp, McLean and Jacqui Harema, then an employee of the Waipareira Trust, were interviewed by broadcaster John Tamihere, also chief executive of the trust and president of Te Pati Maori.
“We do need to encourage our whanau to go out and collect those envelopes and support their whanau to vote,” Kemp said.
“… Can I just say, JT, there’s already been complaints about Manurewa Marae soliciting votes. We are not hiding behind who we are as Manurewa Marae and it’s our role and I think our responsibility to encourage our whanau and empower them to vote.”
The Post
Quite brazen and boastful aren’t they? I’m starting to believe these guys think they’ll get away with it all.
Both Kemp and Tamihere were concerned that a declining number of post boxes would affect turnout. Kemp also said waiting times to cast a special vote in the area were up to 2.5 hours.
“[J]ust got to motivate your whanau, get on the phone, go around their houses, pick up their voting forms, tick the boxes for them. It’s probably illegal, but I’m asking you to do it anyway,” Tamihere said, laughing.
“No, look because the whole system is rorted against us, so you’ve got to level it up somehow.”
Tamihere said the the voting process is “weighted towards older, non-Maori white fullas”.
“And for all our kaimahi [staff] out there and collect your whanau’s voting packs and go and collect everybody else’s. Whatever you do, don’t vote for them. Really,” he said, making a whisper gesture.
“The [unclear] community do it, I don’t understand why the Maori community can’t.”
The Post
This is as clear as you can get about a systemic attempt to subvert democracy in their favour. It’s shameless even.
And you know what, they’ll probably get away with it. Because they’re Maori.
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