A group of leaders named in a letter to a Cabinet Minister alleging irregularities in the Māori Council election say their names have been used without permission and against their wishes
A top government advisor has attacked the integrity of the Māori Council elections, but several of those claimed as his supporters weren’t aware their names had been used to back his allegations.
Matthew Tukaki was the leading name in a list below a letter to Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson, alleging irregularities in the elections for the Māori Council in March. But some of those named as supporting the allegations were not aware of the letter, did not know their name was being used and did not agree with the letter’s assertions.
Tukaki said that as far as he was aware the people on the list had given their consent.
Tukaki was formerly the deputy executive director of the Māori Council and chairman of the Auckland Māori Council, but lost those roles when he was voted out in elections in late March. He is an advisor to Minister for Children, Kelvin Davis.
The Māori Council is an independent body that was set up by the Crown to represent Māori interests. It is governed by legislation that is the responsibility of the Minister of Maori Development.
In July, the letter went to Jackson, raising concerns about the integrity of the Māori Council elections and suggesting the results may not be valid. It said there were concerns about elections in the Tāmaki Makaurau, Tāmaki ki Te Tonga, Aotea, Takitimu, Wellington, Tai Rawhiti, Te Arawa, Raukawa and Waikato committees.
The letter to Jackson says “this then creates issues as to the validity of appointments”.
“We firmly believe that you should appoint an inquiry to review urgently the Triennial Elections of the NZMC.”
The letter is headed “Request from Members of Roopu Tautoko”, or supporting group, and concludes with a list of 58 names of Māori Council members from throughout the country. Tukaki’s name is at the top of the list. The letter does not have any signatures next to the names.
Jackson replied to the letter suggesting the council should hold an inquiry by a panel that included people named in the letter who appeared as signatories under Tukaki's name.
As people have found out about their names being listed on the letter, some have started to raise objections.
'I don't like name-droppers'
Pauline Rewiti, chair of the Te Rongopai District Māori Committee, sent a letter to Te Roopu Tautoko, expressing disagreement with her name being included on the correspondence with Jackson.
“I wish to point out firstly I am not happy with the fact that my name has been mentioned in your list as being a part of your support. Secondly I have not received any form of notification regarding this matter. Thirdly I do not know or recognise you at all. Fourthly I did not give permission or agree verbally or in writing to anyone to act on my behalf or in agreeance with this matter.”
When spoken to by Newsroom, Rewiti said she didn’t like “name-droppers.”
Haki Wihongi from Dargaville also said he wasn’t aware his name was attached to the letter. “I never knew a thing about it [the letter from Te Roopu Tautoko]. I heard that my name was on that list, but I didn’t know I was on there. I didn’t give any consent on it.”
Wihongi said he did have an issue with the election, but it was with one of the other people on the list who he believes is aligned with Tukaki.
Another person, who did not wish to be identified, but whose name is on the letter, said they were completely unaware.
“I was one of those names (on the letter) but I never put my name there.”
“I have never been asked, never been approached by Te Roopu Tautoko. I hadn’t even heard the name. It’s funny how they can use your name and say you’re part of the group. Well, no I’m not. There’s no authentication, there’s no signatures. If it gets nasty I’m going to have to clarify that my name is in there without my consent or knowledge.”
He said he had nominated the person who had won election in his area, so doesn’t know how he could be opposed to the results.
A third person said they were not aware of the letter or that their name was included on the list.
“No I wasn’t, no.”
The person said they had attended a Zoom meeting with some of the council members that was discussing a number of topics. He said the subject of anomalies in the elections was raised but not in any formal way. He only attended to find out what was being said and did not give agreement to any letter.
“I just dropped in to see what was going on.”
He said the letter is vague in that there aren’t any signatures but the names are listed under the title Te Roopu Tautoko.
“I saw my name listed there, but the letter didn’t say it was representing my name, but being identified on the letter implies that.”
“The other thing is there were other people who attended the Zoom meeting who aren’t listed on the letter.”
Another person also confirmed that they weren’t aware that their name was on the list.
Māori Council disputes longstanding
Tukaki said disputes about elections in the Māori Council go back before his time.
“I’m not seeking to make public comment on what’s going on within the Māori Council, other than to say it’s been previously reported that there’s a dispute about the triennial elections of 2021,” he said.
Tukaki, with Raewyn Harrison, took civil litigation in June, alleging there were irregularities in the elections. Tukaki was represented by former Attorney General Chris Finlayson. The litigation was trying to stop the national meeting of the Māori Council going ahead to validate the election results and make appointments. The High Court rejected the claims and the meeting proceeded where the results were confirmed. The court recommended the council use its own processes to hold an inquiry into any allegations about the elections.
The Te Roopu letter was then sent to Willie Jackson in late July with Tukaki’s name at the top of the list of names. Tukaki says his understanding is the people named on the included list knew they their names were being used.
"As far as I’m aware everybody on that letter was aware they were on the letter because they approved it in a meeting. I wasn’t at the meeting by the way, just so you know.”
He said there were minutes of the meeting, which was held over Zoom, that he suggested might prove that the people listed did consent to their names being used. Those minutes were not provided to Newsroom by deadline. He also suggested that people in an opposing faction had put pressure on those in the list to back out.
Several of the district branches named in the letter as having “irregularities” in their elections only found out about the Te Roopu Tautoko group and their allegations when Willie Jackson wrote to them.
Sir Eddie Taihakurei Durie, who is the current chair of the Raukawa District for the Māori Council and was previously national chair, wrote to Jackson raising questions about the legitimacy of the letter.
“My concern is that without further verification and particulars the letter's ostensible purpose may be no more than to counter the High Court decision that NZMC conduct its own inquiry according to its rules. As you know, those proceedings were brought by Mr Tukaki, the first named subscriber to that letter.”
“I submit that a reasonable inquiry by your office and consultation with NZMC would have shown the need to treat the letter cautiously. Just the fact that it is not signed by the putative subscribers should have been enough. I have further concerns in that respect that your chief advisor is the brother of Mr Tukaki and that there is some difficulty in matching your response to the letter with your sworn statement to the High Court.”
Sir Eddie told Jackson one person from Raukawa was listed on Te Roopu Tautoko, but that person did not know the contents of the letter and did not agree to the addition of his name. He said Jackson’s response would give the group a credibility it doesn’t have.
“The letter's authors did not disclose their letter to the District Councils affected. It appears it was also not sent to the New Zealand Māori Council, and of course the NZMC chairs have only now received it from you. Based on my personal knowledge of the 50 named as Te Roopu members, more than half either did not participate in the elections or say they did not subscribe to the letter.”
What serious irregularities?
On Friday September 3, Wi Derek Huata King, chairman of the Takitimu District Māori Council, also wrote to Jackson asking what the “serious irregularities” were that were alleged in the Te Roopu letter.
“We are truly perplexed with the accusation of serious irregularity and insist on being provided with specific details to support the allegation. Matthew Tukaki is not supported or respected by my DMC. Please read the sort of scurrilous Facebook conversation he published about me and the Takitimu elections.”
The Facebook conversation King refers to includes a post that read: “That hua Derek King has no support from me…"
Derek King also questioned why Willie Jackson was accepting the letter at face value without giving people a right of reply.
"Now we have seen your reply to Te Roopu Tautoko dated 5 August 2021 ... we think that you have been misled on the facts and have only heard one side of the story.”
King said Matthew Tukaki should not be advising Kelvin Davis on Oranga Tamariki either.
“Takitimu DMC vehemently opposes Minister Kelvin Davis’ appointment of Matthew Tukaki to a senior role at Oranga Tamariki.”
Tukaki was appointed by Minister for Children Kelvin Davis to chair an advisory board giving advice on Oranga Tamariki’s restructure. The board was set up in response to a number of damning reports, including from the Waitangi Tribunal, after controversy over Oranga Tamariki’s coercive removal of children. Davis is awaiting a report from the board before he decides on major changes to Oranga Tamariki. As chair of the board, Tukaki is being paid $1000 a day.
Beside those who were not aware of the letter, one of the people on the letter's list has convictions for fraud. That individual has been prevented from holding positions on his local branch of the council because members were aware of those convictions.
The Auckland Māori Council has told Jackson that Tukaki had tried to replace three committees without notifying members.
A report in June from the Auckland Maori District Council that was sent to Willie Jackson said Tukaki had disestablished three of the Auckland committees without notifying the members and set up three committees in their place. The report stated that: “(Tukaki) purported to abolish each of the three committees of Central Auckland (Auckland Wananga, Orakei and Tamaki-Glen Innes) and to constitute three new committees in their place, Auckland Central, Maungakiekie and Glen Innes. The existing Māori Committees were not notified of these measures.”
Tokorima Abraham from the original Glen Innes committee sent an email to Tukaki and others on March 26, the day after the election.
“We note there is said to be another Māori Committee operating in Glen lnnes and recognised by Matt Tukaki. Who are the faces behind this committee? We have been living in Glen Innes for past 6 generations in the same whare on the same street. Our whare has been used by the neighbourhood for whanau tangi and community gatherings. If there is another Māori Committee in our area we would know about it.”
The letter to Jackson from Te Roopu Tautoko has started to drive a wedge between those listed on the letter and those who are the subject of the allegations. Newsroom has seen documents where individuals are questioning the credentials of those on the group, not realising that many listed on Te Roopu Tautoko are in turn unaware of their names being used.
Inquiry into elections sought
After the first letter from Te Roopu Tautoko, a second letter was sent to Jackson in late August. This letter was again under the banner of Te Roopu Tautoko, but the list of names included in the first letter was not included on the second. However, it concludes: “Nga Mihi, Members of Roopu Tautoko.”
The second letter repeatedly uses the plural “we” throughout and continues making allegations that the elections were suspect.
"We believe that the NZMC cannot go forward with integrity while it remains unclear whether those now purporting to be in office for the NZMC have been validly appointed.”
“We want an independent inquiry that is binding. We have come to the point where it appears from recent communications that Government acknowledges the Ruru contingent (which include individuals central to the interference of these 2021 triennials) as the New Zealand Māori Council. We absolutely refute that this can be the case.”
Newsroom asked Minister of Māori Development Willie Jackson for comment and he responded via email that: “I have received letters about the 2021 Māori Association [sic] elections from a number of people, including some writing under the name Te Roopu Tautoko.
“I have encouraged interested parties to engage with one another to ensure all voices from Māori Associations who want to be heard can be heard.”
When more specific questions were sent through regarding the Te Roopu Tautoko letter including that some people listed did not give consent to their names being used, Jackson’s spokesman replied: “The minister isn’t available for further comment and he is working with the parties as previously stated.”
*Aaron Smale has a claim before the Waitangi Tribunal on adoption and gave evidence at the tribunal’s inquiry into Oranga Tamariki.
