Government to hold inquiry into Te Pāti Māori data misuse claims

Monday, 10 June 2024

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has called for a full, independent inquiry into allegations census data and information collected during the Covid-19 vaccine drive was misused.

The Government has announced a full, independent inquiry into allegations census data and information collected during the Covid-19 vaccine drive was misused for political campaigning.

Stats NZ, the official data agency and police are already investigating after it was claimed information gathered by Manurewa Marae staff was used to help Te Pāti Māori’s election campaign.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday that he and Public Service Minister Nicola Willis asked acting public service commissioner Heather Baggott to begin a review.

“Public confidence in the response to these allegations is absolutely paramount,” he said at a post-Cabinet press conference. “There must be independent oversight of the whole picture of government agency activity.

Manurewa Marae — run by MP Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp — was controversially used as a polling booth in last year’s general election.

“Agencies shouldn't be left to review these allegations themselves, and to that end, the Minister for Public Service and I have directed the Public Service Commission to initiate an independent inquiry into the safeguards that government agencies have in place to protect people's personal data in the circumstances surrounding these allegations.

“Other ministries, the Ministry of Health, Health New Zealand, Oranga Tamariki and MSD [the Ministry for Social Development] are also taking steps to gather any relevant information.

“However, public confidence in the response to these allegations is absolutely paramount.”

Luxon said there must be independent oversight of the agencies involved.

“Agencies shouldn't be left to review these allegations themselves.”

It comes after the Sunday-Star Times revealed Stats NZ was investigating claims private information collected by Manurewa Marae during the census was used by the TPM.

The urban marae — which was controversially used as a polling booth in last year’s general election — was run by Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp who pipped incumbent Labour MP Peeni Henare to the Tāmaki Makaurau seat by just 42 votes.

The marae was at the forefront of Auckland's vaccine rollout, being one of the first sites to offer immunisations. It was then part of a Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency drive to promote last year’s census, between March and June last year.

And then it became a polling booth at last year’s general election, a controversial decision because of Kemp’s candidacy for the Māori seat.

Former MP John Tamihere is chief executive of Whānau Ora and chief executive of the Waipareira Trust, a Māori urban authority that holds Whānau Ora contracts, and TPM president.

The Manurewa Marae is at the centre of claims about the misuse of data.

He has “unequivocally” denied the allegations and TPM has welcomed an investigation.

Kemp is yet to comment.

Last week, The Post revealed Labour laid a complaint with the Electoral Commission about the use of shortcodes — text messages used to send reminders or marketing campaigns to mobile phones.

It alleged Māori voters in Auckland received two text messages from the shortcode 2661, urging the recipient to vote for Te Pāti Māori. The had previously received text from the shortcode from the Waipareira Trust and Whānau Ora.

The Electoral Commission didn’t alert any other departments to the potential data breach.

The inquiry will also examine agencies’ management of actual or perceived conflicts of interest, Luxon said.

“If the allegations are true, the way data could be so easily shared between organisations to people wearing multiple hats would be of great concern.”

He said the probe would not compromise the police investigation or the activities of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, which has asked for further information but is not yet investigating.

The review will be established under the powers provided by the Public Service Act of 2020, and the terms of reference, lead reviewer and timing will be announced later this week.

“New Zealanders must have confidence that the data they provide to government agencies or others acting on their behalf is used appropriately and are subject to adequate protections.”

He said work done last week by public sector agencies to establish facts “was a good first step, but it's not sufficient”.

“The PSC inquiry …will put the various lines of inquiry together and ensure the necessary independence provide confidence to the public around the findings.”