Manurewa Marae inquiry: John Tamihere admits census forms were photocopied

Wednesday, 19 February 2025

An inquiry has uncovered significant gaps in how government agencies handle and protect personal data. The report reveals missing safeguards and inadequate oversight, with steps being taken to address the issues and restore public trust.

Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere has admitted census forms were photocopied by Manurewa Marae staff.

But he said data from the 2023 survey, collected by the marae on behalf of his Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency (WOCA) and Waipareira Trust was not misused to help the party’s election campaign.

Two damning inquiries into the alleged misuse of census and Covid-19 vaccination information were released on Tuesday.

The findings saw Chief Statistician Mark Sowden step down, and public service boss Sir Brian Roche bar agencies from entering into any new contracts with WOCA, the trust or the marae until safeguards are in place.

Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere is defending his party.

Roche also called for a law change after the marae offered $100 supermarket vouchers and winter wellness packs to clients who agreed to switch from the general to Māori roll.

Tamihere has not responded to The Post’s requests for comment.

But he told Radio NZ on Wednesday: “In regards to Manurewa Marae, there were photocopies.

“We had a clear instruction that they be destroyed on the premises on the day … was any census data used by Whānau o Waipareira or the Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency in regard to the 2023 general election? And the answer is no.”

Manurewa Marae was formerly headed by MP Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp.

Asked if it was unacceptable that census forms were duplicated, Tamihere said: “Well, we have operating guidelines and those weren’t met.

“But that’s not to say crooked dealings occurred on the marae. That’s something you would have to put to them.”

The marae was formerly headed by TPM MP Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp, who narrowly won the seat from Labour incumbent Peeni Henare by 42 votes.

The police, the Privacy Commissioner Mark Webster and the Serious Fraud Office are now investigating claims Te Pāti Māori misused personal data collected in 2023.

That wasn’t within the scope of the two inquires, commissioned by the Public Service and Stats NZ.

The latter, written by former state services deputy commissioner Doug Craig, did find “it was more likely than not” census forms were photocopied and left unsealed.

Manurewa Marae was was at the forefront of Auckland's vaccine rollout, part of a Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency drive to promote the 2023 census, and a polling booth at the general election.

This breached legislation that protects information collected for the census.

Craig’s report also said: “We think it is more likely than not that, at least on some occasions, the information entered into WOCA’s database from Manurewa Marae … was derived directly from census forms.”

The PSC inquiry, headed by Pania Gray and former solicitor general Michael Heron KC, found a number of flaws in how Stats NZ, the Ministry of Health and Health NZ protected personal information provided to the marae, WOCA and the Waipareira Trust.

“While we don’t know if personal information was improperly used, the gate was left open,” Roche said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Marae staff-turned-whistleblowers came forward with the claims last year, reported by the Sunday Star-Times and The Post. Tamihere has repeatedly said the whistleblowers had an employment gripe, were members of Destiny Church and had no evidence to back their claims.

He told RNZ there was “no substance” to allegations that a text message from Te Pāti Maori had been sent to voters who had previously participated in a Covid-19 vaccination drive at the marae.

A Labour Party complaint to the Electoral Commission alleged the shortcode 2661 — text messages used to send reminders or marketing campaigns to mobile phones — belonged to Waipareira Trust and was previously used to send people government health information.

That matter was referred to the Privacy Commission by the PSC inquiry and is now being investigated.

“There is no substance to that at all,” Tamihere told RNZ.

The use of incentives to encourage clients to complete the census was included in contracts with Stats NZ, he said. Any concerns about those incentives “are not my concern”, he said.

“We were deployed to lift the numbers of Māori participating in the census, and we did that,” he said.

The former Labour MP also said Roche had “no legal rights” to suspend new or extended contracts with his organisations. “We’ve been found guilty of nothing.”

Tamihere claimed he was being targeted because of race.

“There's not one rule for all in this country by a long shot,” he told RNZ.

“We are a growing force politically in this country. That will continue whether people like it or not.'