Jul 5, 2011

Maori Women's Welfare League Strike Back

It looks as if the Maori Women’s Welfare League (MWWL) may be inviting a legal battle. From the NZ Herald:

Destiny Church's Hannah Tamaki has effectively been disqualified from the presidency race for the Maori Women's Welfare League after her name was left off voting material. 

Mrs Tamaki's derailed candidacy comes after an alleged direct challenge from a MWWL member - Prue Kapua - who argued to the national executive that because Mrs Tamaki's branches were aligned to the church they were unconstitutional. 

Unfortunately, I cannot track down a copy of the charter. However, I will tentatively suggest that the MWWL may have overstepped the mark. I say, with a fair degree of certainty, that former presidents have had or retain some connection to faith based organisations. I fail to see how faith would be a disqualifying factor. The MWWL is strictly non-sectarian in outlook and approach, but that does not mean members or leaders must disown their religious beliefs. Although I do not support Hannah Tamaki’s bid for the presidency, in fact I actively oppose her bid, striking her name off of voting papers is unfair. Having said this, I cannot say with any certainty whether this move from the MWWL is legit without viewing the charter, however, prima facie, it appears that the MWWL have got ahead of themselves.

In a double blow, church members who are also in the MWWL might not be able to vote regardless of Mrs Tamaki's candidacy status. 

Yesterday, Mrs Tamaki, the wife of Destiny's Bishop Brian Tamaki, was considering legal options. A letter was sent to the MWWL executive team in Wellington asking for an explanation about the situation by 3pm.

What the Bishop wants, the Bishop gets. Or at least that is how he sees it. I have no doubt that Hannah Tamaki and her husband will invoke the law as a means to their end. Mrs Tamaki’s bid for the presidency is, in my opinion, an attempt by Destiny Church to seize control of a respectable social organisation and, subsequently, access social service funding. The Church has identified government contracts as a new money spinner and they are hell bent (terrible pun I know) on securing them. Providing social services is a way to make money under the guise of doing God's work.

Hannah Tamaki is running an expensive campaign for the presidency. She is distributing promotional material, attending MWWL functions and, according to reports, instructing Destiny Church members to form their own MWWL branches and join existing branches. However, the MWWL is firmly opposed to such moves and they are beginning to play the game. Three Destiny Church affiliated branches of the MWWL have not received voting papers due to their connections with the Church. The MWWL is also investigating other methods to block Destiny branches and Destiny affiliated members.

I hope this whole saga turns out well for the MWWL. The League is one of the most respectable Maori organisations in the country. A Destiny Church take over will only serve to smear the organisation. Hopefully the MWWL can keep it clean and minimise the damage Destiny has already inflicted.

15 comments:

  1. What does the MWWL have to hide? Their funding is 100% from tax payers... $1.8 Mil a year... yet there is a media ban and locking out Hannah Tamaki will effectively stop an audit of MWWL financial dealings over the last few years.

    Also... isn't it the MWWL who has inflicted the damage... you're opening statement says so...

    "It looks as if the Maori Women’s Welfare League (MWWL) may be inviting a legal battle. From the NZ Herald:"

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  2. I find it difficult to see how Prue Kapua-Wall with a branch membership of 5 has the right to stop 3 branches and a Presidential Candidate from standing or participating in an election process. The MWWL must have something huge to hide. Prue probably has received some money from the League and can not afford to have this exposed if Hannah got in. Well we will have to wait and see.

    Looks like though the MWWL is in trouble from this decision.

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  3. You can search the register at Charities Commission. The term in question states simply, "It shall be non-sectarian, non-profitable and non-party political..." Ironically the organisation includes a purpose that members effectively participate in "SPIRITUAL, social, cultural and economic development" of its whanau" The bottom line surely is as you state that Tamaki is entitled to run and Destiny members are entitled to join. They are no less or more sectarian than Ratana, Ringatu or even Anglican churc Maori. It seems a shame that the politics of exclusion are in play here.

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  4. The MWWL has become an elitist organisation who has definitely lost touch with the grassroots and only exists because of seeds sown in the past by stalwarts such as Whina Cooper and other grassroots women....like the Maori Party they now only exist by being bought off by a racist government. If Hana Tamaki can change that situation then she should be the next president and not let the hierbarky block her out....Mauriora..!!!

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  5. Why have they taken Hannah Tamaki's name off the voting papers if they have NOT sent these papers to her 'Destiny' branches? Because the MWWL are scared that women who are not affiliated with the church will vote for Hannah Tamaki as well. It is not only Destiny women who can see that Hannah Tamaki will bring a refreshing change to the league and the League is scared of that.

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  6. Didn't Dame Whina Cooper have a deep Catholic belief????? I don't think the affiliation to Destiny church is the reason for all of this... I think the league has been doing some dodgey things with OUR (the tax payers) money for a while and they can't have Hannah Tamaki shining a light on the corruption.

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  7. Whether you are in a religion or not Māori Womens Welfare League, should be exactly that a Māori womens Welfare League....to endeavour to help and asisst N.Z women from any harm and/or discorse that will hinder her ability to be the best that she wants to be. To endeavour her dreams and aspirations in purely evolving technological world she is but first a women before she is a religion and who are we to deny her the right to stand for the belifs of a women and Māori at that to!!....:) Terehia Kia ora tatou katoa...:)

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  8. This organisation TE ROOPU WAAHINE TOKO I TE ORA continues to be transparent and accountable, audited every year always with unqualified reports, our waahine haven't lost touch with grass root level they work for and with them, plus they walk the talk, not interested in the media, the hype or otherwise, they are too busy out in the field doing the mahi

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  9. Hannah is Jezebel. Jezebel was the downfall of Solomon and so shall she be the downfall of Brian Tamaki. I concur with the previous comment that she is only after the money. They are running a business using the name of the Lord and low and behold they will reap exactly as they sow. Nobody mocks God's laws. Jesus freed us from the laws of Moses which includes tithing but they reinstate it to further their cause of financial greed. They have fallen to the devil and are lead by a guide of Avarice.

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  10. I'm more interested in the fact that Destiny could make a run for the top job of the MWWL yet no one but Brian is allowed to to be the head of that church.

    Double standards or what?

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  11. I would have thought that the term 'non-sectarian' means that sects cannot exist within the MWWL. If three branches are made up only of members of Destiny Church, then those branches are sectarian. If Ratana have their own branches made up entirely of women from Ratana Church, then they too are sectarian. However, if branches are made up of women practising a variety of religious and spiritual beliefs, they are not sectarian.

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  12. Hannah is a Jezebel!!!! you sound like a bitter and twisted person.You know to which annonymous I am referring to you. You are another hearsay person who jumped on the media bandwagon accepting everything they say as gospel.

    The MWWL has got no leg to stand on when it comes to omitting Hannah's name from the list.

    Women of MWWl should not be dictated to by their executive as to who they should vote for.

    Discrimination come in different forms and this is one of them.Personally when that kind of vendetta is carried on without the facts presented in its fullness,then what does it tell us of the kind of nation we have now especially behind closed doors.


    If the action they have taken is challenged in court, MWWL will not have a leg to stand on especially when the whole due process has been
    eroded due to the lack of wisdom and foresight in the way they have dealt with the situation in the first place.

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  13. I believe in the integrity of the MWWL. I have seen their branches in action and I speak as a male maori who was disconnected with my whanau. The MWWL has helped me and my whanau in a healing process from domestic violence and substance abuse. What hannah is doing may be lawful but it has a hidden motive which does not reflect christian beliefs. I don't think hannah is after the money, I believe she is more after the power! If you ever go to a destiny church meeting you will view first hand power tripping, manipulation and emotional blackmail. I hope the league can stop this before it creeps into their circle.

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  14. When I see Hannah Tamaki or her husband with the big ego so called Bishop???? I don't see humility grace or anything that even resembles anything spiritual. I see extravagance. They have fed their own ego's. They do some good work within their church so why don't they stay there.

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  15. Hannah Tamaki is on dangerous ground not because of the MWWL but because she is now involved with secular activity which breaches the covenant that God has with Christianity. Stacking votes is a sinful, prideful and disgraceful use of church resources. Pride cometh before the fall Hannah.

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