After revelations that Stats NZ, the Government’s official data agency, is investigating allegations relating to the Manurewa marae, sources close to former Cabinet minister Peeni Henare have confirmed he is considering his options and may complain to the Electoral Commission. 

A Sunday Star Times article said a whistleblower from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) had come forward with a series of allegations about the marae and claims that private information collected during the Census was used for political campaigning. 

Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp was the CEO of the marae until she stood down after narrowly beating Henare, the incumbent Labour MP, by only 42 votes in the 2023 general election's Tāmaki Makaurau race. 

Kemp was also a director of the Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency (Te Pou Matakana Limited) until she resigned from the board on December 31, 2023. 

The Waipareira Trust is a minority shareholder in the Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency (WOCA), and Te Pati Māori president, John Tamihere, is CEO of the trust and WOCA. 

Kemp was number 6 on the Te Pati Māori candidate list for last year's election. The chair of WOCA, Merepeka Raukawa-Tait was number 8 and fellow director, Lady Tureiti Moxon was 21 on the list. Tamihere was 28.  

The Taxpayers Union today called on the Government to form a public inquiry under the Inquiries Act to ensure that MSD and Stats NZ are not tasked with reviewing their alleged lack of action after complaints from whistleblowers that the Manurewa marae illegally used Census data collation to boost Te Pati Māori’s electoral data gathering. 

"These allegations are on the most serious end in terms of misuse of Census information," said union spokesperson Jordan Williams.  

"It warrants an independent review to establish both what has happened, and whether agencies have responded with appropriate urgency. 

"Public inquiries have the power to require the production of evidence, to compel witnesses, and to take evidence on oath. Given the seriousness of the allegations reported by the Sunday Star Times over the weekend, that looks to be justified, and necessary to ensure continued public confidence." 

This afternoon Stats NZ has announced that it has asked an independent external party to investigate.

"We are taking these allegations very seriously," Government Statistician and Stats NZ Chief Executive Mark Sowden said.

"It is paramount that the information collected via census forms or any Stats NZ survey is kept private, secure, and confidential, and that it is only used for the purposes in which it is collected."