Destiny makes bid for Maori women's league

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Fri, 17 Jun 2011 2:22p.m.

Hannah Tamaki's bid for presidency is causing suspicion

Hannah Tamaki's bid for presidency is causing suspicion

Destiny Church has continued its effort to increase influence in grass roots politics by attempting a take over bid for the Maori Women’s Welfare League.

Fairfax media reports Hannah Tamaki, Bishop Brian Tamaki’s wife, is campaigning to become national president of the league, which has nearly 4000 members.

But some in the league are not happy with Ms Tamaki as a potential new leader.

Past league president Christine Panapa cast suspicion on her bid at a recent candidates meeting in Auckland.

"I could have cut the air with a knife; it was them and us, there was no unification at all," Panapa said.

She went on to describe Destiny Church as a sect and pointed out the league’s constitution meant the organisation had to be a non-sectarian organisation.

A Destiny Church member, who was also a coordinator for the league, then took the stand.

"She just took the mic and said 'would the branches of Destiny Church leave' and they did.

"I think they did not want Hannah to be embarrassed any more".

Another league president, Denise Ewe, told Radio New Zealand Hannah Tamaki admitted she had never heard of the league five years ago.

"Why would you want to take the reigns of a very old and established and Maori organisation? Hannah's vote is coming from Destiny grown branches only."

Ewe says there around 500 Destiny women in the league

"Our concern is really about 'why now', why is she standing now.

"It is about someone coming on who has a powerful position in her own right and that has twice the membership of the league."

Hannah said she knew that her campaign was causing rupture within the league, but maintained that she just wanted to help.

“I'd love to lift the profile of the league, and I think just me putting my name forward has already lifted the profile of the league”.

Though she says the league and Destiny Church have similar views, if elected she claims she would keep the organisations separate.

“I will continue to keep my nomination in there and at the end of the day if the members want me as their national president then great”.

There are eight presidential candidates for the Maori Women's Welfare league around the country. Its members will vote at the beginning of August.

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Comments

20 Jul 2011 07:29p.m.

pono wrote:

Hey "Geneiveve" stop trying to pull the wool over our "eyes" we have every right to contest the motives of your "Jezebel" Hannah and the "False prophet Brian", but you are in error and deception. To simply say that anyone who opposes you or your cult are "haters" is an utter lie, it is absolutely "Biblical" to contest the faith and to weigh prophesies, the "which" of none of "Destiny" elders did, hence your continual "strife" and trouble. When you bring your argument make sure you are in order and present your actual "facts" so that it will be a "robust" debate hah, and not the off the cuff coments you make, Is that "fair"? What I presented are "facts".

19 Jul 2011 06:00p.m.

geneiveve wrote:

Why dont all ya all stop being haters and if anything they have properly saved someone in your family its people like Brian and Hannah Tamaki that have made a difference in alot of peoples lives and that includes people outside destiny. Just for the record why does Pastor Hannah have to dress down coz you hater people cant dress up there is more to life than criticizing come on.Be proud 4 such a women

11 Jul 2011 04:05p.m.

maz wrote:

I think hannah is not the one fr th job.th gud lord i thought gave them a job preach th word nt politics.

03 Jul 2011 01:30a.m.

Rangimarie wrote:

Aue! I say no way,Hannah, go and eat a healthy banana, you could contribute financially to the league, just remember contribution is different from a koha lol

21 Jun 2011 05:18p.m.

Simone wrote:

I think most of the kuia in the Maori Womens Welfare League are engaged, active wahine, concerned for the welfare of their whanau, hapu, iwi, tamariki, rangitahi and mokopuna.

I repeat, Hannah isn't from that mould. She hadn't even heard of the League five years ago (!) and now she thinks she can take it over??!!

20 Jun 2011 07:09p.m.

Anne wrote:

Simone

We do need more young blood with fresh new ideas. I am 65 years old maori and not afraid of change.

These kuia should embrace change and look beyond their own comfort zone. Someone who is willing to learn new things all the time, wont run away if she fails, gets up and moves that vehicle forward and take it to new heights for women of all nationalities and someone who is open to new ideas that are relevant for the times.There are no full maoris anymore.Hannah is well qualified.The new and the old can blend well if managed properly.

20 Jun 2011 12:55p.m.

Simone wrote:

Anne, I think your comments about the League an insult to those great leaders of our people like Princess Te Puea Herangi and Dame Whina Cooper who founded it.

Most of the League's membership consists of older kuia who have worked hard for our people in health and social services, speaking out on land loss and reclamation issues, insuring our language survives and our culture is preserved.

And they've been doing it for far longer than that lady and her husband with her designer clothes, living in her nice suburban house with her nice boat, while the rank and file parishioners do it tough in South Auckland and have rent payment, health access and grocery cost troubles.

Why can't Hannah Tamaki set up her up "Destiny Women' group if she wants to be in charge of something? Not try and wreck one of Maoridom's most respected institutions?

20 Jun 2011 12:33p.m.

Tania Roberts wrote:

Because this is a Maori organisation & the position is at a top level tier, wouldn't it be better suited to someone that could speak Te Reo? How would she be able to communicate to those who have Maori as a first language?

19 Jun 2011 01:12a.m.

Paul wrote:

Anne, Not jealous, it's just some churches are there to preach the word of god and it doesn't matter if you donate or not. It's good to give, I'm not knocking that but it shouldn't be forced upon anyone. If you can't afford to give but still want to go there,that should be ok. A true preacher would just want to get gods word out there. I think your preacher worships MONEY.

18 Jun 2011 11:26a.m.

Anne wrote:

Paul/Ruz

Jealous are you...
The Destiny members who cant even pay their rent came to Destiny church,already in that state. "No Money, in debt of their own making, smoking dope, gang members etc. the list goes on.

These ones expect Destiny to ..FIX..their problems straight away. Social services are very busy in Destiny to support them but they have to help themselves first and do a complete overhaul of ones circumstances and have a changed attitude. First the practical then the spiritual.
Some come expecting a handout with no commitment. Our people have been in this kind of mentality for too long.
Toughlove was a term I think, that came out of the secular world. Problem was, every one had their own interpretation
of what that meant.There is toughlove at destiny but there is no mollycoddling.