By Elizabeth Puranam
Destiny Church co-founder Hannah Tamaki has won the right to run for president of the Maori Women's Welfare League.
The league dropped her name from the ballot papers last month and excluded three branches that were affiliated with Destiny Church from voting.
Ms Tamaki took them to the High Court, and today won.
"It's actually made me more determined because I just think that there's a lot of people that are backing me and believe I'm capable of the job," she says.
"I'm a Maori woman, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother, I'm a wife."
The high-profile wife of Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki also wants to be president of the Maori Women's Welfare League.
She was confirmed as one of eight candidates for the position, but last month, the league dropped her name from voting papers.
"Probably because of my faith," says Ms Tamaki, "but the league was actually started on a very strong faith in God."
The league has been investigating whether the branches that are affiliated with Destiny Church breach its non-sectarian requirements. But Ms Tamaki had also said her detractors thought she was too glamorous for the job.
"Some may have called me a show pony, but I'll run the race just like everyone else, and I'm determined to do my utmost best."
She's been allowed to run, but the High Court judge wasn't impressed by her tactics.
He found there were serious questions about the way 10 branches of the league had been set up on the same day, at the same time, at the Destiny Church Auckland headquarters.
"The league is very pleased that the court found the 10 branches were not properly established and that the way they had been set up was completely contrary to the practices and tikanga of the league," says Jacqui Te Kani.
3 News asks if she was planning on taking over the league.
"Well, that's a big statement to make," replies Ms Tamaki. "Reality is, there are people from all sorts of faith in the league."
In a written decision, the judge said Ms Tamaki's nomination was valid, her exclusion from the ballot was unlawful and so too was excluding three braches from voting. The league must now cancel the current ballot papers and issue new ones with her name on the candidate's list.
3 News