Matua Kahurangi: The shocking truth about John Tamihere and Waipareira Trust

John Tamihere has spent decades selling himself as a champion of the underdog, a tireless advocate for Māori and community empowerment. He parades on stage, dominates media debates, and paints himself as the voice of the marginalised. As Duncan Garner lays bare in his recent podcast, the reality is far uglier.

The numbers tell the story the media and Tamihere’s public image try to hide. Waipareira Trust, the charity he runs, is not some modest little organisation. Its 2023–24 report shows net assets of over $100 million, including $75 million in cash. Tens of millions in revenue, surpluses of $20 million in a single year - margins that would make most top corporations jealous.

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However, the communities Tamihere claims to serve see little of that wealth. Instead, Waipareira has become a personal payday for Tamihere and his executives. In 2023, 13 senior managers were paid an average of $510,000 each - a total of $6.7 million. The next year, pay rose to $7.4 million for 25 executives. To put it bluntly: the Prime Minister earns less than these so-called social service leaders.

Garner doesn’t mince words. He calls Tamihere out for hypocrisy. During his Auckland mayoral campaign, he condemned public sector pay over $200,000 as “unacceptable.” Yet under his watch, Waipareira pays salaries rivaling top corporate CEOs — all funded by taxpayer money. Loans to his political party, conflicts of interest, and murky governance practices only add to the picture.

Tamihere is not a man of the people. He is the face of a corporate-style empire masquerading as a charity. The rhetoric of social justice and community service is undermined by his own lavish earnings, huge surpluses, and questionable financial decisions. Frontline workers struggle on modest wages while executives rake in six-figure salaries. Taxpayer dollars intended to help whānau and vulnerable families are filling his pockets instead.

As Garner says, the question is unavoidable: who benefits here? The answer is painfully clear - not the grassroots. Not the whānau. Not the communities that put their trust in Waipareira. John Tamihere and his inner circle are the ones profiting.

If Māori-led social service organisations are to retain any credibility, Tamihere must be held accountable. Transparency, independent audits, and governance free of self-interest aren’t optional. Until then, Tamihere stands exposed as the man he’s always claimed he isn’t - not a champion of the people, but a master of grifting and self interest.

Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.