Matt McCarten, once one of Labour’s closest allies, has laid a formal complaint with Speaker Gerry Brownlee alleging that Willie Jackson MP used his political muscle to:
- Orchestrate the sacking of the long-serving chair of Manukau Urban Māori Authority (MUMA) after an independent review found serious bullying by the CEO – Jackson’s wife, Tania Rangiheuea.
- Personally threaten the chair with loss of his $70,000 stipend and then engineer his removal.
- Hand-pick three new board members who are either Labour Party activists or his own staff.
- Issue trespass notices against McCarten and every union representative to block collective bargaining.
- Coordinate intimidation of staff and deploy top-tier law firms to silence the sacked chair with High Court action. Labour leader Chris Hipkins was informed on 5 September 2025 and did nothing. The Chief Whip reportedly said it was “not a matter for the party”.
February 2025 – Independent review by Mike Tukaki and Deborah Mahuta-Coyle (both ex-staff from Jackson’s ministerial office) finds multiple serious cases of bullying and misconduct by MUMA CEO (Mrs Tania Rangiheuea). Recommends removal.
February/March 2025 – Chair and deputy meet CEO. Meeting goes badly. Chair prepares to report to board.
Shortly after – Willie Jackson contacts chair, declares himself the CEO’s “employment advocate”, demands meeting, bullies chair, orders review buried and written apology issued. Threatens to have chair removed and strip his $70,000 stipend when chair refuses.
Days later – Jackson rings individual board members. Special board meeting called. Chair ambushed and sacked at the start. Email and phone cut off immediately.
Immediately after – Jackson installs Kiri Skipworth (his electorate agent), Jerome Mika (senior Labour figure) and Ella Henry as new board members. No visible appointment process.
July 2025 – MUMA workers approach Matt McCarten about bullying and wage theft. Workers join McCarten’s revived One Union.
25 July 2025 – Within hours of One Union initiating bargaining, Willie Jackson emails trespass notice to McCarten, then extends it to all union representatives across every MUMA site.
Late July 2025 – MUMA management (via Tukaki) refuse to recognise bargaining. Hand-delivered paper trespass notice follows.
September – November 2025 – Staff begin speaking to media. Jackson reportedly at MUMA “coordinating strategy”. Staff called to multiple meetings and threatened with dismissal or contract losses if they talk.
Early November 2025 – Former chair receives three lawyers’ letters in four days, culminating in Chapman Tripp filing High Court proceedings against him.
5 September 2025 – McCarten writes to Chris Hipkins. No substantive reply.
17 November 2025 – McCarten lodges formal complaint with Speaker requesting Privileges Committee referral.
Willie Jackson has spent decades telling everyone else how to behave. Turns out that when his wife is the one accused of running a toxic workplace, all those lofty principles go straight out the window.
Matt McCarten’s letter to the Speaker is absolutely devastating. This is not some National Party dirt-digger or a disgruntled ex-employee with an axe to grind. This is Matt McCarten – the man who literally ran Labour’s campaigns, who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Jackson in the union movement for 40 years – saying his old mate has gone and full-on abused his position as an MP to protect his wife from credible bullying allegations.
Let that sink in. The same Willie Jackson who screams about power imbalances and colonial oppression allegedly rang around a Māori trust board like a South Auckland Godfather, threatening the chair, sacking him in a ambush meeting, cutting off his phone and email, then installing his own electorate agent and a couple of loyal Labour mates on the board. All to make sure no one ever saw the review that recommended his wife be removed as CEO.
And when the workers tried to unionise – remember, this is the former minister of employment we’re talking about – Jackson personally issued trespass orders against McCarten and every single union official. A Labour front-bencher banning union access. You cannot make this up.
Then, when staff start talking to media, Jackson is reportedly in the building running the crisis response, while terrified workers are told they’ll lose their jobs if they speak out and the sacked chair gets hit with three lawyers’ letters in four days and a High Court filing. Chapman Tripp don’t come cheap. Someone is paying those bills and a big chunk of MUMA’s funding comes from taxpayers.
Chris Hipkins was told the full story two months ago and ran for cover. His Chief Whip apparently thinks an MP protecting his wife from bullying allegations by bullying everyone else is fine and dandy and none of Labour’s business.
This is the most damaging accusation against a sitting Labour MP in years, and it comes from inside the whānau. McCarten says he feels betrayed. Imagine how the workers feel.
Willie Jackson has spent his entire career telling Māori to stand tall, to fight the system, to speak truth to power. Right now he’s the one wielding power to silence victims and bust unions...and lawyer up for anyone who dares speak out.
The Privileges Committee needs to haul him in. And if they don’t, every single Labour MP who stays silent is complicit in the cover-up. All that is needed is just one MP to stand up for bullied workers and make a complaint to the Privileges Committee. Just one. Is there just one MP who will do this?
This is the same as the police corruption scandal. Senior management and governance level office holders are all complicit in covering up bullying and abuse by the CEO in order to protect her from accountability. It also involves political leaders all looking the other way to protect a political mate and his missus.
Matt McCarten couldn’t and wouldn’t look the other way.
Letter to Chris Hipkins from Mattt McCarten
Letter to Chris Hipkins Edit 445pm.pdf
1 MB
Letter to Speaker Brownlee - Willie Jackson Allegation
Ltr Speaker - Willie Jackson Allegation 17-11-25.pdf
352 KB
Letter to MUMA ERA
Ltr MUMA ERA 191125.pdf
427 KB
Cam Slater is a New Zealand-based blogger, best known for his role in Dirty Politics and publishing the Whale Oil Beef Hooked blog, which operated from 2005 until it closed in 2019. Cam blogs regularly on the GoodOil - where this article was sourced.
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