John Tamihere
Encyclopedia
John Henry Tamihere is a New Zealand
media personality and former politician. He served as a Cabinet
minister in the governing Labour Party
from August 2002 to 3 November 2004.
as the 10th of 12 children to a Māori father of Ngāti Porou
, Whakatohea and Tainui
descent, and a mother of Irish
and Scottish
descent. He is brother to convicted murderer David Tamihere. He attended St Mary's School in Avondale
and St Peter's College
where one of his most influential teachers was Tom Weal, Deputy leader of the Social Credit Political League 1970-1972. Tamihere gained arts and law degrees from the University of Auckland
, being the first person in his family to attend university. After graduating, he became a lawyer
, eventually working for the Māori Land Court
and the Department of Māori Affairs. In 1991 Tamihere became the chief executive of the Waipareira Trust, which provided health and education services to Māori in the Auckland region. He also served as chairman of the New Zealand Māori Rugby League Board. Even before entering politics, Tamihere had a relatively high profile, having been selected as Person of the Year by the Sunday Star Times, New Zealander of the Year by North & South magazine, and Man of the Year by Metro magazine.
, Tamihere stood as the Labour Party
's candidate for the Māori electorate
of Hauraki
. He won the seat with 60 percent of the vote: his nearest rival gained only 15 percent. Immediately upon entering parliament, he became chairman of the Māori Affairs Select Committee, and also served on the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee. In the 2002 election
, Tamihere contested the newly-formed Tamaki Makaurau
seat, which he won with 72 percent of the vote. He gained the second-highest majority amongst the Māori MPs, exceeded only by that of Parekura Horomia
, the Minister of Māori Affairs. Tamihere was appointed to Cabinet
in the same year. He served as Minister of Small Business, Minister of Youth Affairs, Minister of Statistics, and Minister for Land Information, as well as functioning as Horomia's deputy as Associate Minister of Māori Affairs.
Prior to the events mentioned below, Tamihere often figured as a perceived "rising star" of the Labour caucus: some commentators expected him to play a prominent role in the party's future, and sometimes even mentioned his name as that of a potential Prime Minister
.
(tribal structures). According to Tamihere, traditional structures such as iwi do not reflect the reality of modern Māori life, and have proven inadequate for solving today's problems. Tamihere has condemned modern iwi organizations as "new feudal tribal constructs", dominated by an elite group far removed from the majority of Maori. These comments have angered many prominent Māori leaders, but won him considerable popularity with ordinary Māori voters, as well as with a large measure of non-Māori supporters.
Tamihere has also attracted both criticism and praise for his views on Māori self-sufficiency. According to Tamihere, too many Māori "blam[e] others for our failure", and Māori need to "take responsibility for our own actions." This has placed him at odds with Māori politicians such as Willie Jackson, who accuse Tamihere of "victim-blaming
". Tamihere, however, claims that the "victim mentality" holds Māori back, and that Māori need to abandon it if they wish to improve their living standards.
The foreshore and seabed controversy
of 2004–05 put considerable strain on the Labour Party's Māori MPs, with many showing dissatisfaction with the party's policy. Two Labour MPs, Tariana Turia
and Nanaia Mahuta
, chose to vote against Labour's legislation, and Turia elected to leave the party. Tamihere, however, eventually voted in favour of the legislation, and has defended it from its critics. Tamihere has also criticised the new Māori Party
established by Turia and her supporters, saying that it will ultimately fail. According to Tamihere, the party's leaders "belong to a relatively wealthy, educated elite", and do not represent ordinary Maori.
" from the Waipareira Trust after stating that he would not take one, and failing to pay tax
on this payment. Tamihere said that he had "done nothing to bring shame", but portrayed standing down from his ministerial roles during investigation as the "honourable" course. On 22 October, the Waipareira Trust accepted that it, not Tamihere, had the responsibility for tax on any payment, but other allegations relating to the financial management of the Trust persisted. On 3 November Tamihere resigned from his Ministerial portfolios, citing as untenable the retention of his responsibilities during on-going investigations. On 21 December, an official investigation cleared Tamihere of the tax charges, and on 14 March 2005, the Serious Fraud Office cleared him of the charges relating to his stewardship of the Waipareira Trust.
published an interview in which he insulted the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers.
About Prime Minister Helen Clark
he said, "But she’s no good with emotions. She goes to pieces. She’ll fold on the emotional side and walk away or not turn up. She knows it’s going to get emotional and it upsets her. We’ve never had a great relationship". Tamihere also made comments regarded as derogatory about other members of the Labour Party: Steve Maharey
was called "smarmy" and lacking in substance, and Michael Cullen was depicted as cunning and manipulative. The party's homosexual
MPs were also criticised.
Tamihere denies that the interview he gave was on the record, a claim disputed by the journalist in question. Helen Clark speculated on Tamihere's having had a "liquid lunch", and indicated that a return to cabinet for Tamihere was no longer certain. Tamihere was advised to take leave to consider his position, and began attempting to mend relations with his colleagues.
A week later, however, more comments emerged from the interview. Tamihere was reported as being highly critical of women leaders, saying that they achieved their position through preferential treatment. He also stated that he was "sick and tired of hearing how many Jews got gassed" in the Holocaust
, saying that while he found the Holocaust revolting, he believed that repeated mention of it was simply used to make people "feel guilty". He also alleged that Clayton Cosgrove
, previously believed to be one of Tamihere's closest allies in the party, had conducted a "nasty" campaign of telephone harassment against Clark and her husband
when Clark deposed Mike Moore as party leader in 1993. These latest revelations were regarded by many as the end of Tamihere's career within the Labour Party, and Clark indicated that she saw no chance of Tamihere being elected to Cabinet again. The revelation of these comments also ended talk of a potential move to another party, the National Party
being frequently mentioned, and also ended attempts by opposition parties in New Zealand to portray Tamihere as a victim of the Labour Party and to use the comments to point out the flaws within the Labour Party.
At the Labour Party caucus meeting on 12 April, Tamihere attended despite being placed on stress leave by Clark. He apologised for his comments and was censured by the meeting, but was not asked to resign from the party.
after he abandoned two cats when he moved house. Neighbours complained when the cats had not been cared for after eleven days.
He was convicted for three drink driving and other offences between 1978 and 1995, according to the National Business Review
.
, Tamihere lost his electorate seat to Pita Sharples
and departed Parliament. He had previously decided not to seek a list placement, stating that this decision was due to his desire to determine whether he had the "people's mandate."
After his parliamentary election loss, Tamihere sought re-election to the Waipareira Trust. He was voted back onto the board by members of the trust, but the board itself tried to remove him by changing the governance rules. This resulted in a legal case which Tamihere and the four other newly-elected board members won.
with Willie Jackson.
Tamihere and Jackson also have a New Zealand current affairs debate-based TV show, "The world according to Willie and JT". In 2007, Tamihere and Jackson ran for the mayoralties in Waitakere City and Manukau City respectively. Both were unsuccessful, Tamihere finishing second behind the incumbent, Bob Harvey
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
media personality and former politician. He served as a Cabinet
New Zealand Cabinet
The Cabinet of New Zealand functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system...
minister in the governing Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
from August 2002 to 3 November 2004.
Early life
Tamihere was born in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
as the 10th of 12 children to a Māori father of Ngāti Porou
Ngati Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Ngāti Porou has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi in New Zealand, with 71,910 registered members in 2006...
, Whakatohea and Tainui
Tainui
Tainui is a tribal waka confederation of New Zealand Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa and Waikato...
descent, and a mother of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
descent. He is brother to convicted murderer David Tamihere. He attended St Mary's School in Avondale
Avondale, Auckland
Avondale is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, located in the Whau ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions for the Auckland Council. It is commonly considered to be part of West Auckland. It was originally called "Te Whau", which is the common name, of Māori origin, for Entelea...
and St Peter's College
St Peter's College, Auckland
St Peter's College is a Catholic college for year 7 to 13 boys . The school, located in Auckland, is one of the largest Catholic schools in New Zealand and is an integrated school under an integration agreement entered into by the Catholic Bishop of Auckland and the Government of New Zealand in...
where one of his most influential teachers was Tom Weal, Deputy leader of the Social Credit Political League 1970-1972. Tamihere gained arts and law degrees from the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
, being the first person in his family to attend university. After graduating, he became a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, eventually working for the Māori Land Court
Maori Land Court
The Māori Land Court is the specialist court in New Zealand that hears matters relating to Māori land.The Māori Land Court was established in 1865 as the Native Land Court. In 1954, the name was changed to the Māori Land Court...
and the Department of Māori Affairs. In 1991 Tamihere became the chief executive of the Waipareira Trust, which provided health and education services to Māori in the Auckland region. He also served as chairman of the New Zealand Māori Rugby League Board. Even before entering politics, Tamihere had a relatively high profile, having been selected as Person of the Year by the Sunday Star Times, New Zealander of the Year by North & South magazine, and Man of the Year by Metro magazine.
Member of Parliament
In the 1999 electionNew Zealand general election, 1999
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance...
, Tamihere stood as the Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
's candidate for the Māori electorate
Maori seats
In New Zealand politics, Māori electorates, colloquially also called Māori seats, are a special category of electorate that gives reserved positions to representatives of Māori in the New Zealand Parliament...
of Hauraki
Hauraki (New Zealand electorate)
Hauraki is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, from 1928 to 1987 and 1993 to 1996. In the 1987 general election it was renamed Coromandel, the name that had been used from 1972 to 1981...
. He won the seat with 60 percent of the vote: his nearest rival gained only 15 percent. Immediately upon entering parliament, he became chairman of the Māori Affairs Select Committee, and also served on the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee. In the 2002 election
New Zealand general election, 2002
The 2002 New Zealand general election was held on 27 July 2002 to determine the composition of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the reelection of Helen Clark's Labour Party government, as well as the worst-ever performance by the opposition National Party.Arguably the most controversial...
, Tamihere contested the newly-formed Tamaki Makaurau
Tamaki Makaurau
Tāmaki Makaurau is a New Zealand Parliamentary Māori electorate returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. From 1999 to 2002 the seat was called Hauraki....
seat, which he won with 72 percent of the vote. He gained the second-highest majority amongst the Māori MPs, exceeded only by that of Parekura Horomia
Parekura Horomia
Parekura Tureia Horomia is a New Zealand Labour Party past Minister of Māori Affairs-Early life:Horomia was born in Tolaga Bay of Ngati Porou, Te Aitanga Hauiti, Ngati Kahungunu and Ngai Tahu descent....
, the Minister of Māori Affairs. Tamihere was appointed to Cabinet
New Zealand Cabinet
The Cabinet of New Zealand functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system...
in the same year. He served as Minister of Small Business, Minister of Youth Affairs, Minister of Statistics, and Minister for Land Information, as well as functioning as Horomia's deputy as Associate Minister of Māori Affairs.
Prior to the events mentioned below, Tamihere often figured as a perceived "rising star" of the Labour caucus: some commentators expected him to play a prominent role in the party's future, and sometimes even mentioned his name as that of a potential Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
.
Views and opinions
Tamihere has a high public profile, much of it derived from his outspoken beliefs on a number of issues. He has made a significant impact in Māori politics by campaigning on behalf of "urban Maori", who often have no remaining links to their iwiIwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
(tribal structures). According to Tamihere, traditional structures such as iwi do not reflect the reality of modern Māori life, and have proven inadequate for solving today's problems. Tamihere has condemned modern iwi organizations as "new feudal tribal constructs", dominated by an elite group far removed from the majority of Maori. These comments have angered many prominent Māori leaders, but won him considerable popularity with ordinary Māori voters, as well as with a large measure of non-Māori supporters.
Tamihere has also attracted both criticism and praise for his views on Māori self-sufficiency. According to Tamihere, too many Māori "blam[e] others for our failure", and Māori need to "take responsibility for our own actions." This has placed him at odds with Māori politicians such as Willie Jackson, who accuse Tamihere of "victim-blaming
Victim blaming
Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime, an accident, or any type of abusive maltreatment are held entirely or partially responsible for the transgressions committed against them. Blaming the victim has traditionally emerged especially in racist and sexist forms...
". Tamihere, however, claims that the "victim mentality" holds Māori back, and that Māori need to abandon it if they wish to improve their living standards.
The foreshore and seabed controversy
New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy
The New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy is a debate in the politics of New Zealand. It concerns the ownership of the country's foreshore and seabed, with many Māori groups claiming that Māori have a rightful claim to title. These claims are based around historical possession and the Treaty...
of 2004–05 put considerable strain on the Labour Party's Māori MPs, with many showing dissatisfaction with the party's policy. Two Labour MPs, Tariana Turia
Tariana Turia
Tariana Turia is a New Zealand politician. She gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy, and eventually broke with her party as a result...
and Nanaia Mahuta
Nanaia Mahuta
Nanaia Cybelle Mahuta BA, MA in social anthropology, is a New Zealand politician and was a cabinet minister in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand. She was Minister of Customs, Minister of Local Government, Minister of Youth Development, Associate Minister for the Environment and Associate...
, chose to vote against Labour's legislation, and Turia elected to leave the party. Tamihere, however, eventually voted in favour of the legislation, and has defended it from its critics. Tamihere has also criticised the new Māori Party
Maori Party
The Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The Party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", or Party objectives. Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour Party where she had been a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour-led...
established by Turia and her supporters, saying that it will ultimately fail. According to Tamihere, the party's leaders "belong to a relatively wealthy, educated elite", and do not represent ordinary Maori.
Financial controversy
On 15 October 2004, Tamihere requested leave from his ministerial portfolios after accusations of dishonest financial dealings made against him. The accusations against Tamihere included: accepting a "golden handshakeGolden handshake
A golden handshake is a clause in an executive employment contract that provides the executive with a significant severance package in the case that the executive loses his or her job through firing, restructuring, or even scheduled retirement...
" from the Waipareira Trust after stating that he would not take one, and failing to pay tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
on this payment. Tamihere said that he had "done nothing to bring shame", but portrayed standing down from his ministerial roles during investigation as the "honourable" course. On 22 October, the Waipareira Trust accepted that it, not Tamihere, had the responsibility for tax on any payment, but other allegations relating to the financial management of the Trust persisted. On 3 November Tamihere resigned from his Ministerial portfolios, citing as untenable the retention of his responsibilities during on-going investigations. On 21 December, an official investigation cleared Tamihere of the tax charges, and on 14 March 2005, the Serious Fraud Office cleared him of the charges relating to his stewardship of the Waipareira Trust.
Interview controversy
John Tamihere then found himself in more trouble when on 4 April 2005 the magazine InvestigateInvestigate (New Zealand)
Investigate is a current affairs magazine published in New Zealand. It has a conservative Christian editorial standpoint and has published a number of controversial articles. Many of the more notable articles have been critical of policies and members of the centre-left Fifth Labour Government of...
published an interview in which he insulted the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers.
About Prime Minister Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
he said, "But she’s no good with emotions. She goes to pieces. She’ll fold on the emotional side and walk away or not turn up. She knows it’s going to get emotional and it upsets her. We’ve never had a great relationship". Tamihere also made comments regarded as derogatory about other members of the Labour Party: Steve Maharey
Steve Maharey
Steven "Steve" Maharey CNZM is a former Member of Parliament for Palmerston North in New Zealand, as a member of the Labour Party...
was called "smarmy" and lacking in substance, and Michael Cullen was depicted as cunning and manipulative. The party's homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
MPs were also criticised.
Tamihere denies that the interview he gave was on the record, a claim disputed by the journalist in question. Helen Clark speculated on Tamihere's having had a "liquid lunch", and indicated that a return to cabinet for Tamihere was no longer certain. Tamihere was advised to take leave to consider his position, and began attempting to mend relations with his colleagues.
A week later, however, more comments emerged from the interview. Tamihere was reported as being highly critical of women leaders, saying that they achieved their position through preferential treatment. He also stated that he was "sick and tired of hearing how many Jews got gassed" in the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
, saying that while he found the Holocaust revolting, he believed that repeated mention of it was simply used to make people "feel guilty". He also alleged that Clayton Cosgrove
Clayton Cosgrove
Clayton James Cosgrove is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party.-Early life:Cosgrove was born in Nelson, New Zealand. He received a BA, in American Studies and Political Science, from the University of Canterbury in 1992 and received an MBA in 1996...
, previously believed to be one of Tamihere's closest allies in the party, had conducted a "nasty" campaign of telephone harassment against Clark and her husband
Peter Davis (New Zealand)
Peter Davis is a sociologist and the husband of former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. He met Clark – then a political-science lecturer at Auckland – in 1977...
when Clark deposed Mike Moore as party leader in 1993. These latest revelations were regarded by many as the end of Tamihere's career within the Labour Party, and Clark indicated that she saw no chance of Tamihere being elected to Cabinet again. The revelation of these comments also ended talk of a potential move to another party, the National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
being frequently mentioned, and also ended attempts by opposition parties in New Zealand to portray Tamihere as a victim of the Labour Party and to use the comments to point out the flaws within the Labour Party.
At the Labour Party caucus meeting on 12 April, Tamihere attended despite being placed on stress leave by Clark. He apologised for his comments and was censured by the meeting, but was not asked to resign from the party.
Abandoned cats and drink driving
In May 2005, Tamihere was cautioned by the New Zealand SPCARoyal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a New Zealand charitable society who work to provide food and shelter for abandoned and neglected animals and to promote humane treatment of animals.- History :The New Zealand SPCA was formed by settlers from England in...
after he abandoned two cats when he moved house. Neighbours complained when the cats had not been cared for after eleven days.
He was convicted for three drink driving and other offences between 1978 and 1995, according to the National Business Review
National Business Review
The National Business Review is a weekly New Zealand newspaper aimed at the business sector. The paper is owned by Barry Colman who also publishes the Grocers Review and several other small trade publications....
.
Loses seat
In the 2005 electionNew Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
, Tamihere lost his electorate seat to Pita Sharples
Pita Sharples
Pita Russell Sharples, CBE, , a Māori academic and politician, currently co-leads the Māori Party. He currently is the member for Tamaki Makaurau in New Zealand's Parliament.-Early life:...
and departed Parliament. He had previously decided not to seek a list placement, stating that this decision was due to his desire to determine whether he had the "people's mandate."
After his parliamentary election loss, Tamihere sought re-election to the Waipareira Trust. He was voted back onto the board by members of the trust, but the board itself tried to remove him by changing the governance rules. This resulted in a legal case which Tamihere and the four other newly-elected board members won.
Life after parliament
Tamihere currently co-hosts a talkback show, Willie & JT, on Radio LiveRadio Live
Radio Live and Radio Live Sport are nationwide Auckland-based New Zealand talkback, news and sports radio networks owned and operated by MediaWorks New Zealand...
with Willie Jackson.
Tamihere and Jackson also have a New Zealand current affairs debate-based TV show, "The world according to Willie and JT". In 2007, Tamihere and Jackson ran for the mayoralties in Waitakere City and Manukau City respectively. Both were unsuccessful, Tamihere finishing second behind the incumbent, Bob Harvey
Bob Harvey (mayor)
Robert "Bob" Harvey QSO is the mayor of Waitakere City, one of the four cities which make up the Auckland urban area in New Zealand...
.
External links
- Ministerial profile (web.archive.org)
- Parliamentary profile (web.archive.org)
- John Tamihere at Radio LiveRadio LiveRadio Live and Radio Live Sport are nationwide Auckland-based New Zealand talkback, news and sports radio networks owned and operated by MediaWorks New Zealand...