Māori Party co-leaders are confident that its donations are above board amid police probe

Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi would not be drawn on any specifics, telling media that was a matter for the party's board. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Māori Party's co-leadership is confident that all its donations are above board, amid a police probe into their campaign donations.

But neither Rawiri Waititi nor Debbie Ngarewa-Packer would be drawn on any specifics – telling media this afternoon that was a matter for the party's board.

They were not able, for example, to shed any light on the $120,000 donation from the company Aotearoa Te Kahu.

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"You can ask us about policies – but that's not what we're here for," Ngarewa-Packer said.

When pressed on the matter, she said: "If you're investigative journalists you can do [that] work; we can't do it for you".

This afternoon was the first time press gallery reporters have had the opportunity to question Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer on the party donations.

Late last week, the party was referred to the police by the Electoral Commission "for further investigation relating to failure to declare donations or aggregated donations over $30,000 made to the Māori Party within 10 working days."

Three donations totalling $320,000 are the subject of the referral: $158,000 from former party leader John Tamihere; $120,000 form Aotearoa Te Kahu, and $50,000 from the National Urban Maori Authority.

Māori Party President Che Wilson told RNZ that the mistake lay with party volunteers who were "learning the ropes".

"We took over a party that had broken down and as part of the rebuild as volunteers when we got into the thick of the campaign we misinterpreted how we had to report things, so we reported them late.

"As soon as we found out about it we made contact but that was when we were doing the final wrap up of the reporting for the entire election."

Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer declined to shed any light on the $120,000 donation from the company Aotearoa Te Kahu. Photo / Mark Mitcehll

Asked this afternoon if he had sought assurance that everything was above board, Waititi said "of course".

"I'm comfortable," he said when asked about the money.

From here, he said: "We'll go through the process."

The National Urban Māori Authority is a registered charity which runs health and social services.

It is, in part, funded by North Island Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency – which is a Crown-owned agency.

But the Minister for Whānau Ora, Peeni Henare, said he was confident no taxpayer cash was used in the donations.

"All of the reports I've received on the money that's being spent and the outcomes we've achieved have been on the money and if there's any concerns by the police in the investigation then it will come through," he told RNZ.