Tamaki 'mocked' and banned from meeting

Women at the Tamaki Makaurau Regional Council meeting on Saturday. Photo / Supplied

Destiny Church's Hannah Tamaki's platinum blonde hair was "mocked" at a Maori Women's Welfare League meeting she was barred from entering on Saturday, it has been claimed.

Photographs from the meeting show Auckland members wearing multicoloured wigs - with at least two members wearing short blonde bobs like Brian Bishop Tamaki's wife's style. Chairwoman Te Aomarama Wilson dressed up with others who wore feather boas and pearls.

Life member Anne Candy has defended the meeting and said Destiny branches knew they weren't invited.

Mrs Tamaki's presidency bid has been suspended while the league investigates the constitutionality of three Destiny-aligned branches. She is challenging that suspension through High Court action.

About 100 women attended the Tamaki Makaurau Regional Council meeting, however Destiny members were told at the door that they were not allowed into the Waiuku Library.

Mrs Tamaki, who tweeted earlier in the week that some thought she was too "glamorous" to lead the 60-year-old institution, left soon after. However, a large contingent of her supporters stayed to listen.

That caused tension and an hour-long stand-off between Tamaki supporters and other members.

Dame June Jackson is the patron for the Nga Whare Waatea branch, and is also a supporter of the work the church does with Maori families. She was "disgusted" by the mean-spiritedness of the meeting where people dressed up to "mock" Mrs Tamaki.

"I was shocked that Maori women could stoop to that kind of behaviour. They dressed up like that to bully and intimidate. There was no turning of the cheek, it's no longer kia tau te rangimarie [wishing each other well]. It's all gone down the tubes."

It was obvious a significant sector of the Auckland branches didn't want any Destiny members being part of the organisation, Dame June said.

"They decide who is acceptable and who is not."

Mrs Candy, a former Manukau City Council deputy mayor, wore a wig. Asked why she wore it Mrs Candy said: "Oh just for fun. I wear lots of wigs, I have a whole lot of wigs at home. I've worn them to some Maori Women's Welfare League meetings but not all of them."

The meeting was only for "legitimate non-sectarian" branches, Mrs Candy said.

"We weren't expecting Destiny to be there. So it wasn't meant to be nasty at all. They weren't meant to be there, we didn't even think they would turn up.

"It was tense because the regional president asked them to leave four times and they didn't."

Mrs Candy said a league media ban meant she felt uncomfortable commenting but many wanted to speak out and defend the league for its inquiry of Destiny-aligned branches.

The Herald understands that the league's general manager Jacqui Te Kani will meet Mrs Tamaki in Auckland today.