Waipareira Trust donated $100,000 to John Tamihere's mayoral campaign

John Tamihere received $100,000 from the Waipareira Trust where he is chief executive in his failed bid to win the Auckland Mayoralty.

The electoral returns show Tamihere spent $498,609 on his campaign, about $60,000 more than the $436,300 spent by Goff, who won by nearly 100,000 votes.

Te Whanau o Waipareira chairman Raymond Hall said the trust was proud to have supported Tamihere in his bid for the leadership of Auckland, saying it had never resiled from the right to participate in the democratic process.

He said under Goff's leadership, Auckland Council had placed a cap on social housing on public land, rates have increased with knock-on effects for rents gouging the income of the poor, and petrol prices have risen, affecting vulnerable communities.

"We will continue to assert our right to bring to the attention of those holding power, that they must be kept accountable for the adverse impacts of their leadership and their decisions on vulnerable communities," said Hall.

The trust provides a range of social services for Maori in West Auckland.

The Herald put questions to Tamihere about the trust's donation. He responded by text, saying: "Can only white folk support mayoral candidates?"

The returns show Tamihere also stumped up $80,500 of his own money for his campaign that included zero rates increases, selling the business arm of Ports of Auckland and upgrading the Auckland Harbour Bridge to a double-decker structure.

Goff stood on his record of steady progress with few new policies.

The Waipareira Trust donation and Tamihere's own money made up the bulk of cash donations of $249,400 for his campaign. A handful of donations for $10,000 rolled in, and he received a donation of $9500 from restaurateur Leo Molloy.

Tamihere also received "service donations" totalling $112,350, including $25,000 from political strategists Matt McCarten and Michelle Boag.

A public relations/campaign company, Hello Ltd paid $371,400, accounting for the bulk of expenses, but Tamihere's campaign also paid $10,449 to David Farrar's polling company Curia Market Research and $20,970 to hire a campaign truck.

Goff only collected $153,579 in expenses for his second campaign, but had a war chest of nearly $200,000 left over from his 2016 campaign for which he raised $604,000.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark chipped in $3000 (she gave $5000 in 2016), Les Mills boss Phillip Mills donated $10,000 after giving Goff the same amount in 2016 and the Chinese company building the Park Hyatt Hotel in Wynyard Quarter, Fu Wah, made a donation of $15,000 - less than the $50,000 it gave Goff three years ago.

A Flat Bush resident, Cai Linqui, gave Goff two donations of $28,000 and $2500.

Goff's biggest expenses were for billboards and related items ($162,851) and advertising($165,000). He paid campaign staff $23,350.