September 11, 2013
MWWL gets house in order
The Maori Women’s Welfare League opens its annual conference this morning at the Whakatane War Memorial Hall.
Along with the usual business of speeches and speech competitions, there will be debate on constitutional changes aimed at preventing a repeat of last year’s leadership race.
That contest ended up in court when it emerged that supporters of Destiny Church co-founder Hannah Tamaki had set up branches to boost her run for the presidency.
Among those attending will be New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who says it was in the Bay of Plenty that Maori women’s health associations were first formed during and after the second world war.
"That was a dynamic start because they were so effective. It's on their model that the Maori males got off their backside and started the New Zealand Maori Council. So I'm pleased to go along and see how this organisation is flourishing because it does some great work and often in circumstances where nobody in government is as grateful as they should be for what they do," he says.
The conference runs until Saturday.
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