July 17, 2020
Minister confirms Whānau Ora incentive pūtea properly spent
Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare says John Tamihere’s win at the courtroom door against Newstalk ZB upholds the integrity of the whānau ora process.
Just weeks before a two week defamation trial was due to start, the station owner NZME conceded host Mike Hosking’s allegation that the North Island Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency chief executive pocketed state funds was false.
It made its star breakfast host read out an apology on air and paid a confidential sum to Mr Tamihere.
Mr Henare says the commissioning agency was entitled to the funds in question.
"We were quite clear that was part of the arrangement, the incentive payments were paid to the commissioning agencies at that time and we fulfilled those as was our obligation and for the kind of misreporting, I'm glad that an apology was offered," he says.
Mr Tamihere says he will use some of the pūtea from NZME for his election campaign against Mr Henare in Tāmaki Makaurau.
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