September 05, 2022
Date with destiny for whānau ora name grabber
The chief executive of the North Island Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, John Tamihere, is squaring off against a Destiny Church-linked business’s use of the Whānau Ora name.
The Whānau Ora Community Clinic in Manukau hit the headlines last week when director George Ngatai suspended his national manager for acting the part of a judge during a mock trial at the Freedom and Rights Coalition rally at Parliament.
Mr Ngatai, who was also present at the protest, said Rick Southey’s action may not have been a wise thing to do.
Mr Tamihere says he has been talking to Mr Ngatai about his use of the name for what is now a chain of health clinics.
“We’ve given him an opportunity to declare and show what every other whanau ora provides which is what your bank accounts are like over the past three years, have you passed muster like those did, what’s your operating model, is it aligned with all the other operating models up and down the country. Mr Ngatai refused to do that but he believes he can trade off the good name the network built up,” he says.
Court action could be filed later this week.