November 24, 2022
Whānau Ora Commssioning Agency chair responds to dropping legal challenge
Late last night Mr George Ngatai who along with his wife Raewyn Bhana are the directors of the Whānau Ora Community Clinic issued a media release advising of the commissioning agency dropping it’s injunction against his Whanau Ora Community Clinic and the use of it’s name.
This afternoon the chair of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency responded with the following:
On behalf of Merepeka Raukawa-Tait chair of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency
Kia ora
Mr Ngatai is most misinformed about The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency dropping any legal action against him and his multiple Companies .
We sought an urgent injunction to clearly raise our deep concern about some Māori Businessman seizing wrongly on the good name promoted by mandated Whānau Ora Partners up and down the motu .
We rightly agreed that an interim injunction be withdrawn and a formal two week trial next year occur .
Mr Ngatai is aware of this and readers can draw your own conclusions about his press release.
Late last night Mr Ngatai issued a media release to media advising of the commissioning agency dropping it’s injunction against his Whanau Ora Community Clinic and the use of it’s name.
Media Release from George Ngatai
The Whanau Ora Community Clinic is delighted that Te Pou Matakana (Whanua Ora Commissioning Agency) has dropped the injunction application filed against us, and paid our costs.
The Community Clinic’s Director, George Ngatai, said “We have always thought it was misconceived to seek an injunction preventing us from using Whanau Ora in our name in connection with our work in the healthcare and wellbeing sector.”
“Our lawyers were well prepared to defend us against the injunction on 5-6 December in the Wellington High Court, but now we don’t have to.
Te Pou Matakana’s legal submissions were due last Friday but instead, they withdrew their injunction application and offered to pay us some of the costs their injunction application put us to.
That has now been agreed and paid. The substantive proceeding remains on foot but without urgency, we do not know when this will be heard by the Court”
“No one organisation or even an individual can own a kaupapa like Whānau Ora and we are pleased with Te Pou Matakana (The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency) dropping the injunction application” George Ngatai said.
“The Whanau Ora Community clinic will continue to focus on serving our patients and clients, many of whom are vulnerable and hard to reach, as well as serving our more than 1200 active COVID patients.”