Tamihere: payout will aid election campaign

AUCKLAND: A settlement payout over defamatory claims Mike Hosking made on air about John Tamihere will help fund the Maori Party’s election campaign.

Newstalk ZB has apologised for comments Hosking made implying the Maori Party coleader had personally benefited from Whanau Ora funding, which was not the case.

Hosking apologised on the air yesterday morning.

Mr Tamihere stood in the witness box in the High Court at Auckland to receive Newstalk ZB’s courtordered apology yesterday morning, which was read aloud by lawyer Alan Ringwood.

Speaking outside court after the hearing, Mr Tamihere said a confidential settlement sum would be put towards the Maori Party’s election campaign.

‘‘What I can say is that contribution of some significance will be made to the Maori Party election campaign and you can thank Mike Hosking for that.’’

Yesterday’s apology was about comments Hosking made about payments that had been made by the North Island Whanau Ora commissioning agency Te Pou Matakana in December 2018.

Te Pou Matakana had received funds from the Ministry of Maori Development, Te Puni Kokiri, and paid that money out to its shareholders.

Reading the Newstalk ZB apology in court yesterday morning, Mr Ringwood said it accepted Te Pou Matakana was entitled to receive the funds and pay out the sums that it did to shareholders.

‘‘The way in which the item was worded could have been taken to mean that John Tamihere personally benefited from the payments. Newstalk ZB accepts that Tamihere did not benefit personally from the payments and sincerely apologises to John Tamihere,’’ Mr Ringwood said.

Outside court, Mr Tamihere said he hoped Hosking and his bosses had learnt racially stereotyping others was wrong.

‘‘I think it sends a message to mainstream broadcasters, particularly very powerful brands, that racial stereotyping is not right because it casts suspicion on all Maori around financial transactions and it’s just not right.’’

He had to take the matter to court to clear his name, he said.

‘‘You can’t walk around your communities . . . with them believing that you’ve got your fingers in their till. That was the allegation.

‘‘You can’t hold your head up so you have to defend yourself. I’m lucky enough to be a trained lawyer with enough resources to defend myself; a lot of Maori don’t [have those things].’’ — RNZ