Prisons destiny in MPs’ hands: Tamaki

About 2000 people, led by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki, gathered outside Parliament yesterday urging the Government to allow the church to work within prisons.

Tamaki presented a petition to Justice Minister Andrew Little, asking the Government to allow its Man-Up programme — focused on tackling family violence, depression, obesity, addiction and suicide — into prisons.

Speaking to Destiny Church faithful — as well as a group of MPs — on the steps of Parliament, Tamaki said the Government should be doing more for Ma¯ori in prisons.

“I said to Willie [Jackson, Ma¯ori Development Minister] I have never seen so many Ma¯ori MPs in Parliament at one time — what are you doing? For all of my efforts to try and get into prison, they [the Government] shut us down.”

After his speech, he appealed directly to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. “Just like she gave $30 million to the Papua New Guinea Government, give $30m to the native or indigenous people of this country who are actually getting helped,” he said, in reference to the Man-Up programme.

Little said he had “heard good things about what you do” and wanted to work with Destiny.

He said he would table the petition in Parliament. “If Bishop Brian Tamaki has a solution, let’s talk about it and let’s hear it.”