Te Puni Kōkiri | Ministry of Māori Development has released on its website the reports of the independent review into allegations of inappropriate use of Whānau Ora funds by two former Whānau Ora commissioning agencies.

The allegations were:

1. Te Pou Matakana spent Whānau Ora funds on advertising encouraging Māori to enrol on the Māori Electoral Roll.
2. Pasifika Futures spent Whānau Ora funds on the Moana Pasifika super rugby team.

Secretary for Māori Development Dave Samuels says:

“These were serious allegations, which is why I ordered an independent review.

“Overall, the reports found that the allegations of inappropriate use of funds were not upheld. The reviews made a number of recommendations on how to strengthen our oversight, contract and conflict of interest management as well as performance scrutiny. I have accepted these.

“In fact, most of the recommendations have already been implemented in contracts with four new Whānau Ora commissioning agencies which came into effect on 1 July 2025.

“The reports raised some issues which I believe require further clarification or answers. To this end I have referred the electoral advertising matter to the Electoral Commission and referred to the Public Service Commission the issue of surpluses and or investment returns generated from government contract funding so agencies can reach a system-wide view. I have also written to Pasifika Futures seeking more answers on related party loans, as raised in the review.

“Whanau Ora is an important programme delivering much needed services to whanau. It is crucial it maintains its integrity and the trust and confidence of the public.”

Background

Changes initiated by Te Puni Kōkiri through the open and competitive 2025 Whānau Ora procurement have improved the contractual terms between Te Puni Kōkiri and new Whānau Ora commissioning agencies. The improved terms give Te Puni Kōkiri and commissioning agencies greater certainty about both the use of Whānau Ora funding, how commissioning agencies can fund their activities and accrue surpluses, and the management of conflicts of interest and the perception of conflicts of interest in the use of Whanau Ora funding. The changes include:

• stronger conflicts of interest provisions which Te Puni Kōkiri has already engaged with commissioning agencies to implement requirements;
• shorter time for commissioning agencies to address any breaches of their agreements with a remedies plan that must be approved by Te Puni Kōkiri;
• the ability for Te Puni Kōkiri to take over a service or transfer it to a third party temporarily;
• the power for Te Puni Kōkiri to terminate an agreement immediately where there is a risk to the reputation of Te Puni Kōkiri;
• improved audit provisions to review performance and compliance.

These changes complement and strengthen wider reforms in the 2025 Whānau Ora procurement process. The aim of the changes is to build on the success of the Whānau Ora framework in supporting the strengths of whanau and improve the ability of whānau to achieve their aspirations. The major in the procurement were:

1. Greater service reach across Aotearoa, New Zealand, particularly to populations most in need:
   1. an updated regional funding allocation model, with increased funding to front-line delivery
   2. a greater spread, reach and number of Navigator services.
2. Strengthened evidence base, leading to broader adoption of Whānau Ora as a service delivery model:
   1. anonymised Whānau Ora data will be linked to the Stats NZ Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) database
   2. national consistency across impact and measurement frameworks.
3. Data-driven investment planning:
   1. introducing a data-driven approach to strategic and investment planning, with a focus on government targets and alignment with the emerging Social Investment Approach
   2. an updated funding model will ensure resource is channelled to where it is needed most, based on Stats NZ deprivation index
   3. the introduction of Investment Boards to better ensure localised representative input will drive investment decisions.
4. Improved frontline workforce development and retention:
   1. Commissioning Agencies and service provider networks will develop and deliver regional workforce development plans, ensuring that Navigators can meet the diverse needs of communities
   2. incentivising workforce remuneration is in line with pay equity guidance.
5. Strengthened risk management processes:
   1. enhanced data accuracy, traceability and reporting will support the early identification of risks to ensure timely interventions for vulnerable whānau.

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