Official quits over Maori Party role

By RUTH BERRY and AUDREY YOUNG

A senior Labour Department executive has resigned after refusing to tone down her involvement in the Maori Party.

Amokura Panoho's resignation comes amid controversy over activism by another Maori employee of the Government.

Ms Panoho, northern regional manager of the department's community employment group, resigned on Friday after chief executive James Buwalda challenged her about her role in the Maori Party.

This followed a complaint which her supporters believe was prompted by the Labour Party.

Ms Panoho is a member of the Maori Party's Tamaki Makaurau branch and has been active in party strategy and organisation. She has not been touted as an election candidate.

Dr Buwalda issued a memo to staff on the subject after the complaint against Ms Panoho.

"We are now entering a period of increased political activity," it said, and scrutiny would increase.

Political neutrality was a requirement applying outside working hours, and imposed limits on the ways political views could be expressed.

The Government yesterday came under political pressure over its handling of comments made by Maori Language Commission chief executive Haami Piripi

Mr Piripi is under fire for making a submission to a parliamentary select committee that included a suggestion that the foreshore bill could lead to civil war.

His future may be decided today.

Commission chairman Dr Patu Hohepa will meet Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia at Parliament this morning to discuss action over Mr Piripi.

Prime Minister Helen Clark told Parliament the Government would be watching the commission's response "with great interest".

Whether the Government had confidence in the commission would depend on how it handled the matter.

A Labour Department spokesman yesterday refused to discuss the complaint or specifics of Ms Panoho's resignation, saying only: "There's been a conversation between Amokura and her employer."

Ms Panoho refused to comment, but it is believed she felt the department's response to the complaint was excessive.

It is understood she decided to resign as she believed the community employment group, under review after criticism of some of its funding decisions, would not withstand further negative publicity.

Sources close to Ms Panoho say a complaint alleging a conflict of interest was laid against her with the department a day after she attended and briefly spoke at a Maori Party hui in Auckland several weeks ago.

Several supporters of Tamaki Makaurau MP John Tamihere attended the meeting, sparking allegations of Labour Party involvement.

Fuelling suspicion are comments in the MP's Tamihere Times newsletter about Maori Party members.

He says most belong to an educated elite, "most receiving comfortable pay cheques from various Government agencies".

"Will they have the mana to step aside from their Government-paid positions or will they hang on to them while criticising the hand that feeds them?"

Mr Tamihere's electorate chairman, Mike Tolich, and his electorate secretary, Honey Heemi, said yesterday they had been at the Maori Party hui, but did not make any complaint.

Mr Tamihere did not return calls yesterday.

Job codes

Ms Panoho and Mr Piripi are covered by different rules:

AMOKURA PANOHO

The State Services Commission says public servants must maintain a clear separation between their jobs and political activities, and requires them to stand down if they are nominated as a candidate.

But they can be paid-up members of political parties, and the limits on what they can do are left up to department chief executives.

HAAMI PIRIPI

Employees of Crown entities do not fall within commission guidelines, so State Services Commission rules do not apply to Mr Piripi.

But a law change before Parliament, the Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill, will allow the commission to set ethics rules for Crown entity employees and boards.