Grant Duncan: Political commentator on the potential misuse of Census data by Te Pāti Māori

A political scientist says the allegations that Census data has been misused by a political party would be very concerning if true. 

The Prime Minister's announced the Public Service Commission will undertake an independent investigation amid allegations surrounding Te Pāti Māori and Manurewa Marae. 

It relates to the misuse of Census data and Covid-19 vaccination information. 

Political commentator Grant Duncan told Mike Hosking that the alleged mixing of Census and Covid related functions with election campaigning would be inappropriate. 

He says all of those choices should be private to the individuals concerned. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I predicted yesterday we got the trigger pulled on the
independent investigation by the Public Service Commission into the Maory
Party Mariah allegations. We also have just if you've lost count,
a police investigation, the Stats of New Zealand and investigation,
Electoral Commission and Privacy Commission investigation as well, so count's
five investigations. Political scientist Grant Duncan is with us on this. Grant,

(00:20):
very good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good morning mine.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
It's a lot of investigations. Is this because it's very
serious or they're all covering their bases?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, a bit of both, I would say, and so
it's probably just as well that the Public Services Commission
has been brought and to bring all of this together,
we hope and get some clarity as to what's gone on.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Talk us through what the Public Service Commission does, who
they are, do they have the power to be able
to do what they need to do?

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Potentially, Yes, What the Public Service Commission is really the
central agency of government that deals with matters to do
with employment and as the leader of the public service
itself so to speak, So it does have the coordinating

(01:07):
role within the public service and it can be given
the powers to undertake an appropriate kind of independent investigation.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
So they can subpoena, they can dig up evidence, all
of those sort of things you'd expect them to do.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
I believe they can.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yes, okay, because what we've got here is rules broken
allegedly versus laws broken. And does that because of that
get a little bit complicated.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Well, the complication is that it seems that the Maria
has been used for different purposes in relation to the
census to COVID nineteen as well as acting as an
election polling place. Also particularly the chief executive of the
MARII was also then went on to be a candidate

(01:51):
in the local elections for Tamaki Makoto. And so you
have a number of different functions around the same place,
and some people wearing more than one hat, shall we say,
And of course allegations that census data in particular may
have been misused, and that's really serious because that gets

(02:15):
to the heart of our confidence and the privacy of
that data.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
It most certainly does. And so if that sort of
nefarious activity took place, that's But if you go back
to the beginning, if you're a Mariah and you know
Mariah is the center of the community, and they go, look,
we'll do some census, we'll do some vaccine, and by
the way, why don't we be an a voting point.
None of that is untoward in and of itself, is it.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Well, it all sounds hunky dory exactly. But the trouble is,
of course that some of these functions allegedly may have
gotten mixed up, and particularly possibility of the use of
census data for election campaigning and also possibly allegedly for

(02:58):
attempting to persuade people to switch from the general to
the Mali role. All of those questions, of course, should
be private, conscientious choices by the individuals concerned, and so
this mixing up of census and COVID related functions with
election campaigning, as if the allegations are true, is completely

(03:21):
inappropriate exactly.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Grunt appreciate it very much. Grunt duncan political scientists with
us this morning.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.