When Glen Tupuhi talks about governance, he doesn’t start with boardrooms or legislation. He starts with whānau.
In a recent radio interview with Ngā Iwi FM, he shared his vision as the new co-chair of Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board. Known across Hauraki and beyond, Ngā Iwi FM is a trusted voice of iwi, hapū, and whānau in our Tainui waka rohe.
With more than 35 years of governance experience, Glen brings a deep understanding of leadership and accountability to his new role. For him, respect within the whānau and marae is the foundation for engaging rangatahi and building the next generation of leaders. His words of advice?
“Cut your teeth at the marae and whānau level. Our whānau are the most brilliant and the most challenging. If you can gain their respect, you’re unbeatable.”
Glen explained how the Waitangi Tribunal’s WAI 2575 inquiry shaped the Pae Ora Act, leading to the creation of Iwi Māori Partnership Boards like Te Tiratū, one of the largest across the motu.
“Most of our people are with mainstream services. For years, we’ve asked, if there’s inequity in health delivery to Māori, what is the responsibility of those services? The evidence before the Tribunal was irrefutable,” he said.
The Iwi Māori Partnership Boards under the legislation hold the health system accountable. But Glen says that monitoring role has been weakened with the proposal of the Pae Ora Bill currently before the Health Select Committee.
“We’ve ended up more like an advisory group. Meanwhile, doctors and nurses are powerful bodies in health, so what responsibility have they taken for the legacy of inequity? Everyone needs to step up.”
For Glen, becoming co-chair is a chance to carry the Hauraki voice into health governance trying to embed Māori voices and values into the heart of the system to get it back on the right path.
“On behalf of Hauraki, it’s a privilege to be here. David Taipari and I have always advocated strongly for the Hauraki voice, especially in health. Now we can strengthen that presence at the table,” he said.
He also sees rangatahi as central to the future of iwi leadership.
“I love hearing about rangatahi wānanga because they’re our forerunners. These are the spaces where they can spread their wings and build a great future.”
Glen draws on his years on the Waikato DHB Iwi Māori Council, where he saw the power of institutions taking responsibility for change.
“Instead of blaming Māori for not turning up to appointments, we asked, what is it about the way we deliver health that creates obstacles? It’s about turning the mirror on the institution. That’s where change begins.”
He believes mainstream health services need to adopt the same mindset, with clear measures to ensure equity.
“It’s not about us taking over. It’s about making sure people are delivering well to our whānau. Build equity into KPIs, audit them, and lift performance. That’s how we get real change.”