Updated: Topia Rameka asked some Corrections staff if they were even Māori, and was the subject of complaints from female employees. Aaron Smale reports.
Deputy chief executive Māori of Corrections Topia Rameka resigned amid allegations about his behaviour, some of which led to three female staff being paid out and silenced with confidentiality obligations, sources tell Newsroom.
Rameka left abruptly on Friday, August 4, and an internal email went out to staff from chief executive Jeremy Lightfoot giving no explanation for his deputy’s sudden departure.
Sources have told Newsroom that Corrections paid out settlements to at least three female staff members that were accompanied by confidentiality expectations. The agreements were over two years ago.
Newsroom requested an interview with Minister for Corrections Kelvin Davis but was told by a spokesman he was too busy meeting Cabinet and officials.
The spokesman said: "The minister was informed of the DCE’s departure by the chief executive at the regular weekly officials meeting, as he would be regarding any DCE departure in his portfolios as part of the no surprises policy. He had nothing to do with the process."
After this story was published, a statement arrived from Davis.
“On Monday 31st July I was advised by the Chief Executive of Corrections under the No Surprises policy that concerns had been raised in relation to the conduct of the Deputy Chief Executive Māori.
This happened at our regular weekly officials Meeting and is usual practice whenever a Deputy Chief Executive resigns, or has concerns raised about their conduct, in any of my portfolios. In no way was I involved in any employment decisions.
“On Friday 4th August my office was informed that the Deputy Chief Executive Māori had resigned.”
Corrections responded after this story was first published to questions over the settlements and confidentiality issues.
Corrections chief executive Jeremy Lightfoot said there were earlier investigations into Mr Rameka's behaviour that were not upheld.
"Two previous investigations (in 2020 and 2021), both conducted by independent investigators, have been carried out relating to Mr Rameka’s conduct. The complaints from these investigations were not upheld. Despite this, I made my expectations for Mr Rameka’s conduct explicitly clear to him, and received written confirmation from him that he understood these expectations."
"Corrections has not used non-disclosure agreements for any matters relating to Mr Rameka, and I want to be very clear that no arrangements have been made to prevent any person from speaking out or about any behaviours that they have experienced. Separate to this however, there can be an obligation of confidence applying to details discussed in, or the outcome of, a mediation process."
Attempts were made to contact Rameka but he could not be reached for comment.
Sources have told Newsroom that, in a separate incident, interns at Corrections raised concerns with senior staff after they were out socialising with Rameka and one of his staff at a nightclub. The interns were uncomfortable with some of the behaviour between Rameka and the staff member. But the staff member then warned them to keep quiet the following day. They then raised their concerns with other senior staff.
A number of people at Corrections, particularly Māori staff, were unhappy about Rameka’s behaviour and management style. Despite having previously held the role of chief executive of Tūwharetoa Trust Board, Rameka expressed negative attitudes towards Māori in his comments during meetings.
Staff were particularly concerned about his negative attitude towards the central policy, Hokai Rangi, which was developed to respond to the high incarceration and reoffending rates of Māori. The policy was developed in response to a damning Waitangi Tribunal report, and Rameka’s position was effectively created as part of the policy.
At a national wananga in Taupo he turned up late to a group meeting and appeared to be under the influence. He then asked the group of around 40 Māori staff: “Are you fullas here as Māori or are you here as the Crown?”
After a stunned silence one staff member replied, “Topia, if what you're asking is, do I know who I work for, as opposed to, do I know my whakapapa? I know who I work for, I work for the Crown. But to answer your question, first and foremost I'm Māori. And then he said, 'But are you?'.”
Many of the staff were indignant at the question and the way he conducted himself.
Sources have also told Newsroom that Rameka would make disparaging remarks about the external Māori board – of which he was a member before he took the deputy chief executive role – which was appointed to oversee the Hōkai Rangi policy. The board includes Māori leaders such as Rahui Papa, Selwyn Parata, and John Maihi. Rameka said he and the executive team at Corrections were going to get rid of the board.
One source said Rameka’s behaviour and the manner in which he left was going to compromise the work of a lot of Māori staff who had developed the policy but who were being undermined by certain factions of Pākehā staff.
“It’s just going to reflect on all of us, not just him. He was ... not on board with the kaupapa at all. But there’s all these others in the department, leading the department, they're getting away with this. He's paid his price, it’s self-inflicted, totally deserved, but he's paid it.
“But all these others will stay in there, manipulating the department. The department should have been at its best under this strategy (Hokai Rangi). It's actually at its worst.”
In September 2019 Kelvin Davis announced Rameka’s appointment with much fanfare.
“The first action point outlined in Hōkai Rangi was to provide strong Māori leadership within the department. The newly developed role of deputy chief executive Māori will ensure a dedicated Māori voice at the top table, at all times,” Davis said at the time.
“Topia’s skills and experience will be instrumental in the department’s work to improve outcomes for Māori and their whānau, and reduce the over-representation of Māori within the Corrections system.”
Before taking up the role at Corrections Rameka was the chief executive officer of the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board, and also sat on the Corrections Māori Leadership Board.
“As a member of Te Poari Hautū Rautaki Māori (Corrections Māori Leadership Board), Topia has worked alongside frontline staff, service providers, academics and other Māori experts, as well as people with direct experience of the Corrections system, to assist in the development of the final Hōkai Rangi strategy,” Davis said.
"I know he will be a strong advocate for Māori both within Corrections and our wider communities, and help bring about the change we need as we continue to make progress implementing Hōkai Rangi."
* An earlier version of this story reported Newsroom had been told non disclosure agreements (NDAs) had been involved in employment settlements with the women. Corrections later clarified no NDAs have been used but said that, separately, there could be confidentiality obligations arising out of mediation.
