PSA bridles as the Govt reorganises the work of two Māori agencies – but Potaka promises a big prosperity boost
The critics of government policies which – they maintain – are detrimental to the interests of Māori were given fresh ammunition when Māori Development and Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka announced a reorganisation of the agencies embraced by his portfolio.
He said the Government would modernise its approach to Māori development and accelerate opportunities for the Māori economy through improving Māori GDP per capita, reducing regulatory burdens, and activating opportunities for access to capital.
But this will entail a shrinkage of Te Arawhiti, the Office of Māori-Crown Relations, which was set up in 2018 under the then-Labour Government to negotiate historical Treaty of Waitangi claims. Its creation brought together several Government units, including the Office of Treaty Settlements.
The restructuring announced by Potaka follows a slew of policies such as the re-introduction of boot camps, the repeal of Section 7AA, the scrapping of cultural reports, and changes to the Marine and Coastal Area Act which have triggered protest and squawks of outrage around the country.
Talking of boot camps, Children’s Minister Karen Chhour popped up to say she is “mostly satisfied” with the progress in the first two weeks of the Military-Style Academy Pilot at Palmerston North.
This has involved the young people meeting the academy staff and understanding the elements of the programme, including physical education and military-style drills.
Chhour has not spelled out the reasons for her disinclination to say she is fully satisfied with what has been done.
Her statement is among those to be found on …
But this will entail a shrinkage of Te Arawhiti, the Office of Māori-Crown Relations, which was set up in 2018 under the then-Labour Government to negotiate historical Treaty of Waitangi claims. Its creation brought together several Government units, including the Office of Treaty Settlements.
The restructuring announced by Potaka follows a slew of policies such as the re-introduction of boot camps, the repeal of Section 7AA, the scrapping of cultural reports, and changes to the Marine and Coastal Area Act which have triggered protest and squawks of outrage around the country.
Talking of boot camps, Children’s Minister Karen Chhour popped up to say she is “mostly satisfied” with the progress in the first two weeks of the Military-Style Academy Pilot at Palmerston North.
This has involved the young people meeting the academy staff and understanding the elements of the programme, including physical education and military-style drills.
Chhour has not spelled out the reasons for her disinclination to say she is fully satisfied with what has been done.
Her statement is among those to be found on …
Latest from the Beehive
14 August 2024
The government is boosting support for farmers impacted by the ongoing drought in North Canterbury, Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson announced today.
Children’s Minister Karen Chhour is mostly satisfied with the progress in the first two weeks of the Military-Style Academy Pilot at Palmerston North.
The coalition Government is urgently making financial assistance available for survivors of the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit) who are terminally ill.
13 August 2024
For Kiwis who get paid fortnightly, tax relief will be a welcome sight in pay packets, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.
The Government will modernise its approach to Māori development and accelerate opportunities for the Māori economy through improving Māori GDP per capita, reducing regulatory burdens, and activating opportunities for access to capital.
Improving the well-being of children across the Pacific is an important development focus area for New Zealand, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says.
Tama Potaka kicked off his statement by emphasising the better relationship with the Māori elite and economic benefits that he insisted would be generated by something that amounts to a restructuring of the work done by two government agencies.;
“For New Zealand to become a world-leading small, advanced economy, government will more effectively work with and alongside Iwi and Māori organisations,” Māori Development and Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says.
Then he spelled out the nature of the organisational changes.
To deliver on the Government’s plan to accelerate Māori development,he said, it is clarifying the respective functions of Te Arawhiti and Te Puni Kōkiri to ensure each organisation has a clear focus on the important, but separate, roles they play in delivering for and with Māori.
Te Arawhiti will remain a departmental agency and continue its core role of progressing long standing Treaty of Waitangi settlements and Takutai Moana applications.
Te Puni Kōkiri will advise on policy to support the acceleration of Māori economic development, continue to support the revitalisation of Māori language and culture, and support Māori social development including through a social investment lens.
The organisation will provide “quality policy advice” using the Treaty-based public policy framework Te Tautuhi ō Rongo, to ensure that the distinct rights and interests of Iwi (as collectives) and Māori (as citizens) are recognised and provided for. It will also better monitor other agencies to ensure they are delivering adequate services to and for Māori.
The economic consequences – according to Potaka – will be immense:
“By addressing income and asset productivity gaps between Māori and non-Māori, we will see significant uplift worth billions of dollars in the nation’s wealth. In practical terms, this means more choices for whānau, more employment and business development opportunities for all New Zealanders, and more revenue that can be invested in delivering better public services like hospitals and schools.
“Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Tauhara North No 2 Trust, and PKW Incorporation in Taranaki are examples that demonstrate that when Māori are doing well, communities, regions and the country do well. “
He will be meeting with Iwi and Māori leaders shortly to provide more detail on the Government’s approach and seek their feedback.
Good luck with that.
The Public Service Association was bound to bridle and – sure enough – one of its officials, a Janice Panoho, claimed the whole point of Te Arawhiti was to be a one stop shop for accelerating Treaty settlements, supporting Māori in the future so Treaty settlement commitments were implemented and strengthening the public service capability around the Treaty.
“The splitting off of functions means Te Arawhiti will lose the connection it had with the teams getting the settlements agreed and the context behind them. How is that efficient?”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins told Morning Report winding back Te Arawhiti at the “very time” the government should be listening to them was “indicative” of its attitude of all things to do with Māori.
He said the government should be wanting to draw on the knowledge, information, insight and experience Te Arawhiti has of the settlement process to help inform the relationship with iwi on an ongoing basis.
Wanting to narrow down its scope was “unfortunate”
In her press statement, Karen Chhour said the progress in the first two weeks of the Military-Style Academy Pilot at Palmerston North has involved the young people meeting the academy staff and understanding the elements of the programme, including physical education and military-style drills.
“The physical activities have been very popular with the young people, and more may be included in the programme,” says Mrs Chhour.
“Sadly one young person has opted not to continue with the pilot programme for personal reasons, and will complete their sentence at another Youth Justice Facility.
“Participants have the option to pull out of the pilot because it is operating within current legislative settings. Once legislation is passed for Military-Style Academies and the programme is up and running they will not have this option.
“Oranga Tamariki had prepared for such an occurrence, and it was decided that exiting the programme was in the best interest of the youth, his whānau and the other participants.”
The academy delivery team that are supporting the young people consists of 17 men and nine women who have been selected for their experience and “unique skill sets”.
There were no safety or wellbeing concerns with the operation of the programme.
“As I have said before, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to combatting youth crime. I believe that this pilot will help both address the offending behaviour of the young people and ensure they are held accountable, and face up to, their actions.”
This was an important part of the Government’s plan to address youth crime rates so that New Zealanders felt safe on the streets and in their communities.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
No comments:
Post a Comment