Council hui lacking Maori input
Local Government New Zealand's annual conference wound up today, but there was minimal Maori input despite the importance of council decisions on mana whenua communities.
Gisborne district councillor Atareta Poananga says that is because the organisation axed its Maori consultative committee when it got too assertive.
Ms Poananga says there are significant issues affecting Maori, like land access and the effects of rate rises on Maori landowners, but there was no forum to discuss them at the conference.
She says Maori are structurally excluded from local government.
“Of the 1500 councilors in this country there would only be about 20 Maori councilors. There is no way we can exercise any political muscle, set up any infrastructure to support our issues. We are just left to our own devices as individual councilors,” Poananga said.
ACCENTUATE THE P-P-POSITIVE
Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia says child abuse happens in any culture.
Mr Horomia says despite Maori being responsible for 40 percent of the 5000 critical child notifications cases dealt with by Child, Youth and Family last year, the vast majority of Maori parents aren't like that.
He says people need to concentrate on what they can do that is positive.
“One of the things we must start saying in our families, don’t get distracted by that. Crap happens. Yes, 1 percent of Maori are violent. These ugly things happen with our kids and it’s shocking, But 99 percent of other Maori love their kids, they are keen to get on with creating a better life or good education for their kids,” Horomia said.
MAORI PARTY PANICKING OVER EIGHTH SEAT
Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell says the Maori Party would be devastated if it fails in its attempts to get an eight Maori seat.
Three of the party's four MPs are taking time out from Parliament to travel the country encouraging Maori to enrol on the Maori electoral roll or switch from the general roll.
The Maori Electoral Option runs for another two weeks, and unless there is a net increase of 14,000 voters on the Maori rill, the number of Maori seat will stay the same.
The Maori Party started off its campaign saying its target was 12 to 15 Maori seats, but Mr Flavell says it's now hoping for one.
“ We've just got to keep pushing hard to make sure we try and get that one more seat. Clearly, we aren’t going to get two seats, so we have to make sure we get the one. Not to get the one would be just devastating,” Flavell said.
NGATI RANGI SPLIT STYMIES NGAWHA PRISON CONTRACT
The Department of Corrections has refused to sign a contract to bring a Maori perspective to the Northland regional Prison at Ngawha because of infighting within the subtribe which was supposed to deliver it.
Ngapuhi Runanga chairperson Sonny Tau says kaumatua and kuia from Ngawha hapu Ngati Rangi asked him to block the deal because they no longer support the Ngati Rangi Development Society, which is behind the $240,000 a year programme.
Mr Tau says his runanga supported Ngati Rangi when it backed the prison being set up, but relationships within the hapu seems to have gone off the rails.
“Somewhere between there and now the society has usurped the mana of the hapu, and that is why the kaumatua and kuia have kicked back, Tau said.
Sonny Tau says he hopes the issue can be resolved at a hui this weekend.
SYSTEMIC FAILURE CAUSE OF ABUSE
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says it's wrong to heap the blame for abuse and family violence on Maori.
Child, Youth and Family figures show Maori were responsible for 40 per cent of the most serious cases it dealt with last year.
Mrs Turia says the increase in Maori levels of poverty in the past two decades has contributed significantly to the stress on whanau.
“If we really want to make a difference to these family lives we have got to stop pointing the finger at them, stop being critical, and address the conditions that create the conditions that abuse occurs in, So we have got to raise peoples’ living standards,” Turia said.
MAORI TV SNAGS LIVE BASKETBALL COVER
If you want to watch tonight's fourth trans Tasman basketball test in Melbourne live, you have to tune in to Maori Television.
That's part of a strategy by the broadcaster to widen its audience through live sports broadcasts.
It is already the host broadcaster for the New Zealand Rugby League, showing live matches from the Bartercard Cup every Monday night.
Executive producer of sport Baily Mackie from Ngati Porou, says live sport appeals to Maori and non Maori alike, and basketball has a Maori dimension.
Gisborne district councillor Atareta Poananga says that is because the organisation axed its Maori consultative committee when it got too assertive.
Ms Poananga says there are significant issues affecting Maori, like land access and the effects of rate rises on Maori landowners, but there was no forum to discuss them at the conference.
She says Maori are structurally excluded from local government.
“Of the 1500 councilors in this country there would only be about 20 Maori councilors. There is no way we can exercise any political muscle, set up any infrastructure to support our issues. We are just left to our own devices as individual councilors,” Poananga said.
ACCENTUATE THE P-P-POSITIVE
Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia says child abuse happens in any culture.
Mr Horomia says despite Maori being responsible for 40 percent of the 5000 critical child notifications cases dealt with by Child, Youth and Family last year, the vast majority of Maori parents aren't like that.
He says people need to concentrate on what they can do that is positive.
“One of the things we must start saying in our families, don’t get distracted by that. Crap happens. Yes, 1 percent of Maori are violent. These ugly things happen with our kids and it’s shocking, But 99 percent of other Maori love their kids, they are keen to get on with creating a better life or good education for their kids,” Horomia said.
MAORI PARTY PANICKING OVER EIGHTH SEAT
Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell says the Maori Party would be devastated if it fails in its attempts to get an eight Maori seat.
Three of the party's four MPs are taking time out from Parliament to travel the country encouraging Maori to enrol on the Maori electoral roll or switch from the general roll.
The Maori Electoral Option runs for another two weeks, and unless there is a net increase of 14,000 voters on the Maori rill, the number of Maori seat will stay the same.
The Maori Party started off its campaign saying its target was 12 to 15 Maori seats, but Mr Flavell says it's now hoping for one.
“ We've just got to keep pushing hard to make sure we try and get that one more seat. Clearly, we aren’t going to get two seats, so we have to make sure we get the one. Not to get the one would be just devastating,” Flavell said.
NGATI RANGI SPLIT STYMIES NGAWHA PRISON CONTRACT
The Department of Corrections has refused to sign a contract to bring a Maori perspective to the Northland regional Prison at Ngawha because of infighting within the subtribe which was supposed to deliver it.
Ngapuhi Runanga chairperson Sonny Tau says kaumatua and kuia from Ngawha hapu Ngati Rangi asked him to block the deal because they no longer support the Ngati Rangi Development Society, which is behind the $240,000 a year programme.
Mr Tau says his runanga supported Ngati Rangi when it backed the prison being set up, but relationships within the hapu seems to have gone off the rails.
“Somewhere between there and now the society has usurped the mana of the hapu, and that is why the kaumatua and kuia have kicked back, Tau said.
Sonny Tau says he hopes the issue can be resolved at a hui this weekend.
SYSTEMIC FAILURE CAUSE OF ABUSE
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says it's wrong to heap the blame for abuse and family violence on Maori.
Child, Youth and Family figures show Maori were responsible for 40 per cent of the most serious cases it dealt with last year.
Mrs Turia says the increase in Maori levels of poverty in the past two decades has contributed significantly to the stress on whanau.
“If we really want to make a difference to these family lives we have got to stop pointing the finger at them, stop being critical, and address the conditions that create the conditions that abuse occurs in, So we have got to raise peoples’ living standards,” Turia said.
MAORI TV SNAGS LIVE BASKETBALL COVER
If you want to watch tonight's fourth trans Tasman basketball test in Melbourne live, you have to tune in to Maori Television.
That's part of a strategy by the broadcaster to widen its audience through live sports broadcasts.
It is already the host broadcaster for the New Zealand Rugby League, showing live matches from the Bartercard Cup every Monday night.
Executive producer of sport Baily Mackie from Ngati Porou, says live sport appeals to Maori and non Maori alike, and basketball has a Maori dimension.
posted by Adam | 8:51 pm
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