No justification for Mapp bill
The Maori vice president of the Council of Trade Unions says changes in the labour market have undermined the justifications put up for a bill allowing a 90 day probation persiod for new employees.
Sharon Clair yesterday addressed the select committee considering National MP Wayne Mapp's Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill.
She says Mr Mapp's argument the bill would get more young Maori into work is redundant.
"Masori unemployment in 1999 was 19.3 percent. That dropped down to 8.7 percent today and at one stage last year was 5.7 percent. That's a huge reductrion without this bill. We don't need this bill to create jobs," Clair said.
FLAVELL FEARFUL BILL COULD STILL BITE
Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell, says he is not convinced by Labour's claims that a bill stripping legislation of references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi is as good as dead.
Labour MPs voted for the bill to go to select committee because that was a condition of the government's confidence and supply agreement with New Zealand First, but they say they won't give it any further backing.
Mr Flavell fears the bill could come back to bite Maori before the next election.
"What could happen is that they stall it until election time, and our people are used as a political football. When it comes to getting into Parliament, mainstream opinion is very important, especially to the Labour Party and to National. Therefore, this sort of bill stands as in the background as a very important bill to its progress," Flavell said.
LANGUAGE LESSON FROM PM
The Prime Minister says she is heartened by the widespread support she has seen for Maori Language Week.
Helen Clark says the Maori language commision promotes the week well, and New Zealanders in general seem more cofortable about using Maori words than they might have been a few years ago.
She says as a kiwi language evolves, many Maori words are being used interchangably with their english equivalents.
Ms Clark says the key is getting the vowel sounds right.
"Once you know that, Maori proceeds very clearly. English is a much more difficult language because the pronunciation is so idiosyncratic or erratic. Whereas with Maori, once you have your head around ah eh ee oh ooh, you are going to be able to pronounce it without a lot of difficulty," Clark said.
GISBORNE PARK CHANGE UNACCEPTABLE
Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell says it is no longer acceptable for councils not to consult when they make changes to the way land aquired from Maori can be used.
Gisborne District Council is asking Parliament to validate changes to Alfred Cox Park on the edge of the Waikane Stream which runs through the city.
Mr Flavell says the council ignored its responsibility to consult with Maori before altering the reserve, and Parliament shouldn't just rubber stamp the proposal.
PAREKURA POLLYANNAISH ON RURAL OPPORTUNITES
Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia says it's a good time for Maori, so people should stop focussing on the negatives.
Mr Horomia says he agrees with Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton that Maori are the secret weapon in the New Zealand economy because of their holdings in primary sectors like farming, fishing and forestry.
He says the truth in that can be seen in rural areas with large Maori populations like Gisborne, parts of Hawkes Bay and the Bay of Plenty.
"The biggest thing to recognise is Maori doing it for Maori by Maori. That's been a long time coming where we have the management skill, where we have the articulateness to make sure that what's ours we can develop and what's there we could buy or be part of it," Horomia said.
Parekua Horomia says young Maori now have more opportunities than their parents or grandparents.
CALIFORNIA OIL SPILL FUNDS TITI CLEAN-UP
An oil spill in California has made possible an attempt to exterminate rats from four islands off Rakiura or Stewart Island.
The poison drop is a collaboration between Otago University and a group of landowners calling themselves Ka Mate Nga Kiore, or death to the rats.
Bluff muttonbirder Robert Coote says the money came from a fund set up after an oil spill off the California Coast.
He says the project qualified for funding because during the clean-up a few shearwaters, or as they are known in Aotearoa, muttonbirds, were discovered with bands attached in New Zealand.
Mr Coote says muttonbirds move across the entire Pacific basin, leaving in May for California or the South American coast, coming back at the end of August for the nesting season.
Sharon Clair yesterday addressed the select committee considering National MP Wayne Mapp's Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill.
She says Mr Mapp's argument the bill would get more young Maori into work is redundant.
"Masori unemployment in 1999 was 19.3 percent. That dropped down to 8.7 percent today and at one stage last year was 5.7 percent. That's a huge reductrion without this bill. We don't need this bill to create jobs," Clair said.
FLAVELL FEARFUL BILL COULD STILL BITE
Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell, says he is not convinced by Labour's claims that a bill stripping legislation of references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi is as good as dead.
Labour MPs voted for the bill to go to select committee because that was a condition of the government's confidence and supply agreement with New Zealand First, but they say they won't give it any further backing.
Mr Flavell fears the bill could come back to bite Maori before the next election.
"What could happen is that they stall it until election time, and our people are used as a political football. When it comes to getting into Parliament, mainstream opinion is very important, especially to the Labour Party and to National. Therefore, this sort of bill stands as in the background as a very important bill to its progress," Flavell said.
LANGUAGE LESSON FROM PM
The Prime Minister says she is heartened by the widespread support she has seen for Maori Language Week.
Helen Clark says the Maori language commision promotes the week well, and New Zealanders in general seem more cofortable about using Maori words than they might have been a few years ago.
She says as a kiwi language evolves, many Maori words are being used interchangably with their english equivalents.
Ms Clark says the key is getting the vowel sounds right.
"Once you know that, Maori proceeds very clearly. English is a much more difficult language because the pronunciation is so idiosyncratic or erratic. Whereas with Maori, once you have your head around ah eh ee oh ooh, you are going to be able to pronounce it without a lot of difficulty," Clark said.
GISBORNE PARK CHANGE UNACCEPTABLE
Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell says it is no longer acceptable for councils not to consult when they make changes to the way land aquired from Maori can be used.
Gisborne District Council is asking Parliament to validate changes to Alfred Cox Park on the edge of the Waikane Stream which runs through the city.
Mr Flavell says the council ignored its responsibility to consult with Maori before altering the reserve, and Parliament shouldn't just rubber stamp the proposal.
PAREKURA POLLYANNAISH ON RURAL OPPORTUNITES
Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia says it's a good time for Maori, so people should stop focussing on the negatives.
Mr Horomia says he agrees with Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton that Maori are the secret weapon in the New Zealand economy because of their holdings in primary sectors like farming, fishing and forestry.
He says the truth in that can be seen in rural areas with large Maori populations like Gisborne, parts of Hawkes Bay and the Bay of Plenty.
"The biggest thing to recognise is Maori doing it for Maori by Maori. That's been a long time coming where we have the management skill, where we have the articulateness to make sure that what's ours we can develop and what's there we could buy or be part of it," Horomia said.
Parekua Horomia says young Maori now have more opportunities than their parents or grandparents.
CALIFORNIA OIL SPILL FUNDS TITI CLEAN-UP
An oil spill in California has made possible an attempt to exterminate rats from four islands off Rakiura or Stewart Island.
The poison drop is a collaboration between Otago University and a group of landowners calling themselves Ka Mate Nga Kiore, or death to the rats.
Bluff muttonbirder Robert Coote says the money came from a fund set up after an oil spill off the California Coast.
He says the project qualified for funding because during the clean-up a few shearwaters, or as they are known in Aotearoa, muttonbirds, were discovered with bands attached in New Zealand.
Mr Coote says muttonbirds move across the entire Pacific basin, leaving in May for California or the South American coast, coming back at the end of August for the nesting season.
posted by Adam | 1:39 pm
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