Option role blocked

Maori students at Auckland tertiary institutes won't be learning about their voting rights any time soon, going by the experience of a company running an information campaign on the Maori Option.

Timikara Taurerewa from Face to Face Communications says a key target for the campaign is young men between 17 and 34, who are traditionally hard to enrol.

He says the company has been trying to arrange short presentations at Maori-focussed courses at universities and polytechnics, but it has faced red tape and stonewalling from Auckland University, AUT University and Unitec.

Timikara Taurerewa says Face to Face Communications has explained the electoral option to more than 9000 Maori in schools, weekend markets, prisons and other venues around the city.


CLASS DISRUPTION REQUIRES NEW SKILLS

A leading educationalist says classroom management skills are becoming a priority for Maori teachers because of potential disruptions in the class.

Maori secondary school teachers have just finished their annual conference in New Plymouth.

Angus McFarland, a senior lecturer in education at Waikato University, says while curriculum development is important, a lot of teachers have more immediate needs.

Dr McFarland says they face problems which weren't in the textbook, like children turning up to class under the influence of drugs.


MORE RESOURCES FOR NICHE HEALTH

The new director general of health says Maori providers are doing a great job, but there's always room for improvement.

Steve McKernan says a proposed funding boost for niche providers will help District Health Boards strengthen Maori and mainstream providers to support Maori communities.

He says improving access to health services is the main priority:

ROGERNOMICS RIFT NOT FORGOTTEN

Labour list MP, Shane Jones says the relationship between Maori and Labour is still recovering from Rogernomics.

The party celebrated its 90th birthday this weekend with events in major centres.

Mr Jones says Maori workers in forests, freezing works, railways and other industries found themselves in the firing line during the economic reforms of the 1980s and early 1990s.

He says that tested the traditionally strong relationship the between party and the Maori community, dating back to the party's origins in the union movement.

Shane Jones says the party's Maori members have been challenged to more actively recruit supporters and contribute more to the party’s strategic planning.

SHARPLES HAPPY ABOUT GAY ADOPTERS

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples believes Maori would support a move to allow same sex couples to formally adopt children.

The party has so far got no firm policy on whether to support Green MP, Meteria Turei's Adoption (Equity) Amendment Bill, which would allow unmarried and gay coupled to adopt.

Dr Sharples says Maori would be more comfortable to see tamariki raised by a homosexual couple in a healthy environment, rather than by a heterosexual couple in a violent and unsafe household.

NEW URGENCY ABOUT VIOLENCE HUI

Children’s Commissioner Cindy Kiro says there a new willingness on the part of the community to look for long term solutions to family violence and child abuse issues.

A hui of South Auckland providers is planned later this month in Mangere to which Government ministers Parekura Horomia and David Benson Pope have been invited.

Ms Kiro says there have been similar inititatives in the past, but the death of the Kaahui twins has created a sense of urgency for finding new ways to tackle old problems.