Orewa was misinterpreted says Brash

Former National Party leader Don Brash says his stance on Maori issues has been misinterpreted.

Dr Brash says he regrets he wasn't able to reach out more to Maori voters and to the Maori Party during his time as leader of the Opposition.

Hostility towards Dr Brash in Maori circles was sparked by his Orewa state of the nation speech in 2004, in which he attacked what he called "a dangerous drift towards racial separatism in New Zealand, and the development of the Treaty grievance industry".

Dr Brash says he regrets how the speech was interpreted.

“I didn't have an opportunity to convince Maori that the speech was not about being anti-Maori, and I’m sure a lot of Maoris saw it as being anti –Maori,” Brash says.

Don Brash says he holds Maori Party co-leaders Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples in high regard.

POLICE RESPONSIVENESS IN SPOTLIGHT

Police are gathering at the Police College in Porirua for a three day conference on their responsiveness to Maori.

Wally Haumaha, the acting national manager for Maori, Pacific and Ethnic Services, says it's the 10th year since former commissioner Peter Doone challenged the service focus on finding new ways to address Maori crime and victimisation.

He says current commissioner Howard Broad has spent the past month consulting iwi around the country as a lead up to the conference.

Inspector Haumaha says the overwhelming message is that police need to work more closely with communities if they are to effectively tackle crime and its effects.

“We've spent quite a lot of time over the past 10 years building the capability of our organisation, trying to build a cultural competency of a lot of our staff to make them understand there are organisations out there, whether it be in Auckland, Counties Manukau, through to Ngai Tahu, we need to know how to access those,” Haumaha says.

Wally Haumaha says police are extremely concerned at the amount of family violence in Maori communities, and that is where Maori service providers give valuable assistance.

HONORARY DOCTORATE WELL DESERVED

Former Maori Language commission head Timoti Karetu says an honorary doctorate for Kohanga Reo pioneer Iritana Tawhiwhirangi is well deserved.

Victoria University will present the award to the 77-year old Ngati Porou kuia on December the 8th to mark her contribution to reversing the decline in the Maori language and inspiring thousands of Maori parents to become involved in their children's education.

Mrs Tawhiwhirangi oversaw the development of the first kohanga while she was head of community services for the Department of Maori Affairs, and she served as its chief executive from 1990 until 2003.

Professor Karetu says she had a lot to do with the movement's success.

“You know when you’ve got such a charismatic, dogmatic person driving the thing, all the success has come as a consequence of that,” Karetu says.

Timoti Karetu says Iritana Tawhiwhirangi could have had a distinguished academic career, if she had ever found enough time to do so.

KOHANGA DON’T QUALIFY FOR 20 HOURS SUBSIDY

The former chief executive of the Kohanga Reo National Trust is furious that Maori language nests have been omitted from the list of 2700 early childhood centres who will qualify to supply twenty hours of free childcare.

Iritana Tawhiwhirangi says the decision is a slap in the face for the movement.

She says the Ministry of Education doesn't seem to accept that the training for kohanga reo staff is on par with other early childhood teachers, and that its whanau-centred approach has merit.

“I mean how dare they, how dare anybody say that our training programme that has been in place, that has been producing kids that are jumping out of their skins, all of a sudden ‘Hullo. It’s not accepted.’ Well excuse me. I’m furious about it, and somewhere in the process there’s been a slip up that needs to be attended to,” Tawhiwhirangi says.

Iritana Tawhiwhirangi is to be given an honorary doctorate by Victoria University next month for her work with kohanga reo and the revitalisation of the Maori language.

BRASH REGRETS NOT COURTING MAORI PARTY SOONER

Dumped National Party leader Don Brash says he could have done more to foster relations with the Maori Party.

Dr Brash was yesterday replaced by John Key as head of the Opposition.

Current polling indicates National would need the support of the Maori Party to regain the Treasury Benches, but Dr Brash's public comments about racial separation, the treaty grievance industry and Maori blood quantum has hampered attempts to find common ground.

Dr Brash says the attempts he did make were too little, too late.

“I had dinner at the invitation of Tariana Turia with the Maori Party caucus a few weeks ago, and that was a very constructive meal, and meeting, very cordial, very frank talking on both sides, and I think there should have been more of that over the past couple of years,” Brash says.

Dr Brash says his 2004 Orewa speech on the Treaty of Waitangi was misinterpreted.

WORLD ETHNIC POLICING LOOKS TO NZ MODEL

The acting head of the police's Maori, Pacific and Ethnic Services says forces around the world are looking at how the New Zealand police are learning to work with Maori and other communities.

Wally Haumaha says police from Australia and Canada are taking part in this week's sixth Responsiveness to Maori conference at the Police College in Porirua.

Inspector Haumaha says New Zealand police have been working on the issue for 10 years, and it is starting to show results.

“I had a superintendent from Adelaide police here last year, and he said to me ‘if we could only operate the same way that the New Zealand police have changed direction in working with Maori, our Aborigine people would be well off.’ So we have made a start. It’s hugely pioneering in policing jurisdictions across the world,” Haumaha says.

The three day Ngakia Kia Puawai conference will focus on strengthening relationships between the Police and Maori communities.