Pacific concerns in Fiji trip veto

The Prime Minister says his veto on Maori Party ministers going to Fiji was in the interests of wider Pacific diplomacy.

John Key has made it clear Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia can't join a possible Maori delegation to meet coup leader Frank Bainimarama, after earlier suggesting he could not stop them going as private citizens.

He says it doesn't mean the Maori Party can't pursue its own policies or actions under its support agreement with National.

“Now in some instances they will be able to do therm. The Government simply won’t agree with them. Now in this instance I have to sign off is a minister goes overseas. I can’t do that for Tariana or Pita simply because if I do I will be sending Bainmarama a message we are effectively endorsing the trip, and that’s a problem for the other Pacific leaders where we have an agreement with the Pacific Forum,” Mr Key says.

The discussion on Fiji only took up 10 minutes of this week's monthly meeting between the parties.

GANG PATCH BILL UNLIKELY TO AFFECT BEHAVIOUR

A long time gang negotiator suggests a wait and see approach to Whanganui's gang patch ban.

Wanganui MP Chester Borrows' bill barring wearing of gang insignia in the city centre passed narrowly last night with the support of three ACT MPs.

Dennis O Reilly, a Hawkes Bay-based community organiser and Black Power spokesman, says the issue should be about behaviour rather than wardrobe.

He says gang members are often asked to take off their patches, but they don't like being forced to do so.

“If you're going on to marae or whatever and the kawa of that place, the tikanga is there is not patches, and it is just not a problem. But when people are told to take their patches off, forced to take them off, hmm, let’s just see what happens,” Mr O'Reilly says.

He says Wanganui now has more gangs members than before because of the attention given to them by the city.

ROSE WHITE MADE PARLIAMENT’S KAUMATUA

A familiar face around Parliament has taken on the role of the institution's kaumatua.

Rose White-Tahuparae from Whanganui is the widow of the former kaumatua, Rangitihi Tahuparae, who died last year.

Kura Moeahu, the kaiwhakarite for the parliamentary service, says while it is unusual for a wahine to take the role of kaumatua, iwi from around the motu endorsed Mrs White for the role.

The tane role in parliamentary ceremonies will be taken on by Gerard Albert or Turama Hawera, who were trained by the late Mr Tahuparae.

AQUACULTURE SETTLMENT BOOST FOR HAURAKI

Waikato Hauraki MP Nanaia Mahuta says the aquaculture settlement signed yesterday by Prime Minister John and fisheries minister Phil Heatley, will significantly boost to development in her region.

The Hauraki confederation will share $20 million, with $70 million going to top of the South island iwi and $5 million to Ngai Tahu.

Ms Mahuta says the settlement, negotiated with the previous stake by the iwi with the largest potential stake in the industry, allows Maori to get on with marine farming rather than having to wait another five years.

She says 1.8 hectares of new marine farming space has been created in Tikapa Moana, the Firth of Thames, which will create more jobs in the region.

An amendment to the 2005 Maori Aquaculture Settlement Act will be tabled in Parliament next week.

HOUSING PLANS COULD SELL MAORI SHORT

An Auckland City Councillor says government under-spending will sentence Tamaki Maori to generations of slum living.

The Government this week announced $46 million to build 150 houses and renovate another 120 in Glen Innes and Panmure.

Another $6 million will go into boosting other government services in the area.

Councilor Leila Boyle says it's not enough, and the Tamaki transformation project is light on details, and there are no guarantees the benefits of the spend-up will go to current residents.

Glen Innes in particular has a significant Maori population, many in Housing New Zealand properties.

Leila Boyle says a similar amount of money put into the area over the past eight years resulted in 200 new houses.

TANGATA WHENUA SERIES PUT ONLINE

A landmark television series on Maori traditions and way of life is now available online.

Tangata Whenua - the people of the land, was written by the late Michael King, directed by Barry Barclay and produced by John O'Shea.
When it was screened in the early 1970's, it was hailed as a major advance in helping Pakeha understand Maori.

Irene Gardiner, the content director of NZ ON SCREEN, says it was groundbreaking as the first time Maori people and culture were shown to a mainstream audience.

Irene Gardiner says Michael King saw the series as breaking the ground for later Maori-produced programmes like Koha and Marae.

Cultural diversity to benefit Maori.

The man in charge of the Office of Ethnic Affairs says a more inclusive and tolerant approach to cultural diversity could have positive spin offs for the Maori workforce.

The Office is holding workshops in major centres next week on the benefits of diversity.

Mervin Singham says Maori, Pacific and ethnic population now make up about 30 percent of the total population, rising to 40 percent by 2021.

He says investment in the ethnic workforce would lead to more innovation and productivity, as well as strengthened trade relationships which would benefit the whole economy.

“In an ethnically diverse workforce, there have to be policies and an environment in which people from different cultures can feel included, that their new ideas and different ways of looking at things are valued, that employers actually invite their contribution, so you need those sorts of conditions to tap into these benefits,” Mr Singham says.

Increasing intermarriage between Maori and New Zealand's other ethnic communities means a growing generation of tamariki with mixed heritages.

TAIRAWHITI HEALTH RESEARCHING REASONS FOR DEATH AGE LAG

Tairawhiti District Health Board is trying to work out why Maori in the region die younger than Maori elsewhere.

Maori health manager Maaka Tibble says research commissioned from health consultancy Mauri Ora Associates has identified some of the causal factors such as smoking, heart disease and diabetes.

It's now trying to find what Maori think of the health services they receive, and what barriers put them off seeking help.

“The research has taken things further and identified some of the issues we need to think about and that is around better access by Maori to services,” Mr Tibble says.

Mauri Ora Associates has found a significant number of Maori are unhappy with the way they received health care.

INDIGENOUS BUSINESS CONFERENCE ATTRACTS MAORI NETWORKS

Maori business networkers are extending their links across the Tasman.

Phil Broughton from Te Kupeka Umaka Maori ki Araiteuru - the Otago Southland Maori business network - says there is considerable interest in Maori business circles in the Yulkuum-Jerrang Second Indigenous Economic Development Conference in Melbourne later this month.

The hui brings together indigenous entrepreneurs and business people with government agencies, academics, community based organisations and the corporate sector.

Mr Broughton says many Maori businesses are developing successful models which could be replicated, and they are keen to see what they can learn from Aboriginal networks.

He says the 12 regional Maori business networks are looking at creating an national support body.

HENARE NOT WALKING FOR CITY GOVERNANCE

Auckland-based National list MP Tau Henare won't be joining a hikoi demanding Maori representation on an Auckland super city.

He's firmly against one of the aims of the hikoi, for appointed mana whenua representatives, because such appointments don't fit well with democratic structures.

Mr Henare says the hardcore issues for Maori in the current environment are jobs and shelter, and he fears the hikoi hype is creating unreasonable expectations.

“I mean I would question why Maoris have to go through it all the time. Whenever there’s an issue, we will down tools and go on a walk. There are certain people who are making this hikoi out to be as important and as big as the foreshore abnd seabed. There is a danger people will get carried away with it, and what if there is only 200 people on the hikoi,” Mr Henare says.

He says the question of Auckland representation is still not settled, and Maori can make submissions to the government through the Minister for Maori Affairs.

HEALTH MANAGERS CONSIDER SWINE FLU RISKS

A hui on the possible swine flu pandemic has called for whanau to not panic.

Maori health managers from Auckland's three district health boards met to discuss how to create greater awareness among Maori of ways to prevent flu spreading.

Amiria Reriti, the Auckland regional public health service's Maori development manager, says relatively simple practices like regular hand washing can reduce a lot of the risk.

She says while the international focus is on swine flu, there are many other strains of influenza about Maori need to be aware of, so they are not thrown into a panic by the threat.

Amiria Reriti says in the past Maori have been more vulnerable to pandemics than other groups.


TUWHARETOA MARAE EXPLORE GROWTH POSSIBILITIES

Tuwharetoa marae are going back to the roots.

A new project is encouraging the growing of permaculture gardens with vegetables and fruit and nuts trees.

Project leader Lisa Isherwood says permaculture, which involves organic principles, is a good solution for whanau wanting to make the most of the whenua surrounding their marae.

She says the garden being planted at her own Papakai Marae is producing more than kai, with the five acre block behind the pa revealing previous cultivations and dwelling sites.

The group is looking at developing a training centre to help spread the scheme.

$97 million aquaculture settlement signed

Top of the South Island tribes are celebrating today's signing of an aquaculture settlement which gives them more than $70 million dollars to go marine farming.

It replaces an earlier legislated settlement which promised iwi the equivalent of 20 per cent of current waterspace and 20 per cent of future allocations.

Because the law was proving impossible to implement, iwi with the biggest potential stake in the industry negotiated an up front cash payment, rather than waiting until 2014 as the law envisaged.

Hauraki tribes will get about $20 million of the $97 million putea, and Ngai Tahu over $5 million.

Fred Te Miha from Ngati Tama says his Nelson iwi tried to enter the aquaculture business in the 1990s, but was stymied by obstruction from local government.

“We had to sit on the beach and watch everyone else go marine farming. The Government of the day were too slow in reacting. Now it’s come to pass that we can go and do our developments in aquaculture,” Mr Te Miha says.

Ngati Tama has several marine farming projects ready to go.

SWINE FLU COULD THREATEN MARAE PROTOCOLS

The hongi and the hand shake may need to be rethought if the H1-N1 swine flu turns into a fully fledged pandemic.

Auckland Maori health workers met yesterday to discuss how to discuss how to keep whanau safe from the flu.

Amiria Reriti, the Auckland regional public health service's Maori development manager, says there was discussion about how it could affect marae and hui protocols.

Amiria Reriti says the health service will meet Maori community leaders to discuss the issues further.


ETHNIC MIXING COULD BENEFIT MAORI WORKERS

The director of the Office of Ethnic Affairs says increased ethnic mixing could bring economic benefits for Maori.

Mervin Singham says more intermarriages between Maori and other ethnic minorities such as Indian and Chinese, mean the number of children with mixed heritage is increasing.

He says personal relationships and trade relationships often go hand in hand.

“Maori are getting involved in tourism, fishing and so on, and these sorts of enterprises, success depends on connections in offshore markets so connecting with domestic diaspora ethnic communities is one way of tapping into those markets overseas,” he says.

The Office of Ethnic Affairs is holding events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch next week on how New Zealand can benefit from its ethnic diversity.

GREEN MT ALBERT STRATEGY SET OUT

Vote for an Aussie and get another Maori in Parliament.

That's the opportunity Green Maori spokesperson Metiria Turei says voters of Mt Albert have in next month's by-election to fill the seat vacated by former Labour prime minister Helen Clark.

Greens co-leader Russel Norman is running against Labour candidate David Shearer, National list MP Melissa Lee and ACT's John Boscowan.

Ms Turei says a victory for Dr Norman would give the Greens another list MP, Dave Clendon.

“Dave Clendon is Ngapuhi. He’s been the co-convenor of the party, like the party president, and he will be a significant addition to our caucus,. So if Russel gets Mr Albert we also get Dave Clendon our second Maori MP and that will be fantastic to have. Then we’ll have 10 MPs and we‘ll be a stronger Green caucus and stronger on Maori issues. So politics is a strange wiggly business,” Ms Turei says.

She says the Greens are starting to claw back Maori supporters as voters become disillusioned by the Maori Party's relationship with National.

NORTHLAND ASTHMA INCIDENCE TACKLED WITH TESTING STRATEGY

The Asthma Society hopes a new mobile clinic will help it find solutions to chronic rates of respiratory disease among Northland Maori.

Northland manager Geoff Phillips says tamariki in Tai Tokerau are three times more likely to have asthma than non-Maori children.
He says the clinic will help with early detection and prevention work in remote communities.

A range of factors contribute to the problem.

“The cost of medication is one problem. Getting to being tested is another problem. There’s a whole series of problems but I think it’s fair to say that the reason we are doing this mobile respiratory testing clinic is to be able to isolate that and come up with some definite answers,” he says.

The mobile clinic will visit 10 towns over the next two weeks.


MAORI BUSINESS NETWORKS LOOKING AT UMBRELLA GROUP

There's a call to bring together the 12 regional Maori business networks into a national body.

Phil Broughton from Otago Southland network Te Kupeka Umaka Maori ki Araiteuru says Maori businesses have a different value system than mainstream businesses, drawing on tikanga, whakawhanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga

He says many of those values can benefit the mainstream sector and the wider economy.

“The togetherness and the guardianship so those old historical Maori values my come to the forefront and maybe we can share them with other folk, how we look after each other and guard each other and so those traditional marae based values, perhaps there’s a space for them in the mainstream New Zealand business arena,” Mr Broughton says.

Many of the networks will participate in an Indigenous Economic Development Forum in Melbourne later this month.