Key factoring life expectancy into super reform

The Prime Minister, John Key, says lower Maori life expectancy needs to be taken into account in any changes to the superannuation system.

Critics of a shift to compulsory superannuation have pointed out that because of the age range of the Maori population, Maori as a whole are likely to pay for more into a scheme than they get out of it.

Mr Key says that's the sort of thing that the working party he is putting together will need to look at, but the time has come to tackle New Zealand's low savings rate and the implications that has for national well-being.

“Fundamentally people on average live longer and they’re not likely to be in the workforce for all of their lives so they are going to have to rely on their savings. New Zealand Super provides support but as we all know it’s enough to get by but not enough to have a retirement in the comfort most people want to enjoy,” he says.

Mr Key says upping the age of entitlement, as recommended by former National leader Don Brash, is off the table.

HANDS ON STUDY TO REDUCE SMOKING ROUND BABIES

Auckland University researchers are seeking 210 South Auckland mothers for a study on the links between smoking and infant respiratory illness.

Whanau worker Eseta Nicholls says the School of Population Health started Te Piripohotanga - which refers to the first two years of a child's life - because of concern about the high rate of hospital admissions amongst Maori babies caused by exposure to secondhand smoke.

She says 130 women have already signed on for the 12-month study, which involves health workers working with the whanau to help parents reduce their smoking around kids.

Poor housing and nutrition are also factors in infant respiratory illness, but exposure to tobacco smoke may be the easiest problem to fix.

AUCKLAND LOANS TE ARAWA TAONGA TO ROTORUA MUSEUM

Some significant Te Arawa taonga held by the Auckland War Memorial Museum are on their way home.

The 13 pieces on long term loan to Rotorua Museum's new exhibition halls include a waka taurapa, mere pounamu, and the 7 metre waharoa or gateway Rangitakaroro from Lake Okataina which was buried by ash in the 1886 Tarawera eruption.

Antoine Coffin, the Auckland museum's kaitakawaenga patiki or Maori partnership manager, says a pataka called Te Oha, origingally from Te Waerenga on the northern side of Lake Rotorua, is of particular interest because it incorporates part of a wayka left behind after Hongi Hika’s raids of 1823.

MAORI LEADERS INSPIRING YOUNG

Auckland super city mayoral candidate Len Brown says there is a lot at stake for Maori is the local government election.

Mr Brown says the unsuccessful attempt to get dedicated seats on the Auckland council highlighted the importance of the sector in the lives of Maori people.

He says the role Maori MP's are playing in national politics needs to be repeated at the local level, so it is important Maori both stand and vote.

“That type of leadership with Pita (Sharples) and Tariana (Turia), hhe new ones coming through like Kelvin (Davis), that is huge for our young Maori. I see it in their eyes, that’s so aspirational and having seen how important that is at a national level, I can’t help but feel it is important at a local level,” Len Brown says.

If he is elected he will put the issue of dedicated council seats back on the council agenda.

TAINUI TALKING TO CROWN AGENCIES ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS

The chair of Waikato Tainui says the iwi is getting a positive positive response from government agencies and community leaders to a plan to set up whanau ora centres.

Tukuroirangi Morgan says the centres at The Base in Hamilton and in Manukau will allow the agencies and iwi providers to work under the same roof delivering health and social services.

He says talks with one of the main agencies, Counties Manukau District Health Board, has been especially fruitful.

LEON WIJOHN JOINS DELOITTE TO RUN MAORI, SME TEAMS

Major accounting firm Deloitte New Zealand has boosted its Maori team by bringing on Leon Wijohn from Te Rarawa and Tuhoe as an accounting and advisory partner.

Mr Wijohn, who won the outstanding new member award at last year's New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants leadership awards will be responsible for working with both Maori-owned businesses or trusts and with small to medium-sized enterprises.

He says the move from his own firm was inevitable.

“If you look at a lot of clients I am working with, they are all getting bigger. The Maori owners are obviously growing and they are going to need more support and there are a whole lot of things they are getting into that you can’t do on your own any more like you can’t be a tax expert and an emissions trading scheme expert and pretend to know everything about farming, everything about forestry and everything about fishing, there’s just so many things that you really need to become part of a bigger team,” Mr Wijohn says.

His next task is to hire more Maori accountants for the firm, but they are very scarce in the market, making up fewer than 2 percent of chartered accountants.