Tau Henare has been appointed a member of the Rules Reduction Taskforce. The taskforce has been set up to reduce rules and regulations around property and building. On Thursday a launch was held for the Auckland Māori and Pasifika Trades Training Initiative (AMPTTI). This initiative will be offering free trades
Day: February 13, 2015
On Tuesday the third reading of the Education Amendment Bill (No.2) was completed. On receiving Royal Assent this incoming legislation will reduce the size of university and wānanga councils from between twelve and twenty members, down to eight to twelve members. All councils will be required to have at least
On Tuesday the Prime Minister, John Key, delivered his opening statement to parliament. This speech sets out the Government’s policy agenda for the year. There are no new policy items. Issues of salient interest to Māori noted by Prime Minister Key were: establishing further research centres, including a Māori research
On Wednesday the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) released their decision to refuse an application by Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited (CRP) for a marine consent to mine phosphorite nodules on the Chatham Rise. We advise that the application had been opposed by interested iwi /Māori groups, including Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga
This week consultation commenced on a proposed new Māori Adult Literacy Strategy. This strategy is being prepared by Te Wāhanga, (the Māori Unit within the New Zealand Council for Educational Research), on contract to the Tertiary Education Commission. The strategy is designed to come into effect in 2016, replacing an
Last Thursday the Minister of Education, Hekia Parata, released iwi education profile factsheets. These two-page factsheets provide data on the participation and achievement of children affiliated to a particular iwi (there are 38 iwi profiles in total). The datasets include early childhood participation, school enrolments, national standard outcomes (ages 5–13),
Last Thursday Statistics New Zealand published Ngā huarahi ki te marae: Māori connecting to their ancestral marae. This one-page information graphic shows: most Māori wish to visit their ancestral marae more often, but cost and distance were identified as the main reasons why that did not occur; 11% of Māori
Last Wednesday Statistics New Zealand released the Household Labour Force Survey results for the quarter to the end of December 2014. The survey shows the national unemployment rate increased slightly from 5.4% to 5.7%.[1] For Māori, the unemployment rate decreased slightly from 12.2% to 12%. In whole numbers, 37,500 Māori
On 21 January the Tauranga Moana Iwi Collective signed a Deed of Settlement with the Crown. The settlement includes a commercial redress of $250,000 and the ownership of TMIC Athenree Forest land. Land. The Tauranga Moana Iwi Collective members are Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti
The Iwi Leaders Forum met in Kerikeri last Thursday and, as is becoming a tradition, held discussions with senior Government Ministers. This year one agenda item that has reached public attention is Māori water rights. Prior to the meeting, an advisor to the iwi leaders, Willie Te Aho, indicated that
Last Friday (Waitangi Day) the Prime Minister, John Key, delivered his keynote breakfast address on the Treaty of Waitangi. He indicated that the Treaty relationship between the Crown and Māori was positive, and the Treaty signing a part of New Zealand history to be proud of. He also acknowledged that