Last week the Ministry of Education released Attendance in New Zealand Schools 2014 – which despite its title actually presents data on non-attendance, including unjustified absences (truancy). The report shows that in 2014 the total Māori unjustified absence rate was 7.4%, within the sample week selected for the research. The
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Last week the Office of the Children’s Commissioner released a report on the quality of services from the Child, Youth and Family Service (CYFS), which is a division within the Ministry for Social Development. The report is entitled, State of Care 2015. To assess quality the reviewers collated outcomes from
This week while giving evidence at the Waitangi Tribunal’s Te Papa rahi o Te Raki (Northland) inquiry, Dover Samuels gave evidence relating to receiving physical punishment (canings) at school for speaking Te Reo Māori, when he was a young child. Mr Samuels is a former Member of Parliament (and Minister
The Office of Treaty Settlements has now released its Progress Report for the year ending 30 June 2015. This report usefully tracks the progress of all Treaty Settlements in a simple tabular format, although the redress amounts are excluded. During the reporting period twenty-one milestones were completed by seventeen claimant
This week the Hauraki District Mayor, John Tregidga, stated that the Treaty settlements within the Hauraki rohe had been stalled unnecessarily by the Minister of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Chris Finlayson, and needed to be resumed. The Mayor’s view was that the Minister was needlessly delaying settlements, which he considered
Last Friday at the koroneihana (coronation) celebrations for Kīngi Tūheitia (hosted by his iwi, Waikato-Tainui), Kīngi Tūheitia’s speech to attendees indicated the iwi would now be entering into a “new era of rights and claims”. His comment that this would start with “the Kīngitanga claims in Tāmaki” has created significant
This week investiture ceremonies were held at Government House, Auckland, to recognise Queen’s Birthday honours recipients. This included a KNZM (knighthood) for Dr The Honourable Pita Sharples, for services as a Member of Parliament and services to Māori. Yesterday the Minister of Māori Affairs, Te Ururoa Flavell, announced he will direct a ministerial investigation into
Chris Joblin has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Tainui Group Holdings. Last Thursday a book launch of Fire That Kindles Hearts: Ten Māori Scholars; by Dr Selwyn Katene was held at Parliament as part of the Te Kāhui Amokura 10th anniversary celebrations. This week media outlets have been
On Tuesday the Social Housing Reform (Transaction Mandate) Bill was read for a first time in parliament, and referred on to the Social Services Select Committee. Essentially this bill, if passed into law, allows designated Ministers to sell Housing New Zealand Corporation properties. Opposition parties have indicated they do not
On Wednesday the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment released a two-page Māori in the Labour Market Factsheet, for the quarter to 30 June 2015. The factsheet largely reproduces Māori employment / unemployment data from Statistics New Zealand’s Household Labour Force Survey, however it is more succinct and graphical. The
In addition to the comprehensive household income report, the Ministry of Social Development has also released a second companion report on material wellbeing, as measured using non-income measures. (Non-income measures focus on actual day-to-day living costs, in terms of the provision of basic foods, clothing, accommodation, heating, etc.) This second
Last Thursday the Ministry of Social Development released its annual report on household incomes. This report is important as it is often the key source document for many other reports and statements on household earnings and child poverty in New Zealand. The report is entitled, ‘Household Incomes in New Zealand:
On Tuesday Dr Suzanne Pitama received the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award for Tertiary Teaching Excellence. A group of Ngāpuhi kaumātua, led by Kingi Taurua, has formed a group called the Council of Elders. The Council desires to be a representative voice for older Ngāpuhi Māori, and would like the Government
Hineuru Settlement Claims Bill On Wednesday the first reading of the Hineuru Settlement Claims Bill was completed in parliament, and the bill was then referred on to the Māori Affairs Select Committee. (Ngāti Hineuru is located in the Haroto area, between Napier and Taupō.) The redress value of the Hineuru
On Tuesday the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment released a Labour Market Scorecard for the quarter ending 30 June 2015. The scorecard is a one-page summary on labour market indicators, derived from recently published data. The key Māori-orientated statistics included are that: the Māori employment rate was 57.4%; the