Māori news stories for the week ending 1 March 2013
• On Sunday Ralph Hotere ONZ (acclaimed artist) passed away, aged 81 years.
• Sir Michael Cullen has been appointed as an independent advisor to assist in implementing recommendations of the Waitangi Tribunal’s report on the Kōhanga Reo Claim (Wai 2336: Matua Rautia). The appointment of an independent advisor was a recommendation of the Tribunal. Pānui edition 36/2012 provides details on this matter.
• Debbie Birch (Deputy Māori Trustee) has been appointed to the Irrigation Company Establishment Board. The Company will act as a bridging investor for regional water infrastructure development, with $80 million to be set aside in the Budget 2013.
• Dame Anne Salmond has been awarded the title Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year 2013, for her services to Māori and Pacific studies.
• Jim Morunga has been awarded the title Kiwibank Local Hero of the Year 2013, for his advocacy of guide dogs in Māori and Pacific communities, and for his community leadership in the area of Māori suicide prevention.
• On Monday Labour MP, Nanaia Mahuta, was demoted from eighth to eleventh on the Labour Party List. Ms Mahuta lost her role as Spokesperson for Education, but gained the roles of Spokesperson for Māori Development, for Youth Affairs, and for Māori Education. There are presently no Māori within the Labour Party’s top ten (front bench) candidates. However it is possible Shane Jones will join the lead team, depending on the final outcomes of an Auditor-General report on his ministerial conduct in 2008. (Pānui edition 5/2013 provides details on this matter.)
• This week members of the Māori Spectrum Coalition have made media statements expressing their dismay that the Government declined their request to allocate to Māori radio spectrum from the 700MHz band. (Pānui edition 6/2013 provides details on this matter.) • Last Friday TU MAI magazine announced it would cease publishing. The first print publication of TU MAI was launched in 1999 and in 2010 TU MAI became an online magazine.
• On Tuesday the Constitutional Advisory Panel launched a ‘six-month public consultation stage’. This will include opportunities for people to engage with the panel through face-to face meetings. (But as yet no hui dates have been announced.)