Salient Māori News Items to 08 Whiringa-ā-rangi 2024
- Muka Tangata, the Workforce Development Council responsible for promoting qualifications and training in the food and fibre sector, has released a new Māori workforce development plan, called Te Haumako.
This bilingual plan focuses on increasing partnerships and qualification / employment outcomes, and leadership opportunities, for Māori across the food and fibre sectors (such as agriculture, horticulture, etc). The plan was launched with one of the iwi partners of Muka Tangata, and in our view demonstrates the importance of Tiriti-based guidance being within legislative frameworks. (Workforce councils like Muka Tangata have an ‘Order in Council’ regulation which includes a requirement to acknowledge Te Tiriti, thus encouraging plans like this to be developed in order to improve Māori employment outcomes.) Given the employment and unemployment statistics above, the need for such a plan is obvious. [1]
- Last week we advised on the partial merger of Te Arawhiti and Te Puni Kōkiri (Pānui 34/2024 details). Last Friday afternoon (after Pānui) it was confirmed that proposals for staff changes at Te Arawhiti are underway. One proposal out for consultation is disestablishing 51 roles, whilst establishing 8 new roles (net effect 43 redundancies). The second separate proposal was transferring a further 44 roles to Te Puni Kōkiri.
- Last Thursday the High Court ruled that the Nelson Tenths iwi are entitled to land and financial compensation for a land deal made in 1839 that the Crown inherited from the New Zealand Company but did not honour. In brief the Crown was obligated to hold a tenth of the land in the region aside for iwi (Ngāti Rārua, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tama and Ngāti Kōata), but failed to do so. Because the deal predates Te Tiriti it falls outside the remit of the Tribunal, hence the action through the courts – giving an example of why the Tribunal process works well for the Crown in preventing litigation like thus up and down the country. (I.e. it is a really strong reason why the Crown might want to keep the Tribunal as it is.) We intend to provide further information on this matter in upcoming Pānui.
- Sir Robert (Born) Gillies, the last member of the 28th Māori Battalion, has died (aged 99). E koro, e moe, e moe i roto i te manaakitanga katoa.
Appointments and Awards
- Hiria Tumoana (a Reo educator at EIT) is one of two joint winners of the Prime Minister’s Educator of the Year Award. (The other winner being Kerry Davis.)
[1] Declaration: the author attended the launch of this strategy and previously provided policy advice on the Order in Council.
