Salient Māori News Items to 27 February 2026
- Labour Party leader, Chris Hipkins, gave a ‘state of the nation’ speech this week. Mostly it decries the policy work of the current Government, and in terms of the future he says if elected to govern his party would focus on (a) employment, (b) health and, (c) housing. But no clear policy suggestions in these areas were made, leading his opposition to call the speech hollow (albeit in their own more colourful words). We note he made no reference to Māori or Treaty matters; and also elected not to incorporate any basic Reo like ‘kia ora’ or ‘tēnā koutou’ in this address to the nation – and that silence suggest a shift in itself from this party.
Speech: State of the Nation address
- Finalist for the 2026 Ahuwhenua Trophy (horticulture focus this year) have been announced. The groups are: Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective (field day 26 March), Otama Marere Trust (field day 2 April), and Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust (field day 23 April). Field days are open to all, the awards dinner is 5 June, in Whangārei.
- Also in the horticulture sector, earlier this month, Ministers Tama Potaka and Shane Jones jointly announced funding for two Māori horticulture initiatives, these being:
- Oromahoe and Rangihamama trusts will receive a $4 million loan and $200,000 grant for a kiwifruit development in Te Tai Tokerau;
- Ngāti Hauā (Waikato) will receive a $2.05 million ‘repayable grant’ to bring nine whānau-owned blocks into asparagus, strawberry and blueberry production.
RIF investment supports Māori horticulture | Beehive.govt.nz
- On Wednesday a Deed of Settlement was agreed between Ngāti Ruapanim ai Waikaremoana and the Crown. The proposed redress package includes: $24 million in financial redress, a half share of Patunamu Forestry Ltd, four commercial properties, two cultural redress properties and approximately 12,000 hectares of land add into Te Urewera.
Crown signs Deed of Settlement with Ngāti Ruapani | Beehive.govt.nz
- This week Associate Minister for Education, David Seymour, announced that Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei will open a charter school called ‘Te Kura o Ngāti Whātua ki Tamaki.’ He says,
“students will participate in real-world learning through iwi-led and city based partnerships. This will include collaborations with Māori businesses, partnerships with universities and tertiary education providers, and international school exchanges.”
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei led charter school gives students more options | Beehive.govt.nz
Minister Seymour notes this is the fifth Māori-focused charter school that has been announced of late, and on his Facebook gives himself-congratulations for doing more for Māori than any other politician. (Needless to say, there is some disagreeable feedback, which we presume he was seeking to stoke fiery debate.)
- Meka Whaitiri has become the Chair of Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui a Kiwa (which represents three iwi of the wider Gisborne area, Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, and Te Aitanga a Māhaki.
