Hon Mark Gosche Speech Notes
Introduction
Kia orana, Ni sa bula vinaka, Taloha ni, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Malo e lelei, Halo Oketa, Ia orana, Kia ora, Talofa lava,
and warm Pacific greetings to you all.
I acknowledge the tangata whenua. Kia ora koutou.
It is with great pleasure that I come here today, to talk on this year’s Budget, and the funding that is available for
Pacific initiatives for our Pacific peoples.
The past year has seen significant progress made for Pacific peoples in New Zealand, thanks largely to this Government’s
strong commitment to reduce the inequalities for Pacific peoples, and Pacific peoples and government agencies’ genuine
desire to make this happen.
Our Pacific Building Capacity strategy presented new opportunities never seen before in this country. This has been a
huge exercise - perhaps the most significant challenge the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has ever undertaken.
We saw more than 5,000 Pacific peoples identify their communities’ priorities and needs, and the pathways towards
achieving social and economic prosperity. Thirty Government agencies and local authorities from eight regions responded.
And in February the government approved the Programmes of Action, with 80% of the responses to be actioned within
current budget baselines.
I am pleased to say that almost all the Pacific initiatives in Budget 2001 were identified as priorities in the
Programmes of Action. And the grant allocations were made on this basis - on what our Pacific peoples see as their
priorities.
I am also pleased to say that this Government is still as committed as ever to reducing the inequalities that exist for
our Pacific peoples - which all of us here today know only too well.
And I am heartened by the progress that is being made to address these inequalities.
The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, the eight Pacific Community Reference Groups and government agencies, are making
good progress on the next phase of Pacific Capacity Building strategy - Implementation - making the recommendations in
the Programmes of Action a reality. I know we all look forward to seeing the results of our collective efforts.
Budget 2001 - Consolidation
This year’s Budget, Budget 2001 is focussed on Consolidation and Capacity Building. Building on the foundations laid in
the last Budget year, and to progressing the aspirations of Pacific peoples by strengthening the capacity and capability
of Pacific peoples to achieve self -reliance.
Many Pacific programmes received extra funding under Budget 2001. These include:
- Targeted assistance to increase the number of Pacific youngsters in early childhood education ($339,000 for 2000-2001
to $679,000 for 2001-2002)
- English as a second language assistance for Pacific students ($300,000 for the last financial year to $2million for
this financial year)
- Literacy programmes for Pacific adults ($192,000 last year to $367,000 this year)
- Intensive home visits by health professionals ($1.3 million last year to $3.2 million this year)
- Suicide prevention for “at risk” youth ($743,000 last year to $1.5 million for this year)
- Job search skills for Pacific job seekers ($1.3 million now up to $2.7 million for this year)
- Community education to reduce family abuse ($800,000 now up to $1 million)
- Additional Pacific family focused services ($500,000 last year up to $1million for this year).
South Auckland will reap some of the benefits of these increases, and has already benefited from many of this
government's Pacific initiatives.
For instance the $7.5 million committed by the government over four years for study support centres will include funding
for Wiri Central Primary School, Weymouth Intermediate and Findlay Street Park School here in South Auckland. Another
Pacific education initiative already underway in Auckland is a Ministry of Education plan to boost Pacific involvement
in early childhood education. Four Pacific providers are working in Pacific communities to increase the attendance of
Pacific four year olds by 200 children.
Further education funding made available in South Auckland this year is to target adult literacy among Pacific
communities. This year $250,000 has been given to Workbase, based in South Auckland and Kawarau, and $50,000 to Literacy
Aotearoa for its South Auckland programmes.
Another example of local funding is from the contingency funding from Child Youth and Family for community education
initiatives to reduce family violence and child abuse. Three Pacific providers in South Auckland have received funding
from this source - the Cook Island Support Trust, Tumu Korero and the Tafaoata Trust. The Tafaoata Trust was also among
12 South Auckland Pacific organisations to receive funding from the Child Youth and Family Pacific provider development
fund.
Still on social services funding, the government announced last month that two Auckland consortiums of Pacific social
service organisations were to be established, to provide information and support services for the large and growing
number of Pacific social service providers. One of those is here in South Auckland, Manukau Counties Pacific Island
Social Services, which is to receive $140,000 to help with that work. That money delivers on a long-held ambition of
Pacific peoples to get more active support for the developing our communities.
And also on the local front there is money coming from the Ministry of Health's Pacific Provider Development funding
scheme to assist Pacific providers of Pacific health care.
Nationally $2.35 million was allocated to this scheme in the last financial year, and last year we announced we were
increasing this to $5 million a year for each of the next three years beginning this year.
While this financial year's funding has not yet been allocated, approximately 70 percent of the money so far allocated
from last year went to Auckland Pacific providers, focussing on primary health care. Another $1 million of last year's
money is still to be allocated but the expectation that this too will go on Pacific primary care providers.
And of course here in South Auckland there is also the healthy housing project, targetting hundreds of state houses in
Onehunga Mangere and Otara to reduce the incidence of overcrowding and improve conditions. That is a major initiative of
this government.
Pacific Business Trust Boost
Returning to the national picture, Pacific businesses got a boost from the Budget with a $500,000 increase for the
Pacific Business Trust.
This funding shows this government’s commitment to helping to develop Pacific businesses. The trust provides
low-interest loans and business development advice to Pacific businesses, as well as tertiary education information to
young people.
The funding will help the Trust assist Pacific businesses nationwide and focus on skills unique to Pacific people,
particularly in design, fashion and the arts. Pacific art is a dynamic, unique and growing sector whose artists need
support and advice.
Pacific Music Archives
Another initiative I am particularly pleased about was the launch of the first Pacific Island Sound Archives in Otara
recently.
The Archives will preserve and protect many hours of recordings Pacific music tapes and some 60 hours of the Tagata
Tagata tapes from a 1992 expedition.
The music archives will form a library of both traditional and contemporary Pacific music. Without the $86,306
Government approved funding invaluable “living’ records of our cultural heritage would have been lost to our children.
Safeguarding our heritage is an important part of Pacific peoples identity in New Zealand and part of the richness that
Pacific peoples have to contribute to this country’s future prosperity.
Changing How Government Does Business
Another government initiative concerns the way government agencies do business. A number of government agencies are also
looking to make their generic ways of doing business more flexible and inclusive of Pacific peoples and their needs, and
so monies that would have once been allocated to Pacific-specific initiatives has now been included in their general
funding.
So we are continuing to make waves and impact on the way government agencies do their business in all areas - from
policy-making via the Programmes of Action, through to implementation and monitoring. And everyone - Pacific peoples and
general New Zealand, will benefit from this approach.
Lastly, I welcome the knowledge that the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs will have a more visible presence in the
regions because of money in the Budget for community advisors.
These advisors will be contracted to the Ministry but will also work alongside Pacific communities, informing them about
the government services available and helping them access those services. There are four to be appointed, including two
here in Auckland.
The previous government closed down the smaller regional offices of the Ministry, causing distress amongst Pacific
communities. I am proud to be part of a government that is reversing that trend and restoring the Ministry's regional
presence.
In making this change, as with all the changes announced in and around the Budget, we are strengthening the relationship
between Pacific communities and government, so that together we can build a strong, positive and healthy future for our
families and our communities.
Thank you all, and now I welcome any comments or questions you may have.