Hon Parekura Horomia
Minister of Mäori Affairs

13 September 2006 Press Release

$2 million boost for Mäori economic development

A highly successful independent taskforce set up to accelerate Māori economic
development is getting a two million dollar funding boost, Māori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia announced today.

One of the outcomes of the Hui Taumata – the Māori economic development summit held in Wellington in March 2005 – was the establishment of the Taskforce. It’s mission has been to enhance the lives of Māori by accelerating Māori-led economic development.

The Taskforce, headed by Sir Paul Reeves, and whose members include Business New Zealand, the Business Roundtable and the Council of Trade Unions, among others, has led a range of research, practical initiatives and pilot schemes. These have included projects designed to enhance workplace productivity; promote entrepreneurship in schools and communities; build partnerships between Māori and non-Māori business; enhance Māori leadership and governance; as well as important reform of economic data.

“Our economy has grown, unemployment has plummeted, our films, music, arts, sportspeople, business and high achievers are attracting international success,” said Parekura Horomia. “As a result, Māori are increasingly taking charge of their own destiny, and over the next five years a window of opportunity exists for Māori to build on these achievements.

“The Government is committed to supporting the contribution Māori are making to our strong and growing economy. I am therefore delighted that we are able to continue to support the Taskforce for a further year, maintaining the momentum already created from its work programme and the commitment of its members.

“At Hui Taumata it was made clear that the path for Māori from dependency to development is through education, employment and enterprise. Māori must continue to steer their own economic development – the primary responsibility for successful Māori development now lies with Māori.

“We need to work with others rather than in isolation, to take up opportunities that are within our grasp. Partnerships, collaboration and networking are going to be critical to Māori development in the future. The Taskforce has been hugely successful in this area.

“New Zealand is a small country, we are all in the same waka, and by developing partnerships across Māori, business, trade union, academic and government sectors, everyone in this country will have the opportunity to succeed,” Mr Horomia said.

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13 September 2006 Press Release

Te Tahua o Te Rua Miriona Taara mo Te Whakapakari i Te Ohanga Mäori

He ai ki te pänui a Te Minita Mo Ngä Take Mäori a Parekura Horomia i te ra nei:

Kua whakawhiwhia tëtahi röpu motuhake angitu ki te rua miriona taara hei whakatere ake i te whanaketanga ohanga o te iwi Mäori.

Ko tëtahi o ngä putanga o Te Hui Taumata, arä, te taumata whanaketanga ohanga Mäori i whakahaeretia i Te Upoko-o-Te Ika i te marama o Maehe i te tau 2005, ko te whakatünga o tëtahi röpu kokiri. Ko te mahi a te röpu nei, ko te whakarei ake i te ao o te Mäori ma te whakatere ake i ngä whanaketanga ohanga e ärahitia ana e te Mäori.

Ko Ta Paora Reeves te kaiärahi o tënei röpu kokiri, ä, ko ëtahi o ngä mema o tënei röpu ko Ngä Kaipäkihi o Aotearoa, Ngä Kaipäkihi o Te Teepu Porowhita, Te Kaunihera o Ngä Röpu Kaimahi me ëra atu. Na rätou i ärahi ngä rangahau, ngä kökiritanga me ngä kaupapa tuatahi. Ko ëtahi o ënei kaupapa i waihangatia hei whakarei ake i ngä putanga o ngä wähi mahi, te tautoko i ngä kaipäkihitanga i roto i ngä kura me ngä iwi käinga, te whakapakari ake i te mahi ngätahi i waenganui i ngä päkihi Mäori me ngä päkihi a tauiwi, te whakarei ake i ngä ärahitanga me ngä käwanatanga a te Mäori, ä, täpiri atu ki te whakahou i ngä körero kei roto i ngä mea kua whäiti mai.

Kua püäwai to tätou ohanga, kua heke iho te maha o te hunga kore mahi, kei te rongohia tō tätou angitu puta noa i te ao whänui mo a tätou pikitia whakaataata, mo a tätou püoro, mo a tätou mahi toi, ä, me ëra atu o tätou kua whiwhi i te angitu, ä, e möhiotia ana puta noa i te ao whänui. Na tënei, kei te pakari haere te whakahaere a te Mäori i o rätou ano oranga ake, ä, i roto i ngä tau e rima e tu mai nei, kei te tuwhera ngä huarahi ki te Mäori ki te whakapakari ake i ënei paetae kua taea nei e rätou.

E pono ana te Käwanatanga ki te äwhina i te whai wähi mai a te Mäori i roto i te pakaritanga ake o to tätou ohanga e püäwai haere tonu nei. No reira kei te koa au kei te taea tonu e tätou te äwhina te röpu kokiri mo tëtahi atu tau, arä, ki te whakaü i te ahu whakamuatanga kua heipu nei mai i tana hötaka mahi me te ngäkau nui o o rätou mema.

I te Hui Taumata, i whakamäramatia, ko te huarahi hei whai ma te Mäori mai i te whakawhirinakitanga ki te whanaketanga, ko te whiwhi i te mätauranga, te whiwhi mahi me te tütütoa. Me kaha tonu te Mäori ki te ärahi i to rätou ano whanaketanga ohanga, ä, ko ngä kawenga mo te whiwhi a te Mäori i te angitu i roto i o rätou ano whanaketanga, kei roto ano i ngä ringaringa o te Mäori.

E tika ana kia mahi tätou i te taha o ëtahi atu, kaore ko tätou anake, arä, ki te rarau i ngä mea e taea ana e tätou. E whai wähi nui ana i roto i te whanaketanga o te Mäori a meake nei, ko te mahi ngätahi me te tühonohono. E tino whiwhi ana Te Röpu Kokiri i te angitu i roto i tënei wähanga.

He whenua iti noa iho a Aotearoa, ä, kei roto katoa tätou i te waka kotahi. Ma te whanake i te mahi ngätahi i waenganui i te iwi Mäori, ngä umanga, ngä uniana, te taha mätauranga me ngä Tari Käwanatanga, ka tuwhera ngä huarahi ki te katoa o ngä tängata kei roto i tënei whenua ki te whiwhi i te angitu.

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Fact Sheet: Hui Taumata Taskforce

On March 1, 2005, 450 people gathered at Te Papa in Wellington for the three day Māori economic development summit – Hui Taumata. A powerful consensus emerged from the summit for Māori to take the lead in setting the agenda for Māori economic development and to seek and build the pathways that will bring prosperity for Māori and New Zealand.

The Hui Taumata Action Taskforce was established with the support of government to initiate projects, research and discussion to support action in the key areas identified by participants at the Hui.

The Taskforce is fully independent and members of the group come from a wide range of organisations.

Taskforce members are: Sir Paul Reeves (Chair), Tumu Te Heuheu, Sir Tipene O’Regan, Professor Ngatata Love (Deputy Chair), Leith Comer (Te Puni Kokiri), Jacqui Te Kani (Mâori Womens Welfare League), June McCabe, Rob McLeod (Business Roundtable), Phil O’Reilly (Business New Zealand), and Ross Wilson (Council of Trade Unions).

The Taskforce’s mission is: To enhance the lives of Māori through economic prosperity by accelerating Māori-led economic development.

The Taskforce initially received $2.9 million for projects and the establishment of a Secretariat in its first year. Government has agreed to funding of an additional $2 million for the 2006/2007 year.

The Taskforce is partnering with expert organisations to co-operatively manage projects and ensure that results are quickly turned into action. It will now explore alternative funding options and structures in which the Taskforce might become self-sustaining.

Twelve research and action orientated projects have been undertaken to date and many were developed in collaboration with unions, government agencies, academic institutions and the private sector. For example, at the micro level, Taskforce projects have sought the improvement of workplace skills and entrepreneurship. Projects at a higher level have explored concepts of leadership, governance, land tenure and matauranga (cultural knowledge).

In June 2006 the Taskforce embarked on a programme of regional report back hui, holding 23 workshops in 11 regional centers, attended by approximately 750 people representing a wide range of industry and community interests.

The participants in the workshops indicated strong support for the manner in which the Taskforce had implemented the messages from Hui Taumata. The independence of the Taskforce was seen as an important factor attracting credibility and support.

ENDS

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