Media Release
RAHUI KATENE
Maori Party MP for Te Tai Tonga
19 November 2009

Katene praises youth’s get up and go spirit

Maori Party MP Rahui Katene is commending a young Maori woman based in Dunedin for initiating a Maori tourism venture as a way to address unemployment.

Jackie McGregor’s decision to tap into the lucrative cruise ship market with kapa haka performances to help address unemployment among her Maori youth peers was absolutely brilliant, Mrs Katene said.

“I commend Jackie’s get up and go attitude and I admire her for being motivated by the unemployment and suicides that she says have affected far too many Maori youths in her community.

“Jackie has been doing kapa haka since she was seven-years-old and by working in the hospitality industry she has been able to bring together her skills to form what I believe is an innovative business plan."

That plan would include a 30-minute kapa haka performance of haka, poi, music and an opportunity for audience participation with cruise ships goers. Jackie and her 17-member strong kappa haka group, which includes 14 unemployed people, would perform their first gig at the Terrace Bar on December 1 – the day the cruise ship Sun Princess is due to berth at Port Chalmers.

“I can not praise enough Jackie’s desire to help her community, to help them come up with their own solutions to the problems they face. I wish them the best on their endeavours.”

There were a total of 19,444 youth on the unemployment benefit as at the end of March. In the southern region, which includes Dunedin, there were a total of 1601 youth on the benefit – 21% (or 342) of whom were Maori youth.

ENDS

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