Maori Party Silent on Māori Broadcasting Issues
5 NOVEMBER 2015
Maori Party Silent on Māori Broadcasting Issues
The Māori Party as a partner in government is doing nothing to protect Māori broadcasting and they are failing the Māori language, says New Zealand First.
“Not one Māori Party MP has contacted Broadcasting Minister Amy Adams despite serious issues threatening Māori broadcasting, according to information released to New Zealand First,” says Māori Affairs Spokesperson Pita Paraone.
“The Māori Party boasts about being at the table of government yet funding for Māori broadcasting has been frozen for seven years, working conditions for Māori in the broadcasting industry have worsened significantly, and last month Radio New Zealand announced it was getting rid of dedicated Māori content.
“The Minister for Māori Development, Te Ururoa Flavell, appears to make all the right noises about promoting te reo but he is allowing the erosion of national infrastructure intended to support Māori language growth by staying silent.
“With the number of speakers of te reo continuing to decline it is time for Māori to ask some hard questions about who in Parliament really supports Māori language,” says Mr Paraone.
ends