The Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka (Māori and Pasifika) caucus has labelled this year’s Budget as unambitious for Māori and unapologetic in its disregard for Te Tiriti.

“Today’s Budget is pathetic, underwhelming and lazy,” says Green Party co-leader, Marama Davidson

“The Minister for Māori Development is clearly asleep at the wheel, I suspect he didn’t even bother to get in the waka.”

“The Government has chosen to turn back time on Te Tiriti progress with a Budget that does little for Māori and even less to honour our founding document.

“Māori Housing initiatives. Gone. Māori Climate initiatives. Gone. All there is is a small sugar hit for kapa haka. Our whānau will see right through this.

“The Te Tiriti-trashing legacy of this three-headed taniwha of a Government will be felt across decades as it exacerbates the generational trauma felt across our communities.

“Time and time again, we have heard the Prime Minister say he is focused on achieving outcomes for Māori whilst dismantling the very institutions built to support them.

“We have seen the Māori Health Authority scrapped and Māori wards just about discarded whilst the Government looks to remove all references to Te Tiriti from legislation. All of this alongside a Budget that lacks any ambition for Māori.

“We can and must honour Te Tiriti. We can ensure Māori have the tino rangatiratanga promised to them by prioritising support over punishment. We can choose to end poverty by taxing wealth and providing everyone with a guaranteed income, no matter how tough times get.

“We can ensure warm affordable housing for all by prioritising public housing over the pockets of wealthy landlords.

“We can empower our communities by embracing Te Tirti and the essence of partnership it embodies. The time is now for Te Tiriti justice,” says Marama Davidson.

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