The Government should hang its head in shame after a budget that takes a knife to more Māori programmes.

“In Budget 2024 more than $300 million was cut from Māori specific initiatives – Te Arawhiti, The Māori Health Authority, and Māori TV. Budget 2025 cuts even deeper with around $750 million cut from Māori Housing, Māori economic funds, Māori Education and programmes like Māori trades training,” Māori Development spokesperson, Willie Jackson said.

“Over the two budgets, Tama Potaka has now slashed more than $1 billion of Māori specific funding and that is shameful.

“Louise Upston has also made the shameful choice to stop funding Māori trade training when Māori unemployment has risen to 10.5 percent, with no plan to support Māori into meaningful jobs.

“The biggest hit is in Māori housing. Whai Kainga Whai Oranga and the whole Māori housing programme has been scrapped. In total $624 million has been wiped from the books.

“Tama Potaka is ignoring the housing data showing Māori are in the most need and has chosen to wash his hands of Māori housing.

“This government is providing a mere $3 million per year worth of new funding for Māori Wardens and the Māori Women’s Welfare League – yet has increased its ministerial budget for international travel by $2 million per year.

“At the same time, David Seymour is introducing his Regulatory Standards Bill under urgency that extinguishes more Māori rights, cementing this government’s lack of care towards Māori.

“This government has proven once again that it has turned its back on the Māori-Crown relationship,” Willie Jackson said.

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