Media statement from the State Services Commissioner
Appointments: Te Puni Kokiri and Ministry of Youth Affairs
The State Services Commissioner, Michael Wintringham, announced the appointment of two departmental chief executives:
- Leith Pirika Comer, who has been appointed to Te Puni Kokiri.
- Anne Carter, who has been appointed to the Ministry of Youth Affairs.
Mr Comer has affiliations to Ngati Rangitihi, Te Arawa; Ngati Mamoe, Ngai Tahu; and Ngati Pahuwera.
Ms Carter has affiliations to Ngati Raukawa and Ngati Kahungunu.
Mr Leith Comer
Mr Comer is currently a deputy secretary in the Ministry of Economic Development, a position he has held since 1997. He
has extensive experience as a company director, including five years as the chairperson of Lakeland Health. He served in
the New Zealand Army for 21 years reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
At the Ministry of Economic Development, Mr Comer manages a large proportion of the Ministry’s operations, and he has
recently assumed the position of chief operating officer. He has had a central role in the Tairawhiti Development
Taskforce, which is developing a strategy for economic development in the Tairawhiti region.
In the mid 1990s, Mr Comer was the chairperson of the Lakeland Health crown health enterprise. He oversaw the
establishment of Lakeland Health as an independent health enterprise within the public system. Under Mr Comer’s
leadership, Lakeland Health steadily improved its corporate and clinical performance
Mr Comer was a founding member of the Tipu Ora Trust, which oversaw the creation of a primary care service for Maori
mothers and their children in Rotorua. He was part of Te Ama Ltd, a consortium of North Island iwi which bid, in
conjunction with an international forestry company, for the assets of Forestry Corporation.
He was a founding director of M-Commerce, an organisation that was established to foster emerging Maori businesses. He
is the chairperson of the Ruawahia 2B Trust, which is charged with managing the tribal assets of Tarawera Maunga.
Mr Wintringham said Mr Comer had broad experience in providing policy advice, operational management in the public
sector, and in the role of the State in building confidence among communities.
“Mr Comer understands the role of Government departments and agencies in building the economic and social capability of
Maori communities. Indeed, he is experienced in that area from his own work in the community, and from his professional
work at the Ministry of Economic Development.
“At the same time, as a public servant, Mr Comer understands the careful balance that officials must strike between
serving specific communities and their role as advisors to the Government.
“Mr Comer has the credibility and the leadership experience to ensure support for the Government’s policy agenda, and
for Te Puni Kokiri’s role, across other public sector agencies,” Mr Wintringham said.
“I am confident that Mr Comer will cultivate the pool of talented and committed people who work in Te Puni Kokiri. He is
a highly experienced corporate leader.”
In the mid-1990s, Mr Comer was on the Restaurant Brands Ltd board, a publicly-listed company that owns major fast-food
assets in New Zealand.
In the army, he commanded the 700-member Ready Reaction Force. He led the New Zealand Army Contingent in the
Multinational Peacekeeping Force in the Sinai in the 1980s. Mr Comer graduated from the United States Army General Staff
College, receiving the Eisenhower Award for academic excellence. He is the only New Zealander to receive the award.
Te Puni Kokiri has 300 employees and annual Crown revenue of $37 million. The Ministry is the Government’s principal
adviser on the Crown’s relationship with iwi, hapu, and Maori, and it is the Government’s principal adviser on policies
that affect Maori.
Ms Anne Carter
Ms Carter is currently the acting chief executive of the Ministry of Youth Affairs. She has been the acting chief
executive since June 1999.
Formerly, Ms Carter was a sector manager - responsible for the transport, environment, Maori Affairs, and internal
affairs sectors - in the Office of the Controller and Auditor-General. In that role, she was responsible for advising
parliamentary select committees on the performance of public sector organisations, and the development of specifications
for annual audits.
Ms Carter was a policy manager at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs between 1994 and 1996. In the early 1990s, she was a
senior policy manager at Te Puni Kokiri. She began her Public Service career in the Department of Maori Affairs, in
1984.
In her previous roles, with the Auditor-General and at Women’s Affairs, Ms Carter has led work in assessing the
responsiveness of public sector agencies to Maori, and in advancing gender-based techniques in policy analysis and
policy advice in the New Zealand State sector. She has also taken a close interest in the role of paid work, and its
impact on families and women. Ms Carter is a member of the board of the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust.
As the acting chief executive of the Ministry, she has managed an expansion of the Youth Corps programme, and she has
led improvements to contracting practices to reduce costs for organisations that are participating in the programme. She
has concentrated on building the quality of the Ministry’s policy advice, and on developing ways in which the Ministry
can more directly involve young people in its work.
Mr Wintringham said Ms Carter had outstanding skills in relationship management and policy leadership. She was also
experienced in managing the Youth Corps programme that represents a substantial proportion of the Ministry’s business.
“Ms Carter has an excellent rapport with young New Zealanders, and with organisations that represent young New
Zealanders or which work with young people.
“She understands the role of relatively small departments in influencing policy and in contributing to the policy
agenda.
“Under Ms Carter’s leadership, I am confident that the Ministry of Youth Affairs will assert its role.”
Ms Carter is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington. She has attended the Mt Eliza Australian Management
College and the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs has 24 staff and annual Crown revenue of $2.3 million. The Ministry provides advice on
policies that affect young people and it manages Youth Corps.
Acting chief executive – Te Puni Kokiri
Mr Comer will begin at Te Puni Kokiri on 12 February. In the interim, Mr Wintringham has appointed John Paki as the
acting chief executive. Mr Paki will become acting chief executive from Tuesday, 19 December.
Mr Paki is currently the deputy chief executive at Te Puni Kokiri, a position he has held since 1996. Mr Wintringham
said Mr Paki had proven himself as a senior, Public Service manager over the last five years.
“I am confident that Mr Paki will manage the department smoothly over the next three months. He will provide the
department with stability in the transition to a permanent chief executive, and he will ensure that the department
maintains momentum on its critical work.”
Ends
KIA NOHO TAPU: Kia kaua e pänuitia, e pähotia ränei i mua i te 6.00 i te ahiahi o te Mane, te 18 o Hakihea 2000
He pänui päpäho nä Te Komihana mö ngä Tari Käwanatanga
Köwhiringa Türanga: Te Puni Kökiri me Te Manatü Taiohi
Kua puta te körero a Michael Wintringham, te Komihana mö ngä Tari Käwanatanga, e rua ngä kaiwhakahaere matua kua
köwhiria, koia ënei ko:
* Leith Pirika Comer, ki Te Puni Kökiri
*
* Anne Carter, ki Te Manatü Taiohi
Ko ngä käwai o Leith Pirika Comer nö roto mai o Ngäti Rangitihi, Te Arawa; Ngäti Mämoe, Ngäi Tahu; me Ngäti Pahuwera.
Ko ngä käwai o Anne Carter nö roto mai o Ngäti Raukawa me Ngäti Kahungunu.
Leith Comer
I tënei wä, ko ia te tëtahi o ngä piki hëkeretari o Te Manatü Ohanga, he türanga nöna mai i te tau 1997. Kua whänui ana
mahi whakahaere kamupene, e rima tau anö hoki a ia e noho mai ana hei tumuaki mö Lakeland Health - Mai I Maketü ki
Tongariro. E 21 tau a ia e mahi ana i roto i a Ngäti Tümatauenga me tana eke anö ki te taumata o te Rütene Känara.
I te Komihana o ngä Tari Käwantanga, e pïkauhia ana e Leith Comer tëtahi wähanga nui tonu o ngä mahi whakahaere, ä, nö
nä tata nei i uhia ki a ia ngä mahi a te äpiha whakahaere matua. Ko ia anö tëtahi o ngä pou o te Tairäwhiti Development
Taskforce, ko tä rätou mahi, he whakatakoto rautaki ohanga mö Te Tairäwhiti.
I ngä tau o waenga i ngä iwa tekau, ko Leith Comer te tumuaki o Lakeland Health, tëtahi o ngä hinonga hauora a te
Karauna. I raro a Lakeland Health I töna maru i te wä ka hurihia te hinonga nei hei hinonga hauora motuhake. I te wä ko
ia i te ihu o te waka nei, ka pai ake ngä mahi a Lakeland Health - taha whakahaere, taha hauora.
Ko Leith Comer anö tëtahi o ngä mema tuatahi o Ngä Kaitiaki o Tipu Ora. Nä rätou i tü ai tëtahi ratonga hauora mätämua
mä ngä whaea Mäori me ä rätou tamariki i Rotorua. I whai wähi anö ia ki a Te Ama Ltd, he huinga iwi nö Te Ika a Mäui i
tono ngätahi ki tëtahi kamupene whakatipu räkau o täwähi kia riro i a rätou ngä rawa a te Kaporeihana Ngahere.
Ko ia anö tëtahi o te hunga nä rätou i whakatü a M-Commerce, he röpü I whakatüria hei poipoi i ngä pakihi Mäori hou. Ko
ia te tumuaki o Ngä Kaitiaki o Ruawahia 2B, te röpü penapena i ngä rawa ä-iwi o Tarawera Maunga.
Ki tä Wintringham, e whänui ana te möhio o Leith Comer ki te whakatakoto whakaaro kaupapa-here, ki ngä mahi whakahaere o
te rängai tümatanui, me te wähi ki te Karauna e ngäkau titikaka ai ngä hapori.
"E märama ana a Mr Comer ki te wähi ki ngä tari Käwanatanga me ërä atu whakahaere e pakari ake ai ngä hapori Mäori -
taha ohaoha, taha taupori. Inä rä, kua taunga kë ia ki ënei ähuatanga i äna ake takahanga i te hapori, tae atu ki ngä
mahi i pïkautia e ia i Te Manatü Ohanga.
"Äpiti atu ki tërä, i tana noho hei kaimahi käwanatanga, e märama ana a Comer ki te ara hei takahi mä ngä mängai
käwanatanga e aro atu ai rätou ki ngä hiahia o te hapori ka tahi, e tika ai tä rätou tü hei kaiärahi i te Käwanatanga ka
rua.
"Kei a Mr Comer te mana me ngä pümanawa ärahi e taea ai e ia te tautoko ngä kaupapa-here a te Käwanatanga, me te kökiri
i ngä whäinga a Te Puni Kökiri, i äna mahi tahi ki ërä atu whakahaere tümatanui," te kï ake a Wintringham.
"E kï pono ana au ka poipoia e ia te köiti o Rangapü e mahi mai rä i Te Puni Kökiri. Käore i tua atu i a ia hei kaiärahi
rangatöpü."
I ngä tau o waenga i ngä iwa tekau, i noho atu a Comer ki te poari o Restaurant Brands Ltd, he kamupene e wätea ana öna
hea hei hoko mä te iwi nui tonu. Nä taua kamupene ëtahi rawa kai örangaranga nui tonu i Aotearoa.
I ngä mahi a Tümatauenga, ko ia te ngärahu o te Ready Reaction Force, e whitu rau öna mäia. Näna i ärahi te Hokowhitu o
Aotearoa i te Matua Whakahohou Rongo o te Ao i Sinai i ngä tau o ngä waru tekau. Ka whiwhi a Comer i tana tohu
mätauranga mai i te Käreti Kaimahi o Ngäti Tümatauenga o Amerika, me te whakawhiwhia anö öna ki te Tohu Eisenhower, he
eke nöna ki te
tino taumata o ngä mahi rapu mätauranga. Ko ia te tangata tuatahi o Aotearoa kua whakawhiwhia ki tërä tohu.
E 300 ngä kaimahi a Te Puni Kökiri, ä, e $37 miriona tana pütea-ä-tau mai I te Karauna. Ko Te Puni Kökiri te kaiärahi
matua a te Käwanatanga mö ngä hononga i waenga i te Karauna me ngä iwi, ngä hapü, tae atu ki te iwi Mäori nui tonu. Ko
ia anö te kaiärahi matua a te Käwanatanga mö ngä kaupapa-here e pä mai ana ki te iwi Mäori.
Ms Anne Carter
Ko Anne Carter te kaiwhakahaere matua rangitahi o Te Manatü Taiohi. Nö te Pipiri 1999 i eke ai ia ki tërä türanga.
I mua atu i tërä, he kaiwhakahaere rängai a Carter i te Tari o te Kaiwhakataki, Kaiarotake Matua. Ko ngä kaupapa i raro
i töna maru, ko te haere waka, te taiao, ngä take Mäori, me ngä take taiwhenua. Ko ëtahi o äna mahi nui i reira, ko te
whakamaherehere i ngä komiti whäiti o te whare päremata mö ngä mahi e tutuki ana i ngä tari käwanatanga, me te
whakatakoto
tikanga mö ngä arotakenga ä-tau.
Mai i te tau 1994 ki te tau 1996, he kaiwhakahaere kaupapa-here a Carter I Te Minitatanga mö ngä Wähine. I ngä tau
tïmatanga o ngä 1990, he kaitätari kaupapa matua ia i Te Puni Kökiri. Ka tïmata mai äna takahanga i te Ratonga Tümatanui
i Te Tari Mäori, i te tau 1984.
I äna kawenga mä te Kaiarotake Matua me Te Minitatanga mö ngä Wähine, näna I ärahi ngä mahi arotake i te kaha aro mai a
ngä whakahaere tümatanui ki te iwi Mäori, näna anö i kökiri kia äta whakaarohia ake anö te wähi ki te täne me te wahine
i roto i ngä mahi tätari kaupapa-here, whakamäherehere kaupapa-here i ngä tari käwanatanga o Aotearoa. Kua äta titiro
anö ia ki te
wähi ki ngä mahi whai utu, me te pänga o tënei ki ngä whänau me ngä wähine. He mema a Carter nö Ngä Kaitiaki Whakaörite
Whiwhinga Mahi.
I a ia e noho ana hei kaiwhakahaere matua rangitahi o Te Manatü Taiohi, kua ärahina e ia te whakawhänuitanga ake o te
kaupapa Youth Corps, kua whai hoki ia kia pai ake ngä tikanga tuku kirimana e iti ake ai ngä utu ki ngä whakahaere whai
wähi mai ki te kaupapa. Kua mahi ia kia pai ake ngä whakamaherehere kaupapa-here a te Manatü, kia kaha ake anö hoki te
uru mai a te rangatahi ki ngä kawenga a tënei whakahaere.
Ki tä Mr Wintringham, he tino tohunga a Ms Carter ki te whakataki hononga, ki te whakataki tärainga kaupapa-here. He
tino möhio anö ia ki te whakahaere i te kaupapa Youth Corps - koia tëtahi wähanga nui o ngä mahi a te Manatü.
"He tino pai ngä hononga o Ms Carter ki te rangatahi, ki ngä ropü e tü ana hei mängai mö te rangatahi, tae atu ki ërä e
mahi tahi ana ki tënei reanga.
"E märama ana ia ki te wähi ki ngä tari moroiti tonu hei kukume i ngä mahi kaupapa-here, hei täpiri whakaaro ki ngä mahi
kaupapa-here.
"I raro i te maru o Ms Carter, e whakapono ana au ka pakari tonu te tü a te Manatü Taiohi."
I whiwhi a Ms Carter i tana tohu mätauranga mai i te Whare Wänanga o Te Üpoko o te Ika. I uru anö ia ki te Käreti Mahi
Whakahaere o Ahitereiria, I Maunga Eliza, me te Kura Pakihi o Darden, i te Whare Wänanga o Virginia.
E 24 ngä kaimahi a Te Manatü Taiohi, e $2.3 miriona täna pütea-ä-tau mai I te Karauna. He tuku whakamäherehere tä te
Manatü e pä ana ki ngä kaupapa-here ka pä ki te rangatahi, ko ia anö te kaiwhakahaere o te kaupapa Youth Corps.
Kaiwhakahaere matua rangitahi - Te Puni Kökiri
Ka tïmata a Mr Comer i Te Puni Kökiri ä te 12 Hui-tanguru. Kua whakatauria e Mr Wintringham ko John Paki hei
kaiwhakahaere matua rangitahi. Hei te Türei, te 19 o Hakihea ia ka eke ki tënei türanga.
Ko John Paki te kaiwhakahaere matua tuarua i Te Puni Kökiri i tënei wä, he türanga kua puritia e ia mai i te tau 1996.
Ki tä Mr Wintringham, kua kitea ngä pai o Mr Paki hei kaiwhakahaere i ngä taumata teitei o te Ratonga Tümatanui i ngä
tau e rima kua taha ake nei.
"E whakapono ana au ka taea noatia e Mr Paki te whakahaere i te tari mö te toru marama kei te tü mai. Mäna ka tika te
haere o te waka i te urunga mai o te kaiwhakahaere matua pümau hou, mäna anö ka neke whakamua tonu ngä kaupapa nui e
kawea ana e te tari inäianei."
Ka mutu
ENDS