Ngāti Apa disappointed with Corrections Minister

Dame Tariana Turia

6 July 2016

Leaders within Ngāti Apa and Whanganui are very disappointed at the high-handed manner in which the Minister of Corrections has acted, in response to advocacy from conservative lobby group the Sensible Sentencing Trust.

“We are disappointed, but not surprised, that the Minister has elected to take her advice on the issue of iwi representation from a political advocacy group, rather than iwi leadership," said Dame Tariana Turia of Ngāti Apa/Ngā Wairiki, Whanganui, Tuwharetoa, Ngā Rauru.

“The appointment of kaiwhakamana within the Corrections system was to enable kaumatua access to prisons to enable the well-being of their people. Their appointment must be approved through the National System after having first been nominated by iwi, the Māori Women’s Welfare League or Māori churches”.

“Kaiwhakamana are not employees of Department. The use of the term Kaiwhakamana by the Department is intended to acknowledge the role of kaumâtua who fulfill the role of specified visitors to prisons” said Mrs Turia.

“Iwi representatives have worked actively in prisons across our region, to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of Māori back into their communities. As far as we are concerned, the support of people in the kaiwhakamana role are vital to build that trust relationship which assists inmates in taking a fresh look at their lives, and committing to a future in which criminal offending plays no part”.

“We wonder why the Minister would not think to consult the people who made this appointment instead of reacting to the prejudice of a pressure group. We have never heard of any complaints about this particular kaiwhakamana, and yet our iwi representatives are in close contact with all the prisons in our region.

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