Chief Ombudsman, Peter Boshier, announced today the establishment of a panel of Māori advisers made up of prominent experts and rangatahi leaders.

Peter Boshier says this external advisory panel is a first of its kind for his Office."

I am delighted that my office has taken this step and that our first external advisory group called Pūhara Mana Tangata, has been formed by representatives of tangata whenua for tangata whenua."

"Pūhara Mana Tangata conveys our role as a watchtower ensuring fairness for all, particularly Māori.

"The Chief Ombudsman acknowledges the partnership between Māori and the Crown established by the Treaty of Waitangi, and recognises it to be a critical factor in carrying out his work as the independent watchdog for Parliament overseeing and reporting on the actions of New Zealand crown agencies.

The Chief Ombudsman says one example of this work is his enhanced role in overseeing complaints and investigations relating to the Oranga Tamariki system and children and young people in care.

"One of my highest priorities as Chief Ombudsman is to be more responsive to Māori. I have no doubt the Panel’s experience in Māori governance and iwi engagement will help steer our engagement and communications to focus on matters that have the most positive and enduring impact on Māori communities."

"We know we have work to do to raise our profile so more Māori are aware of our work. I am deeply grateful to the Panel members who have agreed to tautoko this special kaupapa."

Members of the Maori Advisory Panel to the Chief Ombudsman are:

- Dame Naida Glavish, Chief Advisor, Tikanga, Waitematā DHB

- Lady Tureiti Moxon, Chief Executive, Te Kōhao Health

- Arihia Bennett, Chief Executive, Ngai Tahu

- Ngahiwi Tomoana, Chair, Ngati Kahungunu

- Neville Baker, Executive adviser, Iwi and Government

- Juscinta Grace, Lead/Manager, Statutory Entities, Te Puni Kōkiri

- Jacob McGregor, Rangatahi Lead, Maihi Karauna/Maihi Māori

Pūhara Mana Tangata - profiles

Peter Boshier

Peter Boshier is Chief Ombudsman for New Zealand. He was appointed in December 2015 following a distinguished career as a Judge.

As Chief Ombudsman, Peter’s focus has been on a faster and more effective resolution of Official Information Act and other complaints, working with government agencies to improve their practices. The Ombudsman’s office handles complaints against New Zealand government agencies and undertakes investigations and inspections. The Office also encourages good administration by giving feedback and training to agencies. It will initiate investigations of New Zealand government agencies where there is need.

Born and educated in New Zealand, Peter attended Victoria University of Wellington, obtaining a Bachelor of Laws with Honours Degree in 1975. After a period of practice in Wellington he was appointed as a District Court Judge with a specialist Family Court warrant in 1988. Until 2012 Peter was the Principal Family Court Judge of New Zealand, when he was appointed a Law Commissioner, a position he held until his appointment as Chief Ombudsman.

Peter has a long association with Pacific judicial issues and training. Peter has undertaken workshops on the subjects of family violence and youth justice. In July 2015, he became the President of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts based in the United States.In November 2016, Peter was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) and on 1 April this year became the President of the Australasian Pacific region of the IOI. He retains a close interest in supporting the Pacific.

Dame Naida Glavish

As Chief Advisor, Tikanga Māori Health for Auckland and Waitematā District Health Boards, Ms Glavish leads the organisation in managing relationships with mana whenua and Iwi Māori from a tikanga perspective and provides assistance in managing Te Tiriti o Waitangi risks.

In this role Ms Glavish was the catalyst behind the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between these two DHBs and Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua, and has championed appropriate cultural support for Māori patients, leading the writing, development and implementation of bicultural policies and the tikanga best practice policy which is used nationally across many of the DHBs and some organisations in the private sector.

Ms Glavish is the Chair of the Iwi (Tribe) voice of Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua and is involved with a range of Iwi, government and community organisations and is the Cultural Advisor to Chief Coroner.

In 2018 Ms Glavish was the recipient of the Queen's Service Medal for services to Māori and the community and was awarded with the title of Dame Companion of NZ Order of Merit (DNZM). She is now Dame Rangimarie Naida Glavish DNZM, JP.

Lady Tureiti Moxon

Lady Tureiti Moxon, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu, Kai Tahu, has a legal background and is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors. She is currently the Managing Director of Te Kōhao Health, a health, education, Whānau Ora and justice service provider in Hamilton, servicing the wider Waikato region. Te Kōhao is based at Kirikiriroa Marae and has a staff of 234.

Lady Tureiti was part of her Iwi Ngāti Pāhauwera’s negotiating team which settled their historical treaty claims with the Crown in 2010. She currently serves as a Trustee on the Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust and chairs their Maanaki Grants Committee.

Further to this she also chairs the National Urban Māori Authority and is the Deputy Chair of the Waikato DHB Iwi Māori Council. Lady Tureiti has extensive experience of both governance and management.

Lady Tureiti was one of the lead claimants of the Wai 1315 and Wai 2575 Māori Hauora claim before the Waitangi Tribunal. The Waitangi Tribunal released its historical Hauora report on 1 July 2019 which was the first Kaupapa Māori report ever released by the Tribunal.

Lady Tureiti is also part of the Māori leaders calling for a Māori Inquiry into the Ministry for Children, Oranga Tamariki.

Arihia Bennett

Arihia Bennett, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, is the Chief Executive Officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, a $1.5 billion iwi entity that serves to protect and advance the interests of more than 65,000 tribal members. Reporting directly to the governance board, Arihia distils its directives into the strategy and purpose that guides the whole organisation and fulfils its purpose: Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei - for us and our children after us.

Arihia oversees operations of the entire Te Rūnanga Group, using strong relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills across a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, including other iwi, central and local government, community agencies and corporate entities. She also oversees the delivery of a range of programmes and initiatives designed to create intergenerational wellbeing for all Ngāi Tahu whānau.

Arihia was recently appointed to the New Zealand-China Council as the Te Puni Kōkiri representative. She has held several other advisory roles and directorships, including Commissioner of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Commission, and later worked collaboratively with other leaders in the Christchurch area to advise on the city’s redevelopment. Arihia also served as a director of Ngāi Tahu Development Corporation from 1999 to 2002, and then as chair until 2005.

Arihia is an alumna of graduate business school INSEAD Fontainebleau and Singapore and Te Hono Movement (a partnership helping to drive the success of the primary industry in Aotearoa). She is a member of Global Women and the Tuahiwi Māori Women’s Welfare League and was previously on the board of Barnardos NZ and the Christchurch Women’s Refuge. In 2008 Arihia was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and the community.

Arihia lives at Tuahiwi in an intergenerational household and is an active participant in her papatipu rūnanga, Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Ngāti Waewae.

Ngahiwi Tomoana

Ngahiwi Tomoana, Ngāti Kahungunu, has been the Chair of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated since 1996. He has been involved in hapū and iwi development most of his life.

Ngāhiwi was the Co-Chair of the Māori Economic Development Panel, and prior to that, Chair of the Primary Sector Group of the Minister of Māori Affairs’ Māori Economic Taskforce. He has led a number of Māori business delegation missions to explore opportunities in the China market.

Ngāhiwi has a strong background in the seafood industry. He has taken a lead in promoting Māori aquaculture for the wider Māori community and his iwi, and organised the first Māori Fisheries Conference in Napier in 2006. He has previously been a Director and Chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana Trust and is a Director of Hawke’s Bay Seafood’s Limited.

Neville Baker

Neville Baker, originally from Taranaki, and of Atiawa and Ngati Mutunga descent, has been in top leadership roles throughout his successful career, starting from Te Aute College through to Victoria University and full time employment opportunities including Deputy Secretary of Maori Affairs and Director of Maori Development Cooperation. A Nuffield Scholarship took him to London where he had placements with the Welsh Development Cooperative, Scottish Highlands Development Board, handling economic conditions for United Kingdom, then to Ireland where he was involved in Tourism and dairy farming.

Neville was Chief Executive of Economic Affairs of Maori Affairs Department then Maori Trustee; Director Waitangi Tribunal; Director of Maori Land Court, Whangarei and Hamilton; Economic Development Executive to the Prime Minister of Malaysia; Chief Executive of Taranaki Maori Trust Board New Plymouth; Board Member Open Polytechnic NZ; Board Member Correspondence School NZ; Board Member Te Wananga o Aotearoa; and Chairman of Te Runanganui O Taranaki Whanui in Lower Hutt at Waiwhetu Marae. He was also the Chairman of Port Nicholson Block Trust.

Neville chairs a Turning of The Tide programme, working closely with NZ Police keeping people out of the court system. He also sits as an Iwi Leader on the Police Commissioners Forum.

Juscinta Grace

As the lead for Te Puni Kōkiri statutory entities Juscinta Grace is well versed in public and social policy. With over a decade of policy experience and advising Crown ministers and senior members of the public sector she has worked on a number of key, and at times, controversial Māori development portfolios, including the implementation of Whānau Ora, the revitalisation of te Reo Māori and supporting the independent oversight of whenua Māori. Her role is ensuring the voice of whānau Māori remains at the heart of policies which affect them the most.

Of Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāi Tahu, Niuean and European descent she is an active member of her community acting in several charitable governance roles on social, cultural and sporting institutions in Wellington. She is a passionate advocate of kapahaka and has led groups and delegations, and performed with many rōpū including Ngāti Porou ki Pōneke.

Jacob McGregor

Jacob McGregor is a te reo Māori advocate and teacher, cultural competency advisor, Māori communications specialist, and rangatahi development enthusiast. Jacob descends from Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Rangitāne o Wairau, and Ngāti Kuia.

Jacob was born and raised in Whanganui. He attained a passion for the Māori culture, governance and youthwork through his whānau, schooling, and church life. After graduating as Māori Dux Artium and Head Boy of Whanganui High School in 2013, Jacob served an internship at his church for a year through which he gained a Diploma in Pastoral Ministry.

Jacob attended Victoria University of Wellington where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in political science and te reo Māori and was recipient of the Wiremu Parker award. During his tenure at Victoria, Jacob worked as research assistant and te reo Māori tutor within Te Kawa a Māui - the School of Māori studies; in his final year, he served as the president for Te Hōhaieti o te Reo Māori, the Māori Language Society, a role in which he was able to advocate for and lead kaupapa reo Māori within the university.

Jacob is currently working in communications at Te Puni Kōkiri. He is a Senior Advisor leading the digital content and social media team. Outside of his communications work, Jacob supports the delivery of cultural competency courses and treaty training throughout the country with Te Awa Māori. He also teaches te reo Māori at the Centre for Lifelong Learning.

ENDS

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