Thursday, 18 October 2007

Te Puni Kōkiri Chief Executive Leith Comer says Te Puni Kōkiri realised that it was crucial to start developing a sophisticated understanding of the future opportunities and challenges to Maori. To this end a Te Puni Kōkiri team was established in June 2006 focused on positioning Maori in the future economic system. The report Ngā Kaihanga Hou - For Māori Future Makers is an outcome of their work in this area over the last 12 months.

The Minister of Māori Affairs Hon Parekura Horomia officially released Ngā Kaihanga Hou at a function in Auckland this evening.

“We think this document will be valuable to policy-setters and decision-makers in this country,” says Mr Comer. “This publication is another significant stride by Te Puni Kōkiri in reframing the conversation about Māori economic development in New Zealand.

“At the start of this Century the focus by government was on ‘Closing the Gaps’. However, this programme had unintended consequences – most notable of which was continually focusing questions of disparity in terms of Māori being a problem that needed to be fixed,” says Mr Comer.

“This constant negativity around things Māori became a barrier in itself but also fundamentally failed to acknowledge Māori as an important part of New Zealand’s success.

“Indeed, Te Puni Kōkiri’s 2002 Māori Economic Development Report took many by surprise when it concluded that Māori were net positive contributors to the New Zealand economy; that Māori were successful owners of businesses; and that the Māori asset base was sizeable and being well managed.”

Mr Comer says it was from this understanding that Te Puni Kōkiri created its Māori Potential Framework with the strategic outcome of ‘Māori succeeding as Māori’.

“The Māori population is younger and growing faster so we know that investing in Māori makes sense – for Māori and for New Zealand.    All of which adds to the importance of this latest Te Puni Kōkiri report Ngā Kaihanga Hou - For Māori Future Makers, because it hints at where our future investments might reap the greatest rewards,” he says.