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The Spinoff
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Spinoff
Budget 2025: New funding headlines mask deeper cuts to Māori programmes
The government has touted over $700 million in funding for Māori. But when you strip out the reallocated funds and examine what's actually new, the real number is closer to $38m. Meanwhile, more than $750m in Māori-specific initiatives have been axed. Budget 2025 contains some wins for Māori-focused initiatives, but they come in the shadow of substantial cuts across core housing, education and economic development programmes. Among the key announcements: $14 million over four years for Māori wardens, Pacific wardens and the Māori Women's Welfare League. The funding covers transport, volunteer training and admin support. $54m in operational funding and $50m in capital funding for Māori education. This includes new classrooms in Māori medium and kaupapa Māori schools, te reo and tikanga training for 51,000 teachers, and a Virtual Learning Network for STEM education in kura kaupapa. Reallocated funding to add approximately 50 new teaching spaces for te reo Māori learners. A new housing fund to deliver social and affordable rentals, with Māori providers eligible through the Flexible Fund. $40.2m per year from 2025/26 for the Māori Development Fund to support the Tōnui Māori economic growth plan. Finance minister Nicola Willis said the budget showed 'a responsible commitment to all New Zealanders, including tangata whenua' and pointed to new funding as evidence of the government's support for Māori communities. 'Over $700m has been committed to initiatives supporting Māori outcomes,' she said in her budget day address. However, critics argue these investments are overshadowed by sweeping cuts: The Māori Development Fund itself has been cut by $20m over four years, dropping from $45.2m to $40.2m in year one then continuing annually. $32.5m in cuts to Māori housing supply programmes, including the return of unallocated funding from Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga. $36.1m in cuts to Māori education, including disestablishing the Wharekura Expert Teachers programme and removing Māori resource teacher roles. A further $36.1m reprioritised from kaupapa Māori and Māori medium education. The Kāhui Ako collaboration programme, which included many Māori providers, is being slashed by $375.5m. Labour's Māori development spokesperson Willie Jackson said the government 'should hang its head in shame'. He claimed more than $1bn had been stripped from Māori-specific initiatives across the past two budgets. 'This is a government that promised to reduce waste but has instead targeted kaupapa Māori,' Jackson said. 'We're seeing entire housing programmes scrapped, education investment wound back, and economic development sidelined. Meanwhile, they're increasing the ministerial travel budget and rolling out tax cuts that benefit the wealthy.' Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi also blasted the budget, saying it further eroded the Crown's relationship with tangata whenua. 'This budget doesn't build a future for Māori – it builds our demise. A truly responsible budget would fund our solutions, not suppress them.' Despite the headlines, minister Nicola Willis's claim of $700m in Māori funding is largely built on reallocated or pre-announced pūtea. Budget documents reveal only $38m of new money directly allocated to Māori. Other items of note include: Working for Families thresholds have been adjusted to support more low-to-middle income whānau with children. The income threshold has been lifted to $44,900 from $42,700, providing increased payments for many Māori families. Te Pou Tupua and Te Urewera Board retain their income tax exemptions as per their Treaty settlements. Treaty settlement liabilities and the relativity clauses with Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu remain forecast as fiscal risks, as does the unresolved issue of aquaculture settlement values and timing. Some iwi-led initiatives, such as Toi Tū Tōrangatira in Te Tairāwhiti, have received targeted support through regional infrastructure funds. But others are being consolidated or cut entirely. Māori housing was a central casualty. The Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga programme, established to address chronic shortfalls in Māori housing, is effectively defunded, with the government citing a need to consolidate efforts under the more general Flexible Fund. Jackson called this 'a deliberate dismantling of progress' and said it showed 'the government is walking away from the data'. The reprioritisation of education spending has also drawn criticism. The disestablishment of the Wharekura Expert Teachers programme, removal of Resource Teachers: Māori, and significant funding shifts away from kaupapa Māori and Māori-medium education are seen by many as undermining language revitalisation. 'There's no pathway to revitalising te reo without properly resourcing the people doing the work on the ground,' said Te Kura o Hato Hōhepa Te Kāmura principal Mereana Tipene. 'Repackaging cuts as support doesn't help our kids.' Meanwhile, broader changes to the pay equity regime – part of a plan to reduce future Crown liabilities – are expected to impact thousands of underpaid workers in female-dominated sectors, many of them Māori. PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons called Budget 2025 'a wage theft budget' and accused the government of 'stealing from the working class to fund tax cuts for landlords'. The inclusion of targeted tax deductions for Māori authorities donating to community initiatives, as well as the ongoing tax exemptions for settlement entities, are among the few Treaty-based mechanisms retained in full. In summary, while Budget 2025 contains modest new funding lines for Māori and continues some Treaty obligations, it marks a substantial rollback in dedicated support across housing, education and economic development. Critics say the government is shifting from partnership to assimilation – prioritising universal framing while eroding kaupapa Māori infrastructure built over decades.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Delivering The Right Houses In The Right Place, For The Right People
Hon Chris Bishop Minister of Housing Associate Minister of Housing Budget 2025 introduces a new housing investment approach that will deliver the right houses, in the right places, for the right people, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka say. 'This Government believes in social housing. New funding of $128 million over four years will deliver at least 550 more social homes in Auckland in the 2025/26 year. That's on top of the 1,500 new social homes funded through Budget 2024, to be delivered from 1 July 2025. 'More than 600 of the houses funded through Budget 2024 have been allocated already through government relationships with community housing providers. 'We're also making it easier for the community housing sector to plan and get on with the job of housing people in need. We're committing $82 million total for Upfront Operating Supplement payments for community housing providers in certain circumstances when contracts for new social housing are agreed. This upfront funding will help get new social homes built faster. 'The Government is also establishing Crown lending facilities of up to a total of $150 million for the Community Housing Funding Agency, to help lower the cost of borrowing for community housing providers. 'Over the last year we have looked at the bigger picture of how we invest in social and affordable housing. 'At present the Government has a confusing and often duplicative tangle of housing funds, many of which are tightly limited in what they can fund. Successive governments have added new funds over time. The system is inflexible, with investment determined by programmes with available funding rather than what is needed in a region. 'To fix this, the Government is establishing a new contestable Flexible Fund, replacing previous housing programmes like the Affordable Housing Fund, the Progressive Home Ownership Fund, and remaining Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga funding. 'The fund consists of $41 million operating funding over four years and $250 million capital funding over the next ten years for additional houses from 1 July 2027. Subject to further design work on the fund, this will enable up to 650-900 social homes and affordable rentals. 'Our intention is that the new Flexible Fund will use a variety of providers to deliver different housing types, including social houses and affordable rentals built by community housing providers, Kāinga Ora and Māori providers. 'The new Flexible Fund is a key part of a new housing investment approach that will better target new and existing government investment to focus on particular needs in particular regions and be more effective at delivering the right types of houses. It will give us a much more granular understanding of the types of housing required – and who is best placed to deliver them.' Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says the new Flexible Fund will also provide for government-subsidised affordable rentals as a permanent part of the housing system. 'Affordable rentals allow people to pay less than the market rent in a region. They are a missing link in the social housing system. There should be an intermediate option between traditional social housing, where people usually pay 25 per cent of their income, and market rentals. 'Māori housing providers have brilliantly demonstrated the benefits of these homes in places like Rotorua and Gisborne. 'We expect that credible Māori providers and community housing providers will be eligible for investment through the Flexible Fund, particularly given their recent success in delivering quality houses.' Decisions about the design of affordable rentals, the parameters of the Flexible Fund and how the funding will be used will be made later in 2025. The Budget also contains a range of savings initiatives to fund cost pressures in Vote Housing and Urban Development, including making the First Home Loan Scheme cost recoverable.' Notes The programmes which have been consolidated into the flexible fund include: The four-year operating funding for the Flexible Fund appears low, as the new places are only paid for once tenanted from 1 July 2027. This means costs are in the back end of the forecast period and in outyears.
North Wales Live
14-05-2025
- North Wales Live
More help for victims of domestic abuse
Thousands more victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, 'honour" abuse and stalking will have access to specialist support services under nearly £20 million announced by the Home Secretary. Helplines for victims of domestic abuse will get £6m of the cash. The investment is designed to reach as many different communities as possible and will help specialist services in England and Wales supporting victims and survivors, the Home Office said. Nine helplines across eight charities will receive funding including: Refuge who run the National Domestic Abuse helpline; HourGlass, a charity supporting older victims; Sign Health who support victims who are Deaf; Galop; The Suzy Lamplugh Trust; Karma Nirvana; and Respect will receive funds to continue running helplines for victims, recruit more staff and support more victims escaping abuse. The funding also includes £5.3 million for services supporting children affected by domestic abuse. The money will go on one-to-one and group counselling, classroom assistance and help for their non-abusive parents. Around £2m will go to help victims access financial help to escape abusive relationships, a wide range of specialist domestic abuse services will receive the funding through the Women Aid's Flexible Fund. This gives payments of up to £500 to help victims secure safety and one-off payments of up to £2,500 for deposits for rented accommodation. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. A further £2.5 million will be for projects to help prevent and also improve responses to violence and abuse against women and girls. Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls told WalesOnline: "We have to look at everywhere a victim can come forward and try to make access points the best they can be. "There are people suffering now who need help now and I also know we have to focus on how to prevent people becoming perpetrators. "We need to work on evidence about what will work in schools. There is ongoing concern about misogyny among (some) boys in schools. "Part of the funding is for things like what is happening in schools and programmes we need to run for young people. This is all part of the government efforts to halve violence against women and girls in a decade." Ms Phillips said while domestic abuse services are funded directly by the Welsh Government in Wales the phonelines being funded are for people across the UK, Wales. "I want people in Wales to know that if they ring one of the helplines they won't have the phone put down. We work closely with the Welsh Government to keep funding in synergy." The £19.9 million investment includes: More than £6 million for national helplines supporting victims of domestic abuse, 'honour'-based abuse, revenge porn and stalking £5.3 million for services supporting children affected by domestic abuse £2.4 million for the Support for Migrant Victims Scheme to help those with no recourse to public funds £1.96 million for the Flexible Fund providing financial support to domestic abuse victims A further £1.7m for sexual violence specialist services, support and advocacy for families bereaved by domestic abuse, support for victims for economic abuse and employers training. £2.5m to help prevent and improve the response to VAWG. This includes increasing the understanding and identification of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), work to prevent 'honour' based abuse and improving multi-agency working and risk management.
Wales Online
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
More help for victims of domestic abuse
More help for victims of domestic abuse The cash will go to specialist domestic abuse services in Wales and England Jess Phillips Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls (Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror ) Thousands more victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, 'honour" abuse and stalking will have access to specialist support services under nearly £20 million announced by the Home Secretary. Helplines for victims of domestic abuse will get £6m of the cash. The investment is designed to reach as many different communities as possible and will help specialist services in England and Wales supporting victims and survivors, the Home Office said. Nine helplines across eight charities will receive funding including: Refuge who run the National Domestic Abuse helpline; HourGlass, a charity supporting older victims; Sign Health who support victims who are Deaf; Galop; The Suzy Lamplugh Trust; Karma Nirvana; and Respect will receive funds to continue running helplines for victims, recruit more staff and support more victims escaping abuse. The funding also includes £5.3 million for services supporting children affected by domestic abuse. The money will go on one-to-one and group counselling, classroom assistance and help for their non-abusive parents. Around £2m will go to help victims access financial help to escape abusive relationships, a wide range of specialist domestic abuse services will receive the funding through the Women Aid's Flexible Fund. This gives payments of up to £500 to help victims secure safety and one-off payments of up to £2,500 for deposits for rented accommodation. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . A further £2.5 million will be for projects to help prevent and also improve responses to violence and abuse against women and girls. Article continues below Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls told WalesOnline: "We have to look at everywhere a victim can come forward and try to make access points the best they can be. "There are people suffering now who need help now and I also know we have to focus on how to prevent people becoming perpetrators. "We need to work on evidence about what will work in schools. There is ongoing concern about misogyny among (some) boys in schools. "Part of the funding is for things like what is happening in schools and programmes we need to run for young people. This is all part of the government efforts to halve violence against women and girls in a decade." Ms Phillips said while domestic abuse services are funded directly by the Welsh Government in Wales the phonelines being funded are for people across the UK, Wales. "I want people in Wales to know that if they ring one of the helplines they won't have the phone put down. We work closely with the Welsh Government to keep funding in synergy." Article continues below The £19.9 million investment includes: More than £6 million for national helplines supporting victims of domestic abuse, 'honour'-based abuse, revenge porn and stalking £5.3 million for services supporting children affected by domestic abuse £2.4 million for the Support for Migrant Victims Scheme to help those with no recourse to public funds £1.96 million for the Flexible Fund providing financial support to domestic abuse victims A further £1.7m for sexual violence specialist services, support and advocacy for families bereaved by domestic abuse, support for victims for economic abuse and employers training. £2.5m to help prevent and improve the response to VAWG. This includes increasing the understanding and identification of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), work to prevent 'honour' based abuse and improving multi-agency working and risk management.
