Latest news with #WhānauOra
Scoop
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Stop The Secrecy: Whānau Ora Probe Shows Why OIA Must Follow The Money
The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union is calling for immediate legislative reform to bring all 75% taxpayer-funded organisations, including Whānau Ora commissioning agencies, under the Official Information Act (OIA), following a New Zealand Herald investigation into Pasifika Futures and potential conflicts of interest in the distribution of public funds. Taxpayers' Union spokesperson Tory Relf said: 'It's completely unacceptable that taxpayer-funded bodies like Pasifika Futures can distribute millions of dollars with so little public oversight. The people writing the cheques are the same ones setting the rules and the public is locked out of the room.' 'When taxpayers' money is handed out behind closed doors to organisations run by friends and family, the least we should expect is the right to ask: why, how, and who made the decision?' 'If you're spending public money, you must be accountable to the public. That starts with full transparency through being subject to the Official Information Act.' 'If these agencies are confident in their processes, they should have nothing to fear from public scrutiny.' 'It is time for the Government to amend the Official Information Act to cover all organisations receiving substantial public funds and finally bring accountability to the wider public sector.'
NZ Herald
03-07-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures' family ties questioned
Pasifika Futures Ltd, recently a Government-funded Whānau Ora commissioning agency, used the public contract to hire the Ah Mau Sports and Wellbeing Consultancy Ltd, appearing to favour close relatives of its chief executive. Ah Mau Sports and Wellbeing is owned and controlled by Rose and Leeson Ah Mau, the
RNZ News
30-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Review into Whānau Ora Commissioning funding terms of reference released
Photo: RNZ / Mihingarangi Forbes Terms of reference for a review into Whānau Ora Commissioning funding have been released. The review will be led by Doug Craig, director of the RDC Group consultancy, who recently investigated concerns raised about Manurewa marae. Te Puni Kōkiri set up the independent investigation last week after reports Te Pou Matakana Limited spent up on an ad campaign urging people to switch to the Māori electoral roll, and Pasifika Futures Limited put $770,000 towards the Moana Pasifika rugby team. Concerns have also been raised about contracting decisions and conflicts of interest by a Pasifika Futures senior executive. The review will examine funding plans and Outcome Agreements, conduct interviews with the agencies, and gather advice from public agencies and the Auditor-General on best practice use of public funding. It will report back on: However, the review cannot comment on the competence of individuals involved, "except to the extent this related directly to contract management, or determining any disciplinary matters". The two agencies' commissioning contracts expire today, with four new commissioning agencies beginning contracts on Tuesday. Te Puni Kōkiri policies not related to the review, and the contracts held with Te Pou Matakana, Pasifika Futures, or other agencies are also out of scope. Interim reports will be provided every week, starting this Friday, 4 July - and a final report will be delivered to the ministry for review and comment. The Secretary of Māori Development may then release the final report or a summary of findings. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
30-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Ngāti Toa launch new agency to distribute Whānau Ora funds
Minister for Whānau Ora Tama Potaka took part in a launch for a new commissioning service, Māhutonga, provided by iwi Ngāti Toa, on Monday. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Four new agencies have been put in charge of determining how Whānau Ora resources are distributed to Māori and Pacific communities across the country. It is the biggest shake up in the history of Whānau Ora since it was created by the late Dame Tariana Turia in 2010. One of the new commissioning agencies was launched by Wellington iwi Ngāti Toa at Hongoeka Marae near Porirua this morning. The new commissioning agency which covers the eastern and southern part of the North Island is named Māhutonga, the Southern Cross. Ngāti Toa descendant Te Pūoho Kātene will take up the role of chairman of the new Māhutonga Commissioning Agency. The iwi chose the name Māhutonga because the Southern Cross is visible all across the region covered by the agency and so will always be there to guide their work, Kātene said. "Often our services are treated as the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, Māhutonga tells us to keep our eyes up and to be aspirational and to have those aspirational horizons set by the whānau who [we] are trying to serve," he said. Te Pūoho Kātene, chair of the new Māhutonga Commissioning Agency. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The four new Whānau Ora commissioning agencies - Rangitāmiro, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira (Māhutonga), Te Tauraki (a subsidiary of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu), and The Cause Collective (operating as The Tātou Collective) - will begin commissioning services from providers starting on Tuesday. The three original Whānau Ora commissioning agencies - the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu and Pasifika Futures - were informed by Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK) in early March their long-held contracts would not be renewed. Minister for Whānau Ora Tama Potaka said the procurement process was timely as the original commissioning agencies had held the contracts for more than a decade. "But we also need to see a bit of a step change in how we consider evidence around the delivery of Whānau Ora services and ensuring there is a really critical alignment between the investment of taxpayer funds, doing it in a very transparent improved audited way and the achievement of outcomes." Some jobs at the old commissioning agencies may be impacted, but there won't be wider job losses among providers, he said. "We absolutely back Whānau Ora, we think that a lot of the solutions reside in the communities." Ngāti Toa's Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira deputy chief executive Jennie Smeaton said the iwi had been a Whānau Ora provider since its inception, so it was a natural progression to step into commissioning. Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira deputy chief executive Jennie Smeaton Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone "We dream about the future of our tamariki, mokopuna and whānau living well, being well and being enabled to live as they choose to live and we've had these visions and kōrero for long time and this was our chance," Smeaton said. "We knew we wouldn't have this opportunity [again] any time soon, so it was now or never and we thought we would put our best foot forward." Smeaton said Ngāti Toa had been welcomed by the existing Whānau Ora provider network. The providers and communities have the solutions within their regions, so it's up to Ngāti Toa to support them, she said. "Working with the existing provider network was really important for us to make sure there was continuity of care for whānau as we were phasing in Whānau Ora that we'd be delivering under Māhutonga, and we'll continue to do that for the next twelve months." Smeaton said one thing they had heard from the providers was that the regions are best placed to determine what is best for their communities, and many of them just want to get on and do the mahi. "They have the solutions within their rohe and we're there to tautoko (support) it. "There's a real want and desire to be operating under the Whānau Ora banner." Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira chief executive Helmut Modlik said the first thing they did once they got the contract was to tour the region and meet with the providers. Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira chief executive Helmut Modlik and Māhutonga chairman Te Pūoho Kātene. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone All provider contracts will carry over for the next twelve months and as the year rolls out they will take any opportunities to strengthen the service, he said. "In the first twelve months for the sake of continuity and because we really didn't know enough to do any different there will effectively be a rolling over of all those who are currently providers in the Whānau Ora community." Modlik said the iwi is aware of what it takes to deliver, thanks to their familiarity with the issues on the ground as a long term provider. "We actually see this opportunity as one of doing ourselves out of a job, because we have a very firm belief that the long term benefits that everyone is after can only be achieved by building up the capability and capacity on the ground." The four new commissioning agencies - two in the North Island, one in the South and one for Pasifika - take over from Tuesday. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
30-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Biggest shake up for Whānau Ora since its creation
te ao Maori 14 minutes ago Four new agencies have been put in charge of determining how Whānau Ora resources are districbuted to Maori communities across the country. It's the biggest shake up in the history of Whānau Ora since it was created by the the late Dame Tariana Turia in 2010. One of the new commissioning agencies was launched by Wellington iwi Ngāti Toa at Hongoeka Marae near Porirua this morning. Pokere Paewai reports.
