Latest news with #WhānauOraCommissioningAgency
1News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- 1News
Māori roll call: Tāme Iti gives shout outs, apologies in longest ad
Artist and activist Tāme Iti's latest project has him featuring in Aotearoa New Zealand's longest advertisement ever made as part of a campaign to encourage more Māori on to the Māori roll. He sits on a stool in a vast, cavernous space, reading out names from a book of people on the Māori roll for nearly 30 minutes straight — "nearly" because in the middle of it he goes off for a "cuppa tea", but the cameras keep rolling on his empty seat during his break. The roll call makes for an arresting watch, simply for the number of names he goes through in one sitting. The monotony is punctuated by personal shout outs to people he recognises – 'Kiri Tamihere-Waititi, tēnā koe, sis!' – or apologies to those whose names he stumbles on. Speaking to Breakfast about the ad this morning, he urged people to get 'politically involved' on all levels of governance. 'I've gone past the days when we used to say 'don't vote'. Times have changed, we've got a bigger population, we've got a huge Māori population, particularly the [18- to 30-year-olds]. ADVERTISEMENT '[It's] really, really important there for them to be engaged.' He said he was passionate about getting rangatahi engaged so 'they have a voice' and a say in political matters. 'That's really the focus for us, to encourage all of our rangatahi, ngā rangatahi from 30 down to 18.' Created by the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency (WOCA), the ad campaign marks the 50th anniversary of the Māori electoral option — the choice for Māori to be on the general or Māori roll. In 1975, the Electoral Amendment Act passed, defining Māori as a person of New Zealand Māori descent. Prior to the act, a person's electoral roll was determined by the percentage of Māori blood they were deemed to have. WOCA chair Merepeka Raukawa-Tait (Te Arawa) said in a statement the agency wanted to capture the voice of the politically-charged young Māori and give them a genuine seat at the table. 'When our people are engaged in the systems that shape their lives, we start to see real change not just politically, but in health, education, and the wellbeing of our whānau. At the end of the day, this is about M.M.P.; More Māori in Parliament. But that's only going to happen if we can help drive Māori to vote.' ADVERTISEMENT As of June 1, 565,985 voters of Māori descent were enrolled to vote, with 297,798 (52.6%) on the Māori roll and 268,187 (47.4%) on the general roll, according to Stats NZ. Raukawa-Tait said tamariki Māori are expected to make up 1 in 3 children within the next 20 years. 'We must safeguard our rangatahi's future with an electoral roll that centres the political system in te ao Māori. I believe the Māori roll is our most powerful manifestation of tino-rangatiratanga, or self determination, for people to have their voices heard.' The deadline for switching rolls is July 10.
NZ Herald
30-04-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
New Whānau Ora providers announced after major contract provider shake-up
North Island down to Taupō: National Hauora Coalition, Te Tiratū and Ngaa Pou Hauora o Taamaki Makaurau Consortium operating as Rangitāmiro. North Island, south of Taupō and east to Bay of Plenty and the East Coast: Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira. South Island: Te Tauraki Limited, a subsidiary of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Pasifika families across Aotearoa: The Cause Collective, operating as The Tātou Collective. Potaka said the new agencies would ensure the continuation of Whānau Ora support across the country, 'whether it's help accessing better healthcare, improving home budgeting to help ease the cost of living or getting on top of household maintenance'. Whānau Ora was created in 2010 by the National-led Government and under the leadership of the late Dame Tariana Turia, in recognition that social and health services were not delivering for Māori. The original commissioning agencies were set up in 2014. They were: Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency (formerly Te Pou Matakana) in the North Island, Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu in the South Island and Pasifika Futures. At the time, Te Puni Kōkiri secretary for Māori development Dave Samuels said in a statement it was 'timely' that the contracts were put out to the market after 10 years. He also indicated a change in direction for Whānau Ora, including a greater focus on data-driven outcomes and more frontline delivery of services. Its $155m budget remained unchanged. Chairwoman of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, previously told the Herald she was 'absolutely gutted' to lose the contract. 'After 10 years of delivering to whānau in vulnerable communities, we couldn't believe the decision.' The providers which the agency worked with had built up trust within hard-to-reach communities for a decade, she said. The Herald previously reported an estimated 1000 jobs were at risk following the decision to award the contracts to new providers, although some of those workers could be rehired by newly chosen agencies. The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency challenged the loss of their contract in court, but Potaka said in a statement today that the bid was unsuccessful. He said the court action had 'wasted time and created uncertainty for whānau and service providers'. 'The delay means that the move to new commissioning agencies will be more complex than necessary but, with the court's decision now made, we can move forward with certainty.' Speaking to the Herald at the time of filing the court papers, Tamihere said the agency had 116 partners – 'the crème of Māori expertise, skill and capability throughout Te Ika-ā-Maui who are all interested parties'. 'On behalf of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, its board of directors and all of our partner network, we want to make it very clear that this is a process contesting a Crown agency, contesting this Government's approach to Māori and contesting Te Puni Kokiri.' Tamihere said the court action had nothing to do with damaging tender winners. 'If they become collateral damage in this regard, that is a matter for Te Puni Kokiri and its leadership to resolve.' Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said last month that he supported Te Puni Kōkiri's decision following its tendering process. 'It's entirely appropriate after 10 years that TPK makes an operational decision to change its commissioning agencies,' Luxon said. 'It's not about an individual commissioning agency, or frankly, John Tamihere, it's actually about making sure those agencies deliver.'
