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Scoop
7 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Youth Homelessness Advocate Says Budget Fails Most Vulnerable
Article – RNZ The head of a group that helps the homeless fears proposed changes could push some young people into harm's way. , Māori News Journalist A youth homelessness advocate says this year's Budget delivered no support for young people, calling proposed changes to benefit access 'cold' and 'harsh'. Manaaki Rangatahi Pou Arahi (chief executive) Bianca Johanson told RNZ she was hopeful the Budget would offer targeted relief for Māori and unemployed rangatahi (young people) – but that hope quickly faded. 'We knew there wasn't going to be a lot for Māori,' she said. 'But we were hopeful there'd be something for rangatahi, seeing that such a high rate of them are unemployed… but we didn't see any alleviation.' Johanson said, 'Māori were ignored in this budget.' 'That has been disheartening.' Manaaki Rangatahi is a national youth homelessness collective dedicated to ending youth homelessness in Aotearoa. It was established in 2018 as a way of consolidating the mahi of different organisations who are also trying to tackle youth homelessness. Johanson said the sector was seeing the impact of the cost of living crisis, particularly on youth facing housing insecurity – the majority of them Māori. 'For us at Manaaki Rangatahi, we see homelessness, we see a lot of the struggle. People are really hurting.' A call for Manaakitanga Minister for Social Development Louise Upston announced in this year's Budget that from July 2027, 18 and 19-year-olds would now have their Jobseeker and emergency benefits tested against their parents' incomes. The policy is forecast to save the government about $163 million over four years, but the income levels parents would be tested against have not yet been decided by Cabinet. Johanson said the proposed changes were likely to make things harder for the already most vulnerable. 'If the rangatahi is the one that has to do all that advocacy for themselves, go and get their parents' details – this is a very complex situation. 'There are so many people who are the 'working poor' having to support an 18 or 19-year-old on top of all their other expenses. It could actually drive rangatahi out of home.' She fears the proposed changes could create more tension within households and push some youth into harm's way – such as crime and violence. 'I see a lot of these decisions as causing more harm and putting rangatahi and whānau into stressful situations which can create harm. There's no way that this is going to create any kind of unity in the whānau, or support whānau to be together.' '[Māori] are the head of really terrible statistics in Aotearoa – so this Budget and many of the policies that the government have brought forward, aren't exactly addressing them.' She believed kaupapa Māori principles, like manaakitanga, should be at the forefront of decisions made by the government. 'If we're looking at this government and the manaaki that they've shown to Māori, and to rangatahi, it's very absent,' Johanson said. 'We see culture as a solution and as a tool of healing. It is what heals our rangatahi in a lot of our youth housing programmes.' 'Rangatahi are our future' Johanson said as it stood, New Zealand did not have a strategy dedicated to support those that were the most vulnerable – rangatahi impacted by homelessness. 'Rangatahi are our future and we're not investing in the future,' she said. 'We are damning our children and our rangatahi, the most vital, important people for our future as a country to what? Living on the streets? To be without work? To have really high mental health and suicide stats? I don't understand the logic.' Upston previously said the purpose of the welfare system was to support those who needed it the most. 'With this announcement, we're clearly saying that 18- and 19-year-olds who don't study or work and can't support themselves financially, should be supported by their parents or guardians, not by the taxpayer.' Johanson believed this response was out of touch. 'It's harsh, it's cold, 'she said. 'Most people in Aotearoa want to give others a fair go. But we've got kaumātua and kuia working into their 70s and 80s to survive. We've got rangatahi who've been born into homelessness, who don't know what it's like to have their own bedroom – and now we expect their parents to provide support too?' In response, Upston said the government was 'taking steps to make sure work, training or study is the focus for all young people'. 'This government recognises that the welfare system should be available for those who most need it. However, we aren't willing to watch any young New Zealanders get stuck on the benefit,' she said. 'Recent forecasts show that people under the age of 25 on Jobseeker Support will spend an average of 18 or more years on a benefit over their lifetimes – 49 percent longer than in 2017. That's why I prioritised Welfare that Works in Budget 2025.' Upston said the 'Welfare that Works' package included secure funding for two years of Community Coaches and bonus payments – 'giving Jobseekers under 25 years more coaching, an assessment of their needs, an individual plan and holding them accountable for achieving that plan.' In terms of the specific policy settings for the 18-19-year-old initiative, final decisions on the parental assistance test will be made later this year, including settings for access to hardship and supplementary assistance. 'The design of the test is likely to take into account a range of considerations including (but not limited to) parents' income level, nature of relationship with the 18- or 19-year-old and circumstances such as whether the parent or guardian are in hospital or in prison.' Minister for Māori Development and Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka said the government was investing in rangatahi Māori through education and housing initiatives. 'The government is investing in rangatahi Māori through the overall increase in education funding as well as the extra investment in Māori education specifically, which includes additional funding for kura, te reo Māori proficiency and training for kaiako [teachers]. 'Our aspirations are the same as those shared by many parents across the motu: we want to see all rangatahi make the most of their talents. That's why we're saying 18 and 19-year-olds who aren't working or studying should be supported by their parents or guardians, not the taxpayer.' He said it was 'wrong' to say the government did not care about housing for vulnerable young people. 'Our housing policy has lifted hundreds of Māori whānau and tamariki out of dire emergency housing and into better homes. That can mean a world of difference for young people in terms of better health, regular school attendance or maintaining employment.' 'Talk to us' Johanson was calling for the government to engage with those directly affected. 'We always ask the government to come talk to us before they make some of these quite strange sanctions and expectations on whānau,' she said. 'We are the sector experts. Rangatahi are the experts. Come and talk to us.'
Scoop
7 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Youth Homelessness Advocate Says Budget Fails Most Vulnerable
Article – RNZ The head of a group that helps the homeless fears proposed changes could push some young people into harm's way. A youth homelessness advocate says this year's Budget delivered no support for young people, calling proposed changes to benefit access 'cold' and 'harsh'. Manaaki Rangatahi Pou Arahi (chief executive) Bianca Johanson told RNZ she was hopeful the Budget would offer targeted relief for Māori and unemployed rangatahi (young people) – but that hope quickly faded. 'We knew there wasn't going to be a lot for Māori,' she said. 'But we were hopeful there'd be something for rangatahi, seeing that such a high rate of them are unemployed… but we didn't see any alleviation.' Johanson said, 'Māori were ignored in this budget.' 'That has been disheartening.' Manaaki Rangatahi is a national youth homelessness collective dedicated to ending youth homelessness in Aotearoa. It was established in 2018 as a way of consolidating the mahi of different organisations who are also trying to tackle youth homelessness. Johanson said the sector was seeing the impact of the cost of living crisis, particularly on youth facing housing insecurity – the majority of them Māori. 'For us at Manaaki Rangatahi, we see homelessness, we see a lot of the struggle. People are really hurting.' A call for Manaakitanga Minister for Social Development Louise Upston announced in this year's Budget that from July 2027, 18 and 19-year-olds would now have their Jobseeker and emergency benefits tested against their parents' incomes. The policy is forecast to save the government about $163 million over four years, but the income levels parents would be tested against have not yet been decided by Cabinet. Johanson said the proposed changes were likely to make things harder for the already most vulnerable. 'If the rangatahi is the one that has to do all that advocacy for themselves, go and get their parents' details – this is a very complex situation. 'There are so many people who are the 'working poor' having to support an 18 or 19-year-old on top of all their other expenses. It could actually drive rangatahi out of home.' She fears the proposed changes could create more tension within households and push some youth into harm's way – such as crime and violence. 'I see a lot of these decisions as causing more harm and putting rangatahi and whānau into stressful situations which can create harm. There's no way that this is going to create any kind of unity in the whānau, or support whānau to be together.' '[Māori] are the head of really terrible statistics in Aotearoa – so this Budget and many of the policies that the government have brought forward, aren't exactly addressing them.' She believed kaupapa Māori principles, like manaakitanga, should be at the forefront of decisions made by the government. 'If we're looking at this government and the manaaki that they've shown to Māori, and to rangatahi, it's very absent,' Johanson said. 'We see culture as a solution and as a tool of healing. It is what heals our rangatahi in a lot of our youth housing programmes.' 'Rangatahi are our future' Johanson said as it stood, New Zealand did not have a strategy dedicated to support those that were the most vulnerable – rangatahi impacted by homelessness. 'Rangatahi are our future and we're not investing in the future,' she said. 'We are damning our children and our rangatahi, the most vital, important people for our future as a country to what? Living on the streets? To be without work? To have really high mental health and suicide stats? I don't understand the logic.' Upston previously said the purpose of the welfare system was to support those who needed it the most. 'With this announcement, we're clearly saying that 18- and 19-year-olds who don't study or work and can't support themselves financially, should be supported by their parents or guardians, not by the taxpayer.' Johanson believed this response was out of touch. 'It's harsh, it's cold, 'she said. 'Most people in Aotearoa want to give others a fair go. But we've got kaumātua and kuia working into their 70s and 80s to survive. We've got rangatahi who've been born into homelessness, who don't know what it's like to have their own bedroom – and now we expect their parents to provide support too?' In response, Upston said the government was 'taking steps to make sure work, training or study is the focus for all young people'. 'This government recognises that the welfare system should be available for those who most need it. However, we aren't willing to watch any young New Zealanders get stuck on the benefit,' she said. 'Recent forecasts show that people under the age of 25 on Jobseeker Support will spend an average of 18 or more years on a benefit over their lifetimes – 49 percent longer than in 2017. That's why I prioritised Welfare that Works in Budget 2025.' Upston said the 'Welfare that Works' package included secure funding for two years of Community Coaches and bonus payments – 'giving Jobseekers under 25 years more coaching, an assessment of their needs, an individual plan and holding them accountable for achieving that plan.' In terms of the specific policy settings for the 18-19-year-old initiative, final decisions on the parental assistance test will be made later this year, including settings for access to hardship and supplementary assistance. 'The design of the test is likely to take into account a range of considerations including (but not limited to) parents' income level, nature of relationship with the 18- or 19-year-old and circumstances such as whether the parent or guardian are in hospital or in prison.' Minister for Māori Development and Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka said the government was investing in rangatahi Māori through education and housing initiatives. 'The government is investing in rangatahi Māori through the overall increase in education funding as well as the extra investment in Māori education specifically, which includes additional funding for kura, te reo Māori proficiency and training for kaiako [teachers]. 'Our aspirations are the same as those shared by many parents across the motu: we want to see all rangatahi make the most of their talents. That's why we're saying 18 and 19-year-olds who aren't working or studying should be supported by their parents or guardians, not the taxpayer.' He said it was 'wrong' to say the government did not care about housing for vulnerable young people. 'Our housing policy has lifted hundreds of Māori whānau and tamariki out of dire emergency housing and into better homes. That can mean a world of difference for young people in terms of better health, regular school attendance or maintaining employment.' 'Talk to us' Johanson was calling for the government to engage with those directly affected. 'We always ask the government to come talk to us before they make some of these quite strange sanctions and expectations on whānau,' she said. 'We are the sector experts. Rangatahi are the experts. Come and talk to us.'
Scoop
7 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Youth Homelessness Advocate Says Budget Fails Most Vulnerable
A youth homelessness advocate says this year's Budget delivered no support for young people, calling proposed changes to benefit access "cold" and "harsh". Manaaki Rangatahi Pou Arahi (chief executive) Bianca Johanson told RNZ she was hopeful the Budget would offer targeted relief for Māori and unemployed rangatahi (young people) - but that hope quickly faded. "We knew there wasn't going to be a lot for Māori," she said. "But we were hopeful there'd be something for rangatahi, seeing that such a high rate of them are unemployed... but we didn't see any alleviation." Johanson said, "Māori were ignored in this budget." "That has been disheartening." Manaaki Rangatahi is a national youth homelessness collective dedicated to ending youth homelessness in Aotearoa. It was established in 2018 as a way of consolidating the mahi of different organisations who are also trying to tackle youth homelessness. Johanson said the sector was seeing the impact of the cost of living crisis, particularly on youth facing housing insecurity - the majority of them Māori. "For us at Manaaki Rangatahi, we see homelessness, we see a lot of the struggle. People are really hurting." A call for Manaakitanga Minister for Social Development Louise Upston announced in this year's Budget that from July 2027, 18 and 19-year-olds would now have their Jobseeker and emergency benefits tested against their parents' incomes. The policy is forecast to save the government about $163 million over four years, but the income levels parents would be tested against have not yet been decided by Cabinet. Johanson said the proposed changes were likely to make things harder for the already most vulnerable. "If the rangatahi is the one that has to do all that advocacy for themselves, go and get their parents' details - this is a very complex situation. "There are so many people who are the 'working poor' having to support an 18 or 19-year-old on top of all their other expenses. It could actually drive rangatahi out of home." She fears the proposed changes could create more tension within households and push some youth into harm's way - such as crime and violence. "I see a lot of these decisions as causing more harm and putting rangatahi and whānau into stressful situations which can create harm. There's no way that this is going to create any kind of unity in the whānau, or support whānau to be together." "[Māori] are the head of really terrible statistics in Aotearoa - so this Budget and many of the policies that the government have brought forward, aren't exactly addressing them." She believed kaupapa Māori principles, like manaakitanga, should be at the forefront of decisions made by the government. "If we're looking at this government and the manaaki that they've shown to Māori, and to rangatahi, it's very absent," Johanson said. "We see culture as a solution and as a tool of healing. It is what heals our rangatahi in a lot of our youth housing programmes." 'Rangatahi are our future' Johanson said as it stood, New Zealand did not have a strategy dedicated to support those that were the most vulnerable - rangatahi impacted by homelessness. "Rangatahi are our future and we're not investing in the future," she said. "We are damning our children and our rangatahi, the most vital, important people for our future as a country to what? Living on the streets? To be without work? To have really high mental health and suicide stats? I don't understand the logic." Upston previously said the purpose of the welfare system was to support those who needed it the most. "With this announcement, we're clearly saying that 18- and 19-year-olds who don't study or work and can't support themselves financially, should be supported by their parents or guardians, not by the taxpayer." Johanson believed this response was out of touch. "It's harsh, it's cold, "she said. "Most people in Aotearoa want to give others a fair go. But we've got kaumātua and kuia working into their 70s and 80s to survive. We've got rangatahi who've been born into homelessness, who don't know what it's like to have their own bedroom - and now we expect their parents to provide support too?" In response, Upston said the government was "taking steps to make sure work, training or study is the focus for all young people". "This government recognises that the welfare system should be available for those who most need it. However, we aren't willing to watch any young New Zealanders get stuck on the benefit," she said. "Recent forecasts show that people under the age of 25 on Jobseeker Support will spend an average of 18 or more years on a benefit over their lifetimes - 49 percent longer than in 2017. That's why I prioritised Welfare that Works in Budget 2025." Upston said the "Welfare that Works" package included secure funding for two years of Community Coaches and bonus payments - "giving Jobseekers under 25 years more coaching, an assessment of their needs, an individual plan and holding them accountable for achieving that plan." In terms of the specific policy settings for the 18-19-year-old initiative, final decisions on the parental assistance test will be made later this year, including settings for access to hardship and supplementary assistance. "The design of the test is likely to take into account a range of considerations including (but not limited to) parents' income level, nature of relationship with the 18- or 19-year-old and circumstances such as whether the parent or guardian are in hospital or in prison." Minister for Māori Development and Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka said the government was investing in rangatahi Māori through education and housing initiatives. "The government is investing in rangatahi Māori through the overall increase in education funding as well as the extra investment in Māori education specifically, which includes additional funding for kura, te reo Māori proficiency and training for kaiako [teachers]. "Our aspirations are the same as those shared by many parents across the motu: we want to see all rangatahi make the most of their talents. That's why we're saying 18 and 19-year-olds who aren't working or studying should be supported by their parents or guardians, not the taxpayer." He said it was "wrong" to say the government did not care about housing for vulnerable young people. "Our housing policy has lifted hundreds of Māori whānau and tamariki out of dire emergency housing and into better homes. That can mean a world of difference for young people in terms of better health, regular school attendance or maintaining employment." 'Talk to us' Johanson was calling for the government to engage with those directly affected. "We always ask the government to come talk to us before they make some of these quite strange sanctions and expectations on whānau," she said. "We are the sector experts. Rangatahi are the experts. Come and talk to us."
NZ Herald
27-05-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Wellington kura celebrating ‘bittersweet' $35m long-awaited upgrade
'They do that despite the lack of resources, and they do that because they have kaiako [teachers] and principals who are passionate, who create their own resources and do their very best, but they shouldn't have to do that.' Reporting by RNZ shows students at kaupapa Māori schools attempt more NCEA credits and are more likely to get merit and excellence endorsements than those at comparable mainstream schools. The year 1-8 students of Ngā Mokopuna cheered and clapped when a render of their new school was shown on a big screen. School tumuaki Rawiri Wright said whānau and children were 'delighted' but the moment was 'bittersweet' as Wright thought about the many other kura that were not getting funding and renovations. He said 40 of 69 kura kaupapa Māori nationwide had unsafe and inadequate teaching spaces. 'The general public has no idea of the extent of resource inequity kura kaupapa Māori has had to endure over the past 40 years. 'This is a bittersweet moment for us. We're delighted at the confirmation of funding to us. But we're mindful also of many other whānau who continue to wait and who have to continue to endure substandard buildings and facilities.' Wright said the new build would include a library and indoor sports facility so students can train year-round and the school can host other kura. Budget 2025 included a $36m Māori education package. This was part of a wider $2.5b boost in education in Budget 2025. The Māori education package included establishing a $10m virtual learning network so kura teachers could 'beam' into classrooms in other parts of the country where there were shortages. It also includes $4.5m to develop curriculum resources in te reo Māori - such as Shakespeare, like Romeo and Juliet in te reo, and New Zealand literature, like Keri Hulme's The Bone People. Funding for the $36m Māori education packages comes at the cost of other Māori education, including the Wharekura Expert Teachers' initiative, which has been disestablished.
Scoop
25-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Crown Withdraws Only Witness & Evidence Ahead Of Urgent Waitangi Tribunal Hearing Into Māori Health Reforms
Māori health claimants Lady Tureiti Moxon and Janice Kuka are sounding the alarm over what they describe as the Crown's systematic dismantling of Māori-led health reform. They warn that the calculated repeal of Te Aka Whai Ora — the Māori Health Authority — has triggered widespread confusion, inefficiencies, and the quiet erosion of kaupapa Māori structures ultimately impacting whānau. Back in 2023 they tried to bring the matter urgently before the Tribunal before the Government's repeal deadline, procedural delays meant the Tribunal lost jurisdiction to intervene in time. Now the priority Waitangi Tribunal hearing is scheduled from Monday 26 May to Friday 30 May 2025. 'The disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora has removed the one structure that responded to those historical breaches. It has brought back the same patterns I described twenty years ago. This isn't a system failing by accident — it is a conscious decision to return to Crown control and institutional racism,' said Lady Tureiti Moxon, Managing Director of Te Kōhao Health. But in a last-minute development late this afternoon, the Crown formally withdrew its only witness and the brief of evidence of Mr John Whaanga — who had been scheduled for cross-examination — from the upcoming urgent Waitangi Tribunal hearing starting on Monday. The Crown also indicated that the Minister of Health is currently reviewing system settings within the public health sector, particularly the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022. Crown Law advised that the details of this work programme remain confidential, with Cabinet yet to make any final decisions. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading The Crown said in a Memorandum: 'This means that the Crown's participation in this part of the priority inquiry is now constrained as Crown officials are not authorised to talk about how present settings might be changed.' The Waitangi Tribunal replied immediately confirming that the hearing will go ahead next week, allowed the Crown to remove the evidence from their only planned witness, John Whaanga, and advised new evidence can be filed by the Crown by 9am on Monday. The hearing will start by discussing this last-minute change and then decide how the rest of the week will run. The priority hearing is due to investigate: What are the Crown's alternative plans to address Māori health in lieu of a Māori Health Authority, and what steps were taken in developing such plans? Was the Crown's process in developing those plans consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles? Are the Crown's alternative plans themselves consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles? The onus is on the Crown to demonstrate the existence, integrity, and Treaty compliance of these alternative plans. 'The Crown must prove what their alternative plans are — and that those plans are genuine, Treaty-compliant, and effective,' said Lady Tureiti. In their evidence submitted to the Tribunal, the claimants — both pivotal figures in the original WAI 2575 Inquiry that led to the landmark 2019 Hauora Report recommending a Māori Health Authority — described a dramatic sector-wide shift since the disestablishment. They cite a return to rigid bureaucracy, heightened auditing and surveillance, and the marginalisation of Māori voice and leadership. 'Right now, we see a system forcing us to translate whakapapa-based, whānau-centred work into endless tick-box reports that change every few weeks. It's exhausting and undermines real outcomes,' said Janice Kuka, Managing Director of Ngā Mataapuna Oranga. Health New Zealand Chair Rob Campbell, former Health New Zealand Chair is one of the expert witnesses in support of the claim. The claimants evidence highlights how kaupapa Māori providers have lost the visibility and prioritisation they once held under Te Aka Whai Ora. 'When Te Aka Whai Ora existed, we were seen. We were contacted. We were valued as Māori providers,' Kuka said. 'Now, it's back to open-market tendering on GETS. The result? Contracts are being lost to large, non-Māori organisations with Māori-sounding names or enrolment numbers — not whakapapa connections to our people.' Lady Tureiti also submitted where providers like her organisation, Te Kōhao has exceeded its contractual targets — such as in maternity and early childhood through the Kahu Taurima programme — it's still being asked to re-report, re-code, and defend its success. The claimants assert that the Crown's current approach represents a return to the very inequities and systemic discrimination Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority was created to address. 'Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority gave us the tools to commission services by Māori, for Māori — free from the racism and excessive scrutiny we faced under the old regime,' said Lady Tureiti. When the Government announced its plan to repeal Te Aka Whai Ora in November 2023 — less than 18 months after the Authority was formally established under the Pae Ora Act — it marked a significant reversal of progress. The Waitangi Tribunal had previously found the Crown in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi for failing to design a health system that addressed Māori health inequities or upholds tino rangatiratanga. Establishing a Māori Health Authority was one of its core recommendations. 'We warned that the Crown was deliberately rushing through this repeal of Te Aka Whai Ora Maori Health Authority to avoid scrutiny. This isn't just administrative change — it's a calculated rollback of Māori rights and progress,' said Janice Kuka. 'We will continue to hold the Crown to account for its obligations under Te Tiriti. Māori deserve a health system that works — not one that works against us.
