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30th
APR

Strange signals in Maori prison plan

Posted by karere under Maori News

Mention Maori-run prisons or anything that allows special arrangements for Maori and a portion of the New Zealand population is instantly up in arms, claiming that race-based favouritism will be the country’s downfall. Such thinking is often ill-founded, with most recent decisions on racial lines being attempts to make up for past injustices and put Maori on a more equal footing with Pakeha. There will have been no surprises for Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples in the reaction to his prison proposal. It hasn’t all been negative, however, and though the idea sends some strange signals, it should not be dismissed as another carriage on the gravy train. It is in fact an attempt to address one of New Zealand’s…

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30th

Protest at Parliament

Posted by karere under Maori News

Around 40 protesters turned out at Parliament today calling for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka. In chants they accused the Sri Lankan government of killing children and their placards asked the United Nations to intervene to protect citizens caught up in the military’s attempts to suppress the Tamil Tigers in the northern party of the country. Earlier this week a Maori Party MP blocked a parliamentary motion expressing concern about the humanitarian situation in northern Sri Lanka. Progressive MP Jim Anderton said his motion was not about taking sides in a bitter conflict that the UN estimates has resulted in 200,000 civilians fleeing their homes, 4500 deaths and 12,000 people wounded since January. The motion called for the Sri Lankan…

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30th

Brian Fallow: Treaty of Waitangi must come first

Posted by karere under Maori News

When the members of the select committee reviewing the emissions trading scheme come to draw up their recommendations, there is one matter which need not detain them long. It is a case where the principled thing to do also makes sense environmentally, economically and politically. It is an area where two treaties collide, Waitangi and Kyoto. The former must take precedence. The problem is deforestation. The solution, or a large part of it, is called offsetting. The issue arises because deforestation - cutting down trees and not replacing them - has been and is still a major source of carbon emissions. So it makes sense for the climate change treaty to have provisions to discourage deforestation and encourage afforestation. But…

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29th
APR

Maori King welcomes Clark to UN

Posted by karere under Maori News

Maori King Tuheitia Paki led a delegation of Maori leaders to a powhiri that welcomed Helen Clark to the United Nations today. The former prime minister was sworn in yesterday as head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), one of the most senior positions in the world body. She said in her speech at the powhiri that her top priority would be sharpening the UNDP’s focus on poverty reduction. “A new deal for the world economy and a new deal for the environment should also be capable of tackling poverty, including tackling energy poverty and providing a low carbon footprint route to development,” she said. “I also want to communicate more widely the work of the UNDP — we have…

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29th

Call for research into Maori health

Posted by karere under Maori News

The dismal state of Maori health and new national research has highlighted a need to discover how well-satisfied local Maori are with regional health services, say members of the Tairawhiti District Health Board. The rate of Maori dying early is almost twice that of non-Maori, and in Tairawhiti the rates are higher than anywhere else in the country. Board members yesterday discussed the need to discover what barriers stopped Maori seeking help from health services and what Maori would want to see changed. The discussion was prompted by Mauriora Associates research which examined Maori perceptions of the healthcare system. This showed that while most Maori were reasonably satisfied, there were a significant number who expressed disapproval of the healthcare they…

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29th

Maori-only jail plan explored

Posted by karere under Maori News

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples is pressing ahead with plans for separate Maori-run prisons. Opinions have been sharply divided since he called for iwi to run private prisons, but Dr Sharples said yesterday that preliminary investigations were under way. In a speech that he intended to deliver to corrections officers, Dr Sharples said the current system of managing Maori offenders could not continue. His speech was delivered by a colleague after Dr Sharples was called away for personal reasons. Dr Sharples, who is also the associate corrections minister, has ruffled feathers by calling for alternative, Maori-only, rehabilitation centres with fewer jailers and more healers, teachers and social workers. The Government says it is seriously investigating the proposal. Dr Sharples said…

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29th

Maori Tamil stand angers Anderton

Posted by karere under Maori News

The Maori Party has been attacked as “disgusting” for blocking a parliamentary motion yesterday expressing concern about Sri Lankan civilians caught up in fighting between Government forces and the Tamil Tigers. The party blocked the motion in the name of Progressives leader Jim Anderton because it gave equal weight to the Sri Lankan Government and the Tigers. The Maori Party is traditionally reluctant to make comments on other countries but issued its own statement “calling for restraint from the Sri Lankan Government in dealing with the last enclave of the Tamil Tigers”. Under Parliament’s rules an MP can move a motion on any subject only if there is no objection. Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell loudly objected to Mr Anderton…

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29th

Celebrity chef gets the hangi of things

Posted by karere under Maori News

Celebrity chef Peter Gordon is about to add his own “funky” touch to the traditional hangi. The New Zealand-born London-based chef visited Ngaruawahia’s Turangawaewae Marae yesterday to assess cooking facilities for May 10’s Matariki events, which will see him join the marae’s cooking team to serve about 650 guests. Mr Gordon has owned restaurants, written books and hosted TV food shows, and champions fusion food. As he strolled around the marae, met the enthusiastic marae cooks and examined its hangi facilities and refurbished kitchen, Mr Gordon said he was excited about adding his own twist to the traditional Maori feast. “I love the food which comes from a hangi, and I thought if we were going to do a gourmet…

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28th
APR

Anderton upset with Maori Party over Sri Lanka

Posted by karere under Maori News

Progressive leader Jim Anderton is upset a Maori Party MP blocked a parliamentary motion expressing concern about the humanitarian situation in northern Sri Lanka. Mr Anderton said his motion was not about taking sides in a bitter conflict that the United Nations estimates has resulted in 200,000 civilians fleeing their homes, 4500 deaths and 12,000 people wounded since January. The motion called for the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam to cease hostilities, respect international humanitarian law and condemn violence against civilians. Any single MP can block such a motion without giving any reason and Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell did so. Mr Anderton said he was disgusted by the action. The Maori Party’s foreign…

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28th

Council push for Maori seats

Posted by karere under Maori News

Maori representation on the new Auckland supercity council needs to be considered further and resolved, say Shore councillors. The government rejected the Royal Commission’s recommendation for three Maori seats and suggested instead a poll could be held at the October 2010 elections. Maori seats are one of the issues North Shore City Council plans to push as the government develops a new governance structure for Auckland.

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28th

Marchers casting net wide

Posted by karere under Maori News

Organisers of a hikoi to protest against the Government’s decision not to provide special Maori seats on the proposed Super City council hope to attract 10,000 people from across the ethnic spectrum. Ngarimu Blair of Ngati Whatua o Orakei said marchers would converge from four main points of Auckland for the hikoi on May 25. He hoped a wide range of Aucklanders would take part, because although the debate focused on the seats, the wider argument was about diversity. “It’s a rights-based issue about diversity in representation. First-past-the-post has always delivered for the majority and no one else.” Interest from Maori around the country had been high, he said. “Just as the Crown [is] probably scared about creating a precedent…

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28th

Buy-in hint quashed

Posted by karere under Maori News

Speculation about Tainui being interested in buying into Hamilton Airport appears to be just that, speculation. Tainui leader Tuku Morgan fuelled talk of the tribe buying into the troubled airport in a media report earlier last week before he jetted off to Dubai on business. But airport company chairman Jerry Rickman is adamant that no discussions have taken place between the board and Tainui. “No. It’s as simple as that. Shareholder changes are sovereignty issues for each (shareholding) council to talk about,” Mr Rickman said. “They own the company and it’s up to them.” Hamilton City Council owns half of the airport and last month was asked to stump up with $6 million to help pay off debts, which led…

[Waikato Times]
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