This article was first published by RNZ.
The government is proposing to scale back the responsibilities for Te Arawhiti - the Office for Māori-Crown Relations - and shift them to the Ministry for Maori Development, Te Puni Kōkiri.
Crown-Māori Relations Minister Tama Potaka says it is “clarifying the respective functions of Te Arawhiti and Te Puni Kōkiri”.
Potaka says Te Arawhiti will remain a departmental agency and “continue its core role of progressing long-standing Treaty of Waitangi settlements and Takutai Moana applications”.
Te Puni Kōkiri will pick up other responsibilities like monitoring and reporting on the Crown’s implementation of Treaty settlements and leading post-settlement relationships.
“Te Puni Kōkiri will advise on policy to support the acceleration of Māori economic development, continue to support the revitalisation of Māori language and culture, and support Māori social development including through a social investment lens.”
Potaka says Te Puni Kōkiri will “provide quality policy advice using the Treaty-based public policy framework Te Tautuhi ō Rongo, to ensure the distinct rights and interests of Iwi (as collectives) and Māori (as citizens) are recognised and provided for”.
It will also better monitor other agencies to ensure they are delivering adequate services to and for Māori, he says.
The minister says in the past six months he has engaged extensively with iwi leaders and their feedback confirms “clarifying the respective roles of Te Puni Kōkiri and Te Arawhiti will be welcomed”.
“I’ll be meeting with iwi and Māori leaders shortly to provide more detail on our government’s approach and seek their feedback.
Te Arawhiti, the Office for Māori Crown Relations, was created in 2018, bringing together the Office of Treaty Settlements (including the Takutai Moana team), Post Settlement Commitments Unit (Te Kāhui Whakamana), and Te Kāhui Hīkina (Crown Māori Relations Unit).
- RNZ