Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi has called out the government for the recent shake-up in Whānau Ora Commissioning, not mincing any of his words.
“Ko te whaka-Amerika i a tātou, ka rongo i ngā kōrero puta i a rātou. Ko te whaka-Amerika i a tātou ko te whaka-actless i a tātou, koinā, hoi te raru o tēnei kāwana. Ka rongo koe i a rātou kupu whiu i roto i te whare. Kei te pirangi rātou ki te kōrero mō te equality me te equity?”
“Ko te rerekē o te equality me te equity, he utu kei te taha o te equity. He nui ngā whārua kei waenganui i te hunga rawa kore me te hunga whai rawa.”
This came after three commissioning agencies—Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency in the North Island, Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu in the South Island, and Pasifika Futures—were not getting their contracts renewed.
“Kei runga noa atu a Whānau Ora i ngā tari kāwangatana puta noa, mō te kuhu atu ki roto i o tātou whānau e noho pōhara ana, e noho rawakore ana, e noho pani ana.
“Ngā audits me ngā reviews o Whānau Ora i roto i te tekau tau kua hia ake, kāore i hinga a Whānau Ora. He aha te take kua tīnihia?” Waititi told Te Ao Māori News.
He’s called for both Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka and the head of Te Puni Kōkiri to resign over the controversy.
“[Ko] te Māori kei roto i te kāwanatanga e whakaae ana, kia whakaparahako nei i a tātou, te iwi Māori.
“Engari ko te mea o te Whānau Ora he tino kino tērā mahi, nō reira, ko tāku ki a Tama Potaka, me heke koe i tērā turanga hei minita.
“Tae ake rā ki ā Dave Samuels, te kaiwhakahaere o TPK [Te Puni Kōkiri], ā, me heke koe i tō turanga hoki.”
