Here we go again – divide and rule tactics that reek of the National Party…’let’s turn one New Zealander against another so they forget to hold us accountable for anything’.
I’m referring to the article in the Dom Post this morning – ‘Leader threatens Hikoi if Pacific funds cut’. The title is ok and the proposed course of action is fine but the article and statements left me concerned.
JR Pereira and former All Black Michael Jones say the Govt needs to focus more resources on the PI community, not fewer. Apparently JR said that MPIA’s buding of 7.6 million was not fair compared with Te Puni Kokiri’s $173m budget for Maori. The issue should not be about how much less Pacific are getting than Maori - If Pacific people were polled tomorrow, I doubt very much that they would advocate for cutting the budget to TPK in order to lift the funding to MPIA.
The Government needs to find the money from other places - here’s two ideas:
1. Take the $35 million that they directed to PRIVATE SCHOOLS and redirect that to MPIA and/ or education initiatives that are actually proven to work
2. Take the $62 million that they plan to spend on the ‘doomed to fail’ National Party Standards in schools and redirect that to MPIA and/ or initiatives in education that are actually proven to work
The other thing National needs to do, is put someone in the role of Minister of Pacific Island Affairs who actually geninuely cares about the plight of Pacific people – this person doesn’t necessarily have to be Pacific (Phil Goff did a great job when Minister of Pacific Island Affairs as did Mark Gosche and Winnie Laban) – but it does need to be someone who is experienced, has influence in their caucus and takes the portfolio SERIOUSLY. The Ministry has the people, expertise and passion to serve Pacific People and NZ effectively but it is lacking in funding and also political nous.
The National Government have largely ignored Pacific peoples over the course of their 18 months in power – meanwhile our levels of underemployment have gone through the roof; our thriving Creative Arts industry is being threatened; our access to quality and affordable health and education are being undermined and our voice at decision making tables is being minimalised.
It has taken so much work for our Pacific communities to make the strides that we have made (we have by no means reached nirvana but we were at least moving forward under Labour) and now National is guiding us backwards incrementally step by step by step…..
Michael Jones is quoted as saying - “The brown tail must be shortened, not be lengthened. It must be removed. We need to be more involved with decision-making. We must be part of the head and not the tail,” As a sportsperson and a human being I do hold respect for Michael but for goodness sakes – can he not see that it is the very Government that he continues to tout as being good for us Pacific people – that are ones leading us down a track that will place us back where we were at least 15 years ago?

