KEY CEMENTS TIES WITH MAORI

TVNz reported John Key met with Maori leaders today at Pukawa. We hear it went well and there are murmurings that many Maori leaders see Key as someone who will listen and is willing to remove some of the barriers to Maori development.

What many people don't know is that Maoridom has been quietly regrouping and for the first time in over a decade is working together at the highest level. This unity will give them strength and coupled with a Prime Minister who genuinely wants to help pull people out of poverty , Maori have a good chance to improve their woeful social statistics.

While Maori leaders are now working together, it is also time for grass roots , ordinary Hine and Hone, to change the way Maori view and treat alcohol, drugs, crime,gangs, tobacco, and domestic violence. All the TV campaigns in the world will only reach a few who would have probably changed anyway. It is time for Maori society to start the change from within - to reach out to those languishing at the bottom of the heap and to set higher standards of behaviour from their whanu and hapu.

While the meeting today was about economic development - Maori leaders and PM cannot take their eyes of Maori social issues.