WHANAU AURA

There has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth over the Whanau  Ora launch - the new way to get families off the poverty tread mill. 

We think we know what Whanau Ora was meant to be and what it is going to be. 

Now the above diagram is half crap and half sense. The Green segements  are the important bit. 

There is still too much of a sense of entitlement within the ranks of Maori leaders for them to make much of a difference. Self reliance and and personal responsibility are not intrinsic Maori values otherwise we would not need Whanau ora. The reliance on the collective is part of the problem. 

However we see much merit in a focus on the Whanau taking more responsibility for its own. and at the end of the day the families who are most in need  may eventually  benefit from a reconnection to their tribal roots but  a night class in computer literacy and nutrition could well provide more benefit. 

Now for a start the one point that everyone does agree on is that there are a group of families through out the country who are in a hell  that many of us know little of. Sometimes of their own making sometimes not. Its about intergenerational dis-functionality, despair, hopelessness, and a life that is  nothing more than an existence and their existence is dependent on the state. 

One of the issues has been the handout mentality that has been entrenched in our past socialist welfare system. The sense of  entitlement is deep rooted in the collective psyche of the poor and dare we say it Maori. 

For us the most exciting things about Whanau Ora  is  that  government departments would finally be called on to work together. 

Thats got to be a winner. 

There has also been some cynicism over the level of funding  -- no new money  . Fantastic! That's great.  It means all the crock of shit programmes that have not provided any social payback can be canned. The new Minister  of Whanau Ora, Tariana Turia has the  various agency chief executives reporting direct to her and she will want progress quickly. 

Thats  got to be music to the ears of all taxpayers and beneficiaries. 

The bad things is that the way it is designed could lead to the possibility of misuse funds as it relies on a measure of ' bulk funding.'

The example that was used to provide how it would work was a bit simplisitic.  

However the solutions are not going to be simple and sadly the changes will not happen overnight. We just hope that the groups who have been selected to roll out the first wave of Whanau Ora  realise that there is an awful lot riding one some pretty quick and demonstrable outcomes from this policy change.  So when the government departments don't deliver,   the - in the field providers, shoud have an open line direct to  the Minister so she will be able to tell  the Chief executives  in no uncertain terms to sort out their departmental deficiencies. 

It is a lot to expect people who don't make decisions about their existence to suddenly make the psychological shift to self determination and in the end nothing will be achieved unless the individuals and whanau take responsiblity for their lives. However we  believe that there are some very good providers out there , who with the freedom to do things their way and the ability to  make government departments deliver for their clients will see Whanau Ora become a reality. 

TOO MUCH KORERO NOT ENOUGH MAHI

The front page of the Dominion Post didn't make for nice reading this morning.

A flashy initiative with the lofty goal of developing some Maori business into successful exporters has turned out to be little more than a cash cow for some articulate consultants.

Personally we would love to be paid $30k for reading a few reports.

We love this bit

In another three-month period consultants received $33,000 for analysis and research including "developing a strategy for a clear strategy forward" and "ensuring offshore studies add value".

That bill was also for analysing "establishing soft network clusters" and "bigger picture value proposition", media articles, economic forecasts and working through issues with stakeholders.

It reminds us of the overblown pseudo academic bullshit we got with this

Who wouldn't mind being paid $30k for looking at a few documents?

We just wonder who the consultants are who have been sucking on this $3million dollar tit.

We are pleased that when TPK CE Comer realised that Tekau Plus was a bit ragged round the edges he put the brakes on.

Sometimes when you are CE is hard to keep a handle on whats happening down the trenches. So he deserves some credit for suspending it when he realised all he was getting was a lot of korero but not much mahi.

We still have reservations of the worth of the Maori Economic Development Taskforce as well. We do not need more korero from them - we need some concrete outcomes.

And we understand that if you like the Dominion Posts offering this morning then you will be getting more with your weetbix in the morning.

SHARPLES HAS GOT THIS ONE WRONG

Sorry but what business experience has Solomon got? Why do we keep trotting out the same tired old boars who have been drinking at the tribal troughs for a decade ?

There are dozens of successful Ngai Tahu business people who should be on this taskforce before Solomon. And Tamihere's inclusion on this is just a bloody insult to every good moral person in in this country - Now why did he get not get re- elected again? Fiscal Prudence is not one of Tamihere's strong suits.

Sorry but we reckon the Maori Party had a chance to put some fresh blood on this Taskforce - instead the roll out the same tired old faces who have to sit along side a few people who have cut the mustard.

No more cuzzy bro favouritism please!

We didn't expect this sort of crap from the Maori Party and we hope it is not a portent of a continual roll out of the same passengers on the same old brown gravy train.

The Minister of Maori Affairs, Dr Pita Sharples, has asked seven iwi and
business leaders to head a Taskforce on how Maori can avoid the worst impacts of
the recession, and strengthen the Maori economy in the longer term.
"I am
very pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Solomon, Ngahiwi Tomoana,
Bentham Ohia, Daphne Luke, John Tamihere, June McCabe and Rob McLeod to lead
this work for two years," said Dr Sharples.
"These seven movers and shakers
in Maoridom have particular expertise in tribal asset development, the primary
sector, education and training, small to medium enterprises, social and
community development, investment and enterprise, and economic growth and
infrastructure," he said.
"Together they make up a balanced team with wide
networks and diverse interests, and they have the knowledge and experience to
deliver results in the face of the huge economic challenges facing our nation.
The key to our success is co-operation, and this team can achieve that for
sure.
"The Taskforce will follow through on the ideas that emerged at the
Maori economic workshop I called in January. I have set aside $4.5 million per
annum for the Taskforce to work with. At the same time the Taskforce will lead
rapid responses to the outcomes of Prime Minister's jobs summit.
"The PM's
Jobs Summit emphasised interdepartmental co-operation, and this task force is
expecting to follow that approach as well. Some projects may be taken up by
other agencies with Maori clients," said Dr Sharples.
"The task force will be
backed by a small secretariat in Te Puni Kokiri, with a private secretary right
in my office. Members will be expected to maintain their own networks to gather
information and co-ordinate responses from flax roots and iwi organisations
around the country," he said.

Rangi wept.

FRIDAY ROUND UP

The UK Guardian has a nice piece on what people do and what people say they do.

65 % of all people claim to have read books they haven’t.

We have been involved in surveying the egg eating habits of New Zealanders and there is a big difference between who says they buy free range eggs and how many free range eggs are sold.

And last week MACDOCTOR wrote a blog about the trouble with the Ministry of Health stats on Smoking - it is clear from his analysis that people who say they aren’t smoking still are.

So we reckon t if you surveyed NZ’ers now about how they voted there would be many more who voted for National than actually did...

And for Gossip around the traps and other random stuff

Names in the hat to replace Leith Comer ( we think he will go before the years out)

Ø Peter Douglas.

Ø Wally Stone

Ø Parekura Horomia.

• We have heard that Wira Gardiner is scoping out replacements as we speak.
• And who is the ubiquitous Tailor of Panama Street?
• Isn’t it about time someone in the media did a history lesson on the fate of the Development Finance Corp for all the people who will be making decisions on how the govt intervenes in the money markets?
  
• Why isn’t the government folding the responsibilities of the Ministry of Womens Affairs into the Ministry of Social Development ?
• And to all the mycologists out there - why aren’t there any mushrooms in the Wairarapa ( well we have only had one feed so far)
  
• And what would happen AIG collapsed?
• and why wont Mark Solomon go and speak to each runaka on each of their marae instead of requesting a pow wow in Christchurch - does anyone else think thats a bit arrogant?