MAORI MAHI HUI

We had a bet that there would be some Maori who turned up at the hui without having an invite. We have heard there was at least one.
Someone with links to fish and the Chathams. Too Too much, we say. Just rude really and apparently they wouldn't shut up. We can remember them from way back and they had bugger all to contribute then.

And we hear that the Ministry of Fisheries is restructuring as well. Excellent. We look forward to be efficiencies in the future.

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.

DEPARTING PRESS SECRETARIES AND GETTING INTO SEE A MINISTER, AND TRANS TASMAN

All press secretaries are on force majeure contracts. That means that when your Minister walks - you walk too and you get 2 months redundancy. Sounds like a good deal - but not really it seems - we know that one of the prawns who is in a government department where the redundancy is 4 months. And apparently the pay has not risen much for press secs in 10 years either. Socialists do the job for love it seems.

The other issue is the exorbitant cost that the previous administration extracted for audiences with Ministers. It was high. Complain about a lack of access and you got a visit from a party official who loves Melbourne ( or was it Sydney???) and then there was a suggestion that a donation was good. We heard that one company stumped up $50k.
It was simply - outrageous - but not something that many people would discuss openly. But it appears everyone is talking about it now.
Then there are the PR/Govt relations "gurus" who charged people $5000 and up for a meeting with a Minister.We would hope that will not be condoned under the new regime.
And Trans- Tasman has some good stuff on Nicky Hager and pan Maori caucuses this week - you can either subscribe to it ( its worth it ) or for more information on these two snippets you can read this and this.
However we do know one thing that TransTasman doesn't - We have it on very good authority that Queen Bee is really none other than the vivacious blonde Sarah Palin look a like Cathy Wood.