May 24, 2018
Small projects test Maori targeting
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is rejecting criticism there is a lack of targeted funding for Maori in the Budget.
Waipareira chief executive John Tamihere says the fact negative statistics around Maori haven't improved over the past decade shows universalism isn't working, yet 99.96 percent of the total Budget goes through mainstream agencies.
Ms Ardern says the major item in the Budget, the Families Package, will deliver $1.2 billion direct to Maori families.
Ministers Nanaia Mahuta, Willie Jackson and Kelvin Davis also won targeted funding for programmes, including $15 million for papakainga housing.
"There's a lot of work Nanaia wants to do around whenua so she has got an extra pocket of funding. Willie Jackson's got $15 million for a project with rangatahi around employment, he wants to use Maori wardens more in some of the work he wants to do there. We've got $11 million for te reo Maori in schools and some extra work Kelvin wants to do around lifting Maori achievement amongst our students so there is a mixture of both in the Budget," Ms Ardern says.
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