Key points:
- Te Arawhiti Minister Tama Potaka acknowledges conversations are underway about the office
- Labour’s Māori development spokesperson Willie Jackson says the office and its staff deserve more clarity
- Te Arawhiti was established in 2018 under the then Labour/NZ First coalition government.
What’s next on the chopping block? That’s the cry from the Labour Party as the Government considers dismantling Te Arawhiti – The Office for Māori Crown Relations.
1News can reveal that other government departments could pick up the responsibilities of the organisation and the issue is being discussed amongst Cabinet.
Te Arawhiti was established in 2018 under the then Labour government.
Its work includes settling historic Treaty of Waitangi claims — including those regarding the Marine and Coastal Area — maintaining Crown commitments under the settlements, as well as other areas of national significance such as Waitangi Day and the Matariki public holiday.
Te Arawhiti Minister Tama Potaka acknowledged conversations were underway about whether the Government had the right configurations in the right place to meet their expectations regarding outcomes.
It’s about being ‘ruthless’ around delivering for Māori needs — Potaka
“What I’m really focused on, as you know, is making sure that this Government is absolutely ruthless around deliverance of the needs of Māori and making sure, of course, the historic treaty settlements process is carried out and closed out,” Potaka said.
Part of that “ruthless” focus, it seems, includes making tough calls.
Asked whether there was a plan to break up the functions of Te Arawhiti and put them into other departments, Potaka said: “There’s always discussions about whether or not we’ve got the right responsibilities in the right place.”
Te Arawhiti is an independent departmental agency which reports directly to the ministers for Treaty Negotiation and Te Arawhiti, as well as Māori Development.
It’s understood the Government is considering absorbing Te Arawhiti into two existing ministries.
The Ministry of Justice could potentially house the work regarding historic Treaty settlements and Marine and Coastal Area, while the Ministry of Māori Development – Te Puni Kōkiri, could house other policy work and the monitoring of Crown agencies regarding their Māori obligations.
“We haven’t reached any decisions on what options might be progressed,” Potaka said.
Te Arawhiti has an annual budget of just over $50 million and the minister said he didn’t want “duplication”.
Asked whether he presented a paper at Cabinet this week, the Minister was coy.
“There’s been a number of papers that myself and other ministers have taken on a number of issues,” he said.
‘It feels like constant attacks’ — Labour’s Willie Jackson
Labour’s Māori development spokesperson Willie Jackson said he was concerned.
“What are they going to change next? That’s the problem is it feels like constant attacks you know and cut backs everywhere. When’s it going to stop?” he said.
Te Arawhiti was established while NZ First was also in power. However, deputy leader Shane Jones said that was a legacy of the Jacinda Ardern government. NZ First campaigned at the election to scrap the agency, which Jones had previously referred to as a “Treaty chocolate factory” that needed to be “melted”.
“Well obviously there’s quite a few options that are being looked at to ensure that the bureaucracy is match fit to deliver the Māori outcomes and the Treaty outcomes that we believe reflect what we campaigned on,” Jones said.
“This is not the Jacinda Ardern government. This is a Government that has a different perspective, a different set of priorities.”
‘Iwi more than capable of looking after themselves’ — NZ First’s Shane Jones
Jones said when it came to the Treaty of Waitangi and monitoring Crown commitments, iwi Māori were more than capable of looking after themselves.
“They don’t need to have handmaidens, they don’t need jungle guides,” Jones said.
In a statement, Te Arawhiti chief executive Lil Anderson told 1News it would be “inapropriate to comment” at this stage.
With almost 200 staff at Te Arawhiti the Government is coming under pressure to provide clarity.
“They deserve respect; they deserve notice, in terms of what’s happening — they don’t deserve to be treated wrongly or badly,” Jackson said.
Asked when staff would learn their fate, Potaka replied: “What I’m saying to you is no decisions have been made and when decisions are made, then we can have a further talk… I’m not going to make any comments on that.”
