Māori advisory group ‘disappointed' at claims by Family Violence Prevention Minister Karen Chhour
A Māori advisory group's co-chairs have taken issue with claims Family Violence Prevention Minister Karen Chhour made last week when announcing she was replacing it with a 'multi-cultural' board.
They are 'disappointed' in the minister's statement and worried outcomes for Māori may become less of a focus by disbanding
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Otago Daily Times
an hour ago
- Otago Daily Times
Youth MPs accuse govt of 'censoring' them
By Russell Palmer and Giles Dexter of RNZ The protocols followed for this year's Youth Parliament are the same as previous years, the Ministry of Youth Development says, after accusations of censorship. However, the email sent to one Youth MP carries the subject line "changes required", and stated the ministry "have had to make some changes". Some of the Youth MPs involved say they will not be suppressed and the issue has fuelled the fire to make their voices heard. The Labour Party has criticised the approach taken after some Youth MPs were asked to remove parts of their speeches, because some of their speech lacked political neutrality by criticising "this government". Changes recommended included the removal of general mentions of the Treaty Principles Bill, funding for Māori and Pasifika, and Pay Equity. Speeches about "youth voice" and "freedom of speech" were also edited. In a written statement, Ministry of Youth Development general manager John Robertson said the same protocol had been followed as was used in 2022, and the feedback provided on the Youth MPs' speeches was "generally focused on supporting them to convey their arguments clearly and effectively, and in keeping with the non-partisan approach of Youth Parliament". "We also advised some Youth MPs that changes were required to their speeches to avoid putting themselves at risk. Youth MPs are not protected by parliamentary privilege. This means young people could be held liable if the contents of their speech raise concerns around defamation, copyright, privacy, contempt of court, or broadcasting standards. "However, as noted above, the final decision about what they say is made by the Youth MPs." Robertson said the ministry had in some cases told the Youth MPs "it is your decision around what your speech does and does not contain". "From here, it is your choice how you use [our] feedback. You are the one stepping up to speak and we fully respect your right to shape your speech in the way that feels right to you." However, the email RNZ has seen did not include such a statement. The ministry confirmed it had provided feedback to "about half of the 80 young people who will deliver speeches", and that they were shifting from the approach used in 2019 and 2022 of livestreaming the speeches to instead sending the recordings to the participants after the event. This was "due to resourcing constraints... the participants are welcome to share this footage with others, and online", the ministry said. Minister for Youth James Meager said the speeches were not censored. "We do not censor the speeches of Youth MPs. We provide feedback, and in some cases suggest changes for them to consider, but we have been clear to all Youth MPs that they make the final decision about the content of their speech." He provided a written statement, much of which matched the ministry's statement word for word. However, the Youth MPs spoke to reporters at Parliament with one - Thomas Brocherie, a spokesperson for Make it 16 (a group pushing for a voting age of 16) - said the approach taken to the speeches was diluting the value of the Youth Parliament. "We have been told to not argue on either side of contentious issues such as the pay equity reforms or the Treaty Principles Bill for the excuse that they are current topics in the current Parliament. This is not just illogical, it is censorship," he said. "We cannot say we value democracy unless we actually show and prove we value democracy. Silencing the stakeholders of the future does not value democracy." Another Youth MP Nate Wilbourne, a spokesperson for Gen Z Aotearoa, said rangatahi were being silenced and censored. "We've been told to soften our language, to drop key parts of our speeches and to avoid criticizing certain ministers or policies. This isn't guidance. This is fear-based control." Brocherie said the emails being titled "changes required" was "not at all a suggestion, that is blatant editing, they want us to change something to suit their purpose, to suit their agenda". Youth MP Lincoln Jones said they were provided with "a PDF of edited changes... delivered to our inbox, and that was the expected requirement, that we speak that speech". "It's honestly like they've gone through with it with a microscope to find any little thing that might be interpreted wrong against, I guess, the current government." Some of them sent responses to the ministry asking for clarification about the changes. "And what did we get? An automatic copy and pasted reply that is not at all in the principles of what Youth Parliament is," Jones said. "They claim to listen to us, they claim to want to uplift us, they send us an automatic copy and pasted response on the thing we have three minutes to speak about. That's not good enough." He said the experience had encouraged him even further to put himself forward to become an MP. "It honestly fuels that fire within me, and I think for all of us to put it out there and to make our voices heard."
NZ Herald
6 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Watch live: Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp to be laid to rest today
Hundreds of people are expected to gather in Taihape today to farewell Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp who died last week, aged 50, following a battle with kidney disease. A Rātana service will be held at Ōpaea Marae around 11am before Kemp is laid to rest. All Te Pāti Māori MPs are at today's service, along with a cohort of MPs from Labour, including leader Chris Hipkins. A livestream of the service can be viewed from the top of this article. In the hours after her passing, Kemp's party said they were devastated and heartbroken by the loss. 'Takutai was more than a colleague to us, she was our sister, and we loved her dearly.' Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is not attending the service today but said there had been good representation from his MPs at the marae near Taihape already. That included Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka, Rangitīkei MP Suze Redmayne, New Plymouth MP David MacLeod, Maungakiekie MP Greg Fleming and Whanganui MP Carl Bates. Kemp's passing shocked Parliament. Flags flew at half-mast and flowers were placed on her bench in the House. Tributes from politicians highlighted her dedication to helping young people through dance, particularly in South Auckland. In 2021, Kemp received the New Zealand Order of Merit for her years of services. In her maiden speech at Parliament, Kemp said she had grown so close with many of the young people that they called her 'Aunty' or 'Mum'. Manurewa MP Arena Williams said Kemp 'always had an open door for young people'. 'There will be a lot of South Aucklanders who will really feel this, who will really miss having someone like this.' Labour's Willie Jackson said Kemp was a 'beautiful soul' with a vivacious, passionate personality and an 'absolute powerhouse' in her work for Manurewa Marae. Kemp was the chief executive prior to becoming an MP. 'As the CEO, she was at the forefront of Whānau Ora, rangatahi, Māori development, community development, you name it, and Tarsh was doing it.' Kemp was a first-term MP. She beat incumbent Peeni Henare (Labour) in the Tāmaki Makaurau seat by 42 votes in the 2023 election. Henare was visibly emotional at Parliament in the hours after Kemp's passing, saying the pair had called each other brother and sister. 'It is truly shocking ... when I think about our sister, her passion was for our young people and ... she loved her mokopuna [grandchildren]. We were up at Matariki on Friday and she literally said, 'I can't wait to get home to my mokopuna'.' Te Pāti Māori said 'Takutai devoted every last breath' to the movement for Māori liberation. Kemp was on the front benches at Parliament alongside Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris the day before she died. 'Even as serious illness weighed on her, she continued to stand in the House, in our homes, on our marae and in our communities – relentlessly championing the rights and wellbeing of our people." Kemp also worked with the University of Auckland to develop a Rangatahi Mental Health Youth Hub in Manurewa to address the high suicide rates among young Māori.
Scoop
20 hours ago
- Scoop
Pōmare Power Fuels Stinging Health Blast
A century after he was Minister of Health Sir Māui Pōmare remained politically potent at Waitara's Ōwae marae on the weekend, inspiring outright rejection of Government policy on Māori health. Standing for the Crown, New Plymouth MP David MacLeod bore the stinging criticism with obvious discomfort – like Pōmare he is a son of Ngāti Mutunga iwi. Te Rā o Tā Māui Pōmare (Sir Māui Pōmare Day) each year celebrates the first Māori medical doctor and health minister, with kōrero about uplifting Māori health. On Saturday Pōmare's great-granddaughter Miria gave the whānau address, condemning health policy changes for Māori. 'Hard-fought, hard-won gains for Māori health over the last 125 years have now been seriously undermined by the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority – a move that has been severely criticized for discouraging Māori initiatives and disregarding the principle of tino rangatiratanga: self-determination.' Her tupuna embraced scientific medical advances, but Miria Pōmare said he also pushed for a systematic Māori health focus. Reforms were underpinned by Maori leadership, culturally-appropriate interventions, and commitment to self-determination: principles derived from Te Tiriti o Waitangi, she said. 'He knew the issues were not medical alone – they were political and economic and spiritual.' As New Zealand's first statistics minister Tā Māui knew accurate data was crucial to win resources for Māori health equity. Two weeks ago the Government canned the regular census and will instead collate data already gathered by state agencies. 'It appears to be a sinister reversion back to an assimilationist approach of former times,' said Miria Pōmare. Her address drew vocal assent and applause. In Te Ikaroa a Māui – the wharenui built and named to honour Tā Māui – Te Ātiawa and Taranaki leader Wharehoka Wano acknowledged David MacLeod's whakapapa with Pōmare. But Wano told the National Party MP that tribal leaders on the paepae agreed with Miria Pōmare. 'Haere mai ki te Paremata o Tā Māui Pōmare (Welcome to Sir Maui Pōmare's Parliament).' 'And this is the opposition!' 'Forever!' someone called from the floor. MacLeod stood in place of Māori-Crown relations minister Tama Potaka, who was at MP Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp's tangihanga. 'I'm here for the Crown. It's not David McLeod, it's not myself, but it is the Crown that I'm representing today.' He delivered Potaka's message of hope: health spending rises, hospital upgrades including in New Plymouth, funding for Māori wardens, Kāinga Ora working with iwi housing providers, support for Kura Kaupapa Māori. MacLeod said Pōmare worked with fellow Māori MPs from different parties. 'Today, we have Maori MPs in all political parties,' said MacLeod. 'We are mainly focused on common goals, just like Māui and Apirana [Ngata] back in the day.' There was no applause. Kaumātua Peter Moeahu was glad for the MP's clarity about representing the Crown. 'I don't think a helluva lot of the Crown at the moment, David.' Moeahu said Māori were threatened 'every single day' by laws like the Treaty Principles Bill, the Regulatory Standards Bill and changes to resource management and local government. 'We know what you're doing, David,' said Moeahu 'But you are demonising us Māori as you do it, so that everybody's attention is focused on Māori … while you dismantle the environmental protections of this nation.' Moeahu's son, New Plymouth District councillor Dinnie Moeahu, took his turn at MacLeod and his Government. 'Since you've been in office… I have been more frustrated, angry, mamae - in pain - than ever before,' he told MacLeod. 'You speak with a forked tongue. I don't believe everything that you said today and I don't even think you believe it.' A dozen young Māori doctors at Ōwae to honour Tā Māui told the hui a wave of hundreds more was in the pipeline. Acclaimed Te Ātiawa brain scientist Professor Sir Richard Faull said his childhood heroes were Pōmare and fellow Ngāti Mutunga doctor and MP Te Rangi Hīroa (Sir Peter Buck). Faull said Te Tiriti set the gold standard for Māori health and wasn't about one partner being dominant. 'We have to have our Māori doctors to look after our Māori people and that is non-negotiable. 'Māui Pōmare knew that.'
