Bugger All For Maori

Budget Press Statement from MANA leader Hone Harawira

Thursday 24 May 2012

“A sniff and a whiff, but bugger all else” was MANA Leader Hone Harawira’s assessment of what the Budget delivered for Maori.

“Bill English’s speech itself only mentioned the word ‘Maori’ three times and two of those were references to the Maori Party” said Harawira. “That’s about how much importance National pays to them”.

“And when you go through the budget itself you can see why - because finding dedicated Maori money is really, really hard”.

Harawira said that there was no new money at all in the critical areas of köhanga reo, kura kaupapa, and wananga, “and there’s no money for Maori health either”.

“Neither is there any money for marae development, Maori employment, Maori economic development, matauranga Maori, reo Maori, Maori broadcasting, Maori land and resource development, or for the protection of Maori cultural and intellectual property rights”.

Harawira said that Whanau Ora got a “sniff” but that Te Puni Kokiri had taken a big hit with cuts in budget, programmes and staff coming soon.

“I’m glad for Tariana that tobacco taxes will continue, but it’s not what she wanted or the Tobacco control sector either” said Harawira. “The evidence from the last time was that the game changer was the big increase; all we got was a rollover of the current tax increase.”

“That’s a pity but it’s still a win” said Harawira “. But that’s about the only win for Maori in Budget 2012.”

ENDS

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