Maurice Williamson National Research Science & Technology Spokesperson

23 November 2000

Gap between spin and reality gets clearer

Despite the Government's rhetoric it is becoming even clearer that the Closing the Gaps policy is aimed solely at Maori, National's Research Science & Technology Spokesperson Maurice Williamson said today.

Mr Williamson was commenting after the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Research Science and Technology appeared before the Education and Science Select Committee meeting today.

"I asked the Chief Executive of MORST if he had been given a new brief by the Government in terms of targeting its Closing the Gaps programmes.

"Dr James Buwalda told the committee that MORST is working to the original brief from the Labour-Alliance Government that Closing the Gaps programmes are to be targeted at Maori. It has been given no instruction to do otherwise.

"I had earlier asked for written responses to the select committee from MORST. Not one of my questions on the implementation of Closing the Gaps programmes mentioned Maori, yet every sentence of the Ministry's response related to programmes targeted at Maori.

"The Government's latest spin that its Closing the Gaps policy is wider than that just doesn't wash. Today's admission from MORST comes after officials from the State Services Commission, Te Puni Kokiri and Child Youth and Family confirmed that they are still working to the original brief targeted exclusively at Maori," Mr Williamson said.

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