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Ministers are being accused of bullying the Kohanga Reo National Trust.
Education Minister Hekia Parata and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples have told the trust they have cancelled its $2.5 million a year operational funding contract because of its failure to respond quickly to allegations of misspending within its Te Pataka Ohanga subsidiary.
A new contract will depend on changes, such as getting rid of lifetime appointments to the board and making it more democratic.
Trust spokesperson Derek Fox says Kohanga Reo has already addressed every matter in the letter, including sacking a Te Pataka Ohanga manager after an internal investigation confirmed credit card misuse.
He says Ms Parata also referred the allegations to the Serious Fraud Office, and she should wait for the outcome of that investigation.
"Those allegations are not fresh. They’re the same ones restated and they had already been dealt with and the minister would have known that if she had raised those matters with the Kohanga Reo before she pushed the panic button to go to the SFO. So all of this is sowing doubt. The letter continues to do that. It sows doubt in the minds of the kohanga reo whanau and raises concerns amongst them unnecessarily," he says.
Derek Fox says there will be four new governance models put up for consideration at the hui King Tuheitia has called weekend at Turangawaewae Marae.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH DEREK TINI FOX CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MTcwMjE=
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