What can Maori expect from Andrew Little’s first speech on January 28th?

What can Maori expect from Andrew Little's first speech on January 28th?
By MARTYN BRADBURY

Maori should have every expectation that their interests are given genuine focus by the Labour Party. The last election saw many more Maori voting for Labour and that loyalty deserves recognition. Unfortunately for Maori, the Labour Party have convinced themselves that the 2017 election will be decided by 'middle New Zealand' and that's defined as what pakeha voters want.

This makes Andrew Little's first major speech on January 28th a delicate tightrope balancing act between wooing over the middle without alienating Labour's current support base.

A 2014 Victoria University report into inequality for Maori highlights the many, many indicators where Government policy is actively failing Maori.

• Life expectancy for Maori men is 72.8 years while it is 80.2 years for Pakeha males. It is 76.5 for Maori woman and 83.7 for Pakeha women
• Prevalence of smoking within Maori are 39.7% while it is only 18.6% amongst Pakeha
• .Obesity is 76.3% amongst Maori and 60.8% amongst Pakeha.
• Suicides per 100 000 are 23.9% for Maori men and 8.8% for Maori women and 15.4% for Pakeha men and 5.7% for Pakeha women.
• Infant mortality per 1000 births are 7% for maori and 5.5% for Pakeha
• Participation in early childhood is 90.9% for Maori and 98% for Pakeha
• 60.9% of Maori leaving school have NCEA while 82.1% of Pakeha school leavers have it.
• Only 9.1% of Maori have a University degree, 18.6% of Pakeha do,
• Unemployment in 2012 soared amongst Maori (14.8%) while it only marginally increased for Pakeha to 5.5%
• In 2013 Maori media weekly income was $767 while it was $863 for Pakeha.
• The proportion of Maori who are on income tested benefits is 20% while only 6.2% for Pakeha.
• Household over crowding impacts 2.7% of Pakeha households but impacts 11% of Maori households.
• 86% of Pakeha households have internet access, only 68% of Maori households have it.

If Labour are serious about lifting NZs inequality rates, it must have enough courage to champion Maori solutions. Labour's need to win over the white middle classes however means that is a challenge that may be too great for Andrew Little.

Martyn Bradbury

Editor – TheDailyBlog.co.nz

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