May 08, 2015
Iwi leaders decry cherry-pickers
The head of the Iwi Leader’s Group whanau ora partnership group says the scheme should be given a chance.
Sonny Tau from Ngapuhi says critics have cherry picked an Audit Office report on the scheme and ignored the Auditor General’s call that an innovative idea should not be abandoned because of implementation problems.
He says whanau ora is a fundamental change in the way a wide range of services can be delivered to families, from health and welfare to education, economic development and employment.
"The concept is that the families themselves are the best to do it and the families know what they want, they know what their shortages are. The navigators and the helpers are there to give them a hand up and to give them plans to direct where their life should go," Mr Tau says.
He’s particularly disappointed some Maori MPs piled into the criticism, rather than supporting whanau to achieve successful change in their lives.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com