May 30, 2016
Budget ignores violence crisis
Labour's Maori spokesperson says the Budget fails to deliver on the things that are of most concern to Maori.
Kelvin Davis says there is little new money for Maori in the budget, and much of that is the inevitable result of legislative change, like the funds to set up a Maori Land Service and support the new te reo Maori authority Te Maataawai.
He says the biggest issues Maori have identified are housing and family violence.
"Now where is the money to combat sexual violence, family violence, violence from drug and alcohol. I'd be putting money into what really matters to Maori. Violence and housing are the two biggest issues at the moment. if we could get Maori into houses and make sure those people are safe and people are being loved and cared for, that's where we need to put the money now," Mr Davis says.
The money in the budget for Te Puni Kokiri's Maori housing network is a fraction of what is needed.
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