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The new Tamaki Makaurau representative on the board of Te Kohanga National Trust says getting early childhood education right for Maori is critical for the whole country.
Hurimoana Dennis was one of six members elected under a new regional structure aimed at creating greater transparency and responsiveness at the top of the organisation.
He says everything in life comes down to making sure kids get a good start.
"The kohanga is the gathering place for all our young people, our babies, and they have to be the hope of the future so if things go well there they should go well elsewhere and all I really want to do is add value to something that has been very near and dear to me and my family," he says.
Mr Dennis says while his parents were fluent speakers he was part of a generation that missed picking up the language, and he had to learn later in life.
FULL INTERVIEW: HURIMOANA DENNIS
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