May 16, 2018
Urban story argument for Maori catch-up effort
Employment Minister Willie Jackson says a new book makes a compelling case for programmes to address the Maori generation gap.
Heke Tangata by economist Brian Easton finds that on a wide range of development measures Maori are a generation behind their Pakeha counterparts.
The book was commissoned by West Auckland urban Maori authority Te Whanau o Waipareira as part of a project tracking the impact of urbanisation.
"People need to see this because they need to know what we are up against so a generation behind Pakeha in all the different statistics, education, health, you name it we're way behind Pakeha so we need these books as a reminder and also a catalyst in terms of we as Government prioritising Maori which we are going to have to do if we are going to turn around some of these stats," Mr Jackson says.
Finance Minister Grant Robinson was at the book's launch yesterday at parliament and heard the urban Maori story.
Heke Tangata is published by Oratia Media.
Copyright © 2018, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com