May 30, 2019
Pride as Budget delivers for Māori caucus
The debate over targeted funding was put to rest in the Wellbeing Budget, with money set aside for the expansion of whānau ora, more support for te reo Māori and Pacific languages, targeted funding for improved health, housing, education and skills, and a kaupapa Māori approach to tackling reoffending.
Employment Minister Willie Jackson, the chair of Labour‘s Māori caucus, says there is $570 million of new money for Māori initiatives, the largest ever such investment.
As well as the Māori development money, there is also targeted programmes in portfolios like Health, Education and Corrections.
"So I’m proud of our caucus, proud of whānau ora and what Peeni Henare has been able to access because it validates the mahi that is being done in the community so proud of him and proud of Kelvin Davis and Nanaia Mahuta in terms of what they've done and you can't just look at it over one year, you've got to look at it over six, nine years, and this was our second Budget and it's not too bad," Mr Jackson says.
The employment portfolio got another $26.6 million to be allocated through the Provincial Growth Fund to extend He Poutama Rangitahi to assist young people at risk of long term unemployment.
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