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Māori wardens will today hear what progress is being made on their desire for more operational autonomy.
The hui in Wellington today follows on from one at Ngaruawāhia in July that looked at plans to modernise the voluntary service.
Among the options being considered by Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta are ways to support current roles and train wardens for new roles such as civil defence, truancy prevention, and supporting at-risk tamariki and whānau dealing with agencies such as Oranga Tamariki and the courts.
New Zealand Māori Council executive director Matthew Tukaki says while the council has historically had oversight of wardens, it is backing the call for autonomy.
"I just think you’ve got to keep to the facts, let’s debate the issues, there’s plenty of issues to debate, I’m not right on everything, I’m sure there are things I could do better and I don’t mind debating them and debating the issues but we should all stick to the truth, I think that’s fundamentally important if democracy is to have any real meaning. We’re not in Trump’s America," he says.
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