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Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare has assured the commissioning agencies the $136 million tagged for the programme in Budget 2020 will be spent through them.
North Island Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency chair Merepeka Raukawa-Tait told Radio Waatea she could see no new money at a time there was extra demand because of COVID-19 restrictions.
But Mr Henare says critics were working off an older set of estimates tabled in parliament which were overtaken by events.
They should receive the updated figures today.
"The new money that's been announced isn't going to be spent on a plan designed in Wellington. This is an opportunity to work collaboratively with the commissioning agencies and their whānau ora providers and say how are we going to support whānau into a post-COVID world. That was what I offered the commissioning agencies last night. They were keen to work with me on that and I am looking forward to that," he says.
Peeni Henare
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