October 11, 2022
Productivity Commission looks for sustainability
The Productivity Commission says traditional Māori approaches to sustainability and collective care may help address persistent social disadvantages.
An interim report says one in six New Zealanders is affected by disadvantages such as poverty and restricted access to services such as health and housing.
Commission chair Ganesh Nana says Māori models are worth exploring as an alternative to “profit-only” approaches.
“We have to have a model, whether you call it an economic or a business model, that looks after our resources – and rather than looks to extract stuff out of those resources, let’s start putting things back; into those resources so that they themselves prosper for future generations,” he says.
Dr Nana says many people are being trapped at a social disadvantage – with few real options to break free.