March 14, 2024
Māori minister in dark over media
Former Māori development and broadcasting minister Willie Jackson says his successor’s comments about Māori media are stupid.
Tama Potaka told Whakaata Māori it’s time for Māori to start looking at how to fully fund and back themselves without the support of the Government.
Mr Jackson says pakeha media enjoyed taxpayer support for generations – while Maori had to fight for years through the Waitangi Tribunal, the courts and all the way to the Privy Council to confirm the crown it had a treaty obligation to support te reo – and broadcasting was an essential part of that.
He says Mr Potaka should have done his research before opening his mouth.
“This is nonsense, rubbish talk from someone who should know a hell of a lot better – given his background and his education. We can’t fund ourselves. In 50 years time maybe, then we can look at that. But you have to apply the funding and resourcing equitably – and that has not happened in our lifetime,” Mr Jackson says.
He says when Māori broadcasting has had a proportional amount of funding to all that mainstream public media has received – then Tama Potaka can talk about self-funded Māori media.