Listen Now: 
March 11, 2025
Helen Leahy Criticizes Whānau Ora Changes
Atereano Mateariki
Posted On March 11, 2025
Download AudioA former pouārahi of Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu, Helen Leahy, says while changes to Whānau Ora commissioning were anticipated, they fail to address issues highlighted in audits over the past decade.
On Friday afternoon, 600 Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency kaimahi were informed their jobs could be made redundant due to the commissioning tender changes.
Leahy, who worked at the South Island commissioning agency until 2022, says the agencies have navigated various national crises, enabling whānau-led solutions during challenging times.
“You know, Whānau Ora has been about whānau-led. It’s being led by the very people who often government says are vulnerable, are the ones that we know have inherent strengths. And that’s what Whānau Ora is all about. It’s recognizing that everybody has a strength. Everybody is born of the seeds of greatness,” says Leahy.
Leahy says her aroha goes to everyone connected to Whānau Ora—from executives and practitioners to iwi partners and serviced whānau—as they face these changes.
The official announcement of these changes will be made in April.
RELATED NEWS
