Katene Rahui: Budget Debate 
Katene Rahui: Budget Debate 
[Volume:663;Page:11304] 
RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 The Maori population is a young population with the median age barely reaching 23 years compared with the median age of 36.4 years in the total population. Putting it another way some 34 percent of the Maori population is under the age of 15. This demographic profile brings with it a special set of priorities which we looked for in the Budget announcement made on Thursday. When we consider the disproportionately low median income—in mid-2008 it was $500 per week compared with $530 for the total population—we see that it provides a particular context for this debate. In the health arena an additional $51 million was allocated to meet the pressure of the Very Low Cost Access programme and other primary health care services. Why is this important? A Very Low Cost Access payment is intended to support practices that maintain very low fees—practices that typically serve high-need communities. On top of this we would expect that the $1.4 billion extra funding for district health boards would also include interventions that reduce health inequalities. 
When constituents walk in my door the two biggest issues that they seek help with are health or education. In education I think that one of the unsung good-news stories of this year’s Budget has been the injection of another $1.9 billion over 4 years including a 4 percent increase in operational funding for schools. The challenge however is to look past the generalities and see what support is available to meet the areas of highest need and greatest demand. Therefore I am pleased that an additional $91.8 million is being invested in early childhood education participation for families in the areas that are under-represented. The focus is on ensuring that the families in most need have access to these services. The $91 million has been earmarked for Maori Pasifika and low-income areas out of the total investment of $107 million. 
A lot has been said about what could at the very least be described as a contentious decision in this year’s Budget about early childhood education but if there is any doubt as to the value of investment being allocated to Maori participation this week’s report from the Education Review Office proved without doubt how vital it is to support and promote early childhood education opportunities for Maori. The  
Success for Maori Children in Early Childhood Services 
 which was released on Monday reported that nearly two-thirds of early childhood teachers were not focused on helping Maori to become “competent and confident learners” and more than half of the services were failing to respond adequately to the expectations of whanau Maori. One of the most pragmatic findings was that playgroups playcentres kindergartens and other services were failing to set Maori education in a Maori context. It is not breaking news but all the research tells us that children are taught best when the context makes sense to them. For tamariki Maori that context is one that responds to them as Maori. 
The Education Review Office report concluded that centres could do some key things to increase the responsiveness of their service to whanau. They could look at the way in which they consulted whanau they could ensure that they incorporated Maori perspectives into education they could provide more professional development for educators and managers in working with Maori and they could evaluate the impact of their programmes for Maori. 
I come back to my starting point of the way in which the Budget responds to the particular and unique needs of the Maori population. While I am talking about the education sector I will also draw attention to the additional $48 million going into Youth Guarantee which will raise the number of places available next year from 2000 to 2500. Another $8.4 million is going towards helping kura retain their secondary school students. Another $12.6 million will help Maori medium schools to develop tools to assess the progress of their students. These are all important initiatives that will help to ensure that rangatahi Maori are participating achieving and succeeding in school. They will help to pave the way for future employment and further educational opportunities and in that respect will help to build a stronger workforce to face our future. 
Another key initiative that was introduced in Budget 2010 was the investment of $91 million for a new quality services fund for non-governmental organisations. This is an important mechanism to support our community groups to help to enhance their capacity and capability and to respond to the unique needs of communities across the country. 
Finally I will make some comments about what we may call the unfailing test of a civilisation—that is how we treat our most vulnerable our young and our old. Part of the Budget package includes increases of 2.02 percent for all main benefits for New Zealand superannuation for veterans pensions and for the CPI-adjusted Government Superannuation Fund. That is important of course in that it helps to provide immediate compensation for the rise in GST but for those who receive superannuation or a veterans pension there will also be a tax cut on top of the compensation for GST thereby increasing their after-tax income quite considerably. 
Although such a lot has been said about GST and tax cuts I received an email yesterday that brought everything back into perspective about Budget 2010. Moyra Bramley responding to one of the releases we issued on Budget day shared some of her own unique brand of wisdom to guide our thinking about the difference that Budget day makes. She said: “I understand the reasoning behind the increase in GST and accept we all have to tighten our belts for the sake of those who have no jobs no fathers or mothers to raise the kids and although it’s going to be hard there is a way to better the lot of those who will be affected most. If you have a plot of land and most do wherever they are living then plant some vegetables. Take cooking lessons and learn to make meals out of nothing. Nourishing meals do not need expensive cuts or expensive ingredients. Op shops have awesome clothing for a few dollars for everyone of all sizes. Shoes at $2 per pair. So it is just a matter of reprioritising where your money gives you the best value. But in this country no one should go hungry or without clothing if they spend their benefits wisely and most of all stop smoking and drinking. Buy food for your babies instead. I am so pleased I taught my kids to cook at an early age even my boys and now they have no problem stretching the dollar.” 
I chose to quote extensively from Moyra’s passage to us because so often the greatest advice comes not from the experts and the purchase advisers but from those wise souls all around us who have been through it and are still going through it. The reality is that there will always be those who say that there is not enough in the Government’s Budget for them. My brief overview of some of the essentials of Budget 2010 proves without doubt that there are some great initiatives included in this year’s approach which really focuses on those most in need. But there is also the evergreen message that ultimately no matter how great our wealth the biggest difference made can be in making the most of our resources and investing in the value of collective responsibility. It is all about whanau ora.