1. Question No. 1—Education (Māori Education)SHANAN HALBERT (Labour—Northcote) to the Associate Minister of Education (Māori Education)ORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Education (Māori Education)1. SHANAN HALBERT (Labour—Northcote) to the Associate Minister of Education (Māori Education): What recent changes has the Government made for Māori tertiary institutions?Hon KELVIN DAVIS (Associate Minister of Education (Māori Education)): Yesterday we passed a bill which included a historic change for wānanga who are now able to work with the Crown to agree bespoke governance and accountability arrangements that better reflect their whakapapa their mana and their rangatiratanga. We were pleased to welcome representatives from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Te Wānanga o Raukawa and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi here at Parliament to commemorate this occasion. The key principle in this change is the ability for wānanga to define the characteristics of their institutions and decide who they're accountable to and how they operate. Shanan Halbert: What do these changes look like? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: The legislative changes developed in collaboration with the wānanga enable a move from imposing barriers for wānanga to enabling success. Wānanga will now be able to choose to remain as they are reconstitute as a bespoke Crown entity wānanga or convert to a non - Crown entity wānanga in which they will be accountable to iwi hapū or another Māori organisation while retaining some Crown accountability. The legislation clearly articulates the characteristics that define wānanga sets out provisions for establishment and disestablishment and provides non - Crown entity wānanga with new accountability monitoring arrangements. In delivering fit for purpose legislation the Government recognises the important educational contribution that wānanga make for ākona kaimahi and their founding iwi. Shanan Halbert: What does this mean for wānanga? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: These changes are the culmination of decades of work from the wānanga. While wānanga were established to protect and revitalise te reo tikanga and mātauranga Māori they remained a tertiary option for all New Zealanders. Wānanga make a huge contribution to the tertiary sector and to the community and we are recognising them by enabling them to operate in a way that works best for them. These changes better recognise the values principles unique role and collective mana of the wānanga and their communities. It also ensures that individually wānanga can exercise their rangatiratanga by determining their own futures. Shanan Halbert: What's the significance of these changes? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: This Government made a commitment to not only recognise the vital contribution of mātauranga Māori but we also committed to growing the numbers of Māori learners in Aotearoa. This is just one part to achieving these commitments but I am pleased to see these changes through after meeting with the wānanga five years ago to discuss the possibility of them achieving greater autonomy. As I said in my speech yesterday what we are seeing with this legislation is rangatiratanga and Kāwanatanga coming together; and when they come together that's when the magic happens. These changes are not the end of the road; rather they are just the beginning.