Korako Nuk: Annual Review Debate — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKorako Nuk: Annual Review Debate — In Committee[Sitting date: 03 May 2016. Volume:713;Page:10688. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]NUK KORAKO (Chairperson of the Māori Affairs Committee): Kia ora. I was just rising to my feet and waiting for you to finish. Tēnā koe. Huri noa i Te Whare nei e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.I am happy to lead the debate on the annual reviews for the Māori other populations and cultural sector. As chair of the Māori Affairs Committee I want to focus my contribution on the Māori development portfolio and specifically those annual reviews undertaken by the Māori Affairs Committee.We carried out annual reviews of Te Puni Kōkiri Te Reo Whakapuaki Irirangi and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. When it comes to Te Puni Kōkiri this is a ministry that is doing well and we have seen further progress on its restructuring and better results around the use of contractors last year. I do want to note that I think there is more that can be done to promote the development of the Māori economy.In carrying out the annual review of Te Puni Kōkiri it is very clear that this is an agency that is very comfortable and for the most part does a very good job with its role in promoting Māori culture education and health. What would be good though to see in the future is a greater focus and greater drive applied to the ministry’s responsibilities for promoting growth in the Māori economy.The other agencies we reviewed came before the committee against the backdrop of Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori / the Māori Language Act. Te Reo Whakapuaki Irirangi or Te Māngai Pāho as it is better known is anticipating a role in developing Maihi Karauna the Crown’s Māori language strategy under the Māori Language Act. We were impressed by the agency’s readiness to work under the new legislation and to work positively to influence how the broadcasting sector responds to this strategy.There were several other areas for which the agency deserves real recognition. One is the way that it is looking towards the future of radio which is in the digital sphere and pushing iwi radio stations to embrace technical technology and the change that comes with it. I was also particularly impressed with how focused the agency is on increasing the normalisation of Te Reo Māori in everyday life. For example it rejected the suggestion that a quota for Māori language content should be imposed on radio and instead reiterated its focus on increasing normalisation of Te Reo Māori.Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori—the Māori Language Commission—also discussed the Māori Language Bill when it appeared before the Māori Affairs Committee. Like Te Māngai Pāho Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori expressed its readiness for the enactment of the new legislation and its willingness to change in response to it. There were a number of issues raised in Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori’s review. The chief executive role was vacant for over a year until last September and there has been some instability in other staffing possibly resulting from the vacancy at the top. Last year Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori told us that the appointment of a new chief executive would hopefully decrease the staff turnover. It appears that this was the case and the agency is once again fully staffed.The new chief executive has also been working on staff morale and the office’s performance and preparing staff for a change under the Māori Language Bill. We also believe that the appointment of a chief executive and the other new staff who have come on board would put Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori on track to rectify some of the deficiencies identified by the Auditor-General. I look forward to seeing continued improvement in these areas when Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori comes to the Māori Affairs Committee next year.It has been pleasing to see all of these agencies making progress towards their objectives over the year. I commend the hard work that their leaders and staff have been doing. I finish with this whakataukī: He huka mata anō mō te pouka—fortune favours the brave. That is exactly what this is about. Kia ora.