Katene Rahui: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Katene Rahui: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:662;Page:10816] 
1. 
RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
 to the  
Minister responsible for Whanau Ora 
: What is the significant change anticipated in the Whanau Ora approach? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA (Minister responsible for Whanau Ora) 
: 
 The Whanau Ora approach is intended to place families at the centre of flexible and innovative service provision. It will provide for a different way of working with w’anau building on their strengths so that they can take ownership of their own needs. This new approach will see families become less reliant on State agencies and agencies acting as facilitators rather than fixers. 
Rahui Katene 
: How will the providers be selected? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: Providers will be selected through a process of expressions of interest beginning in June this year. The Whanau Ora governance group will oversee the expressions of interest process. 
Hon Parekura Horomia 
: Can the Minister confirm whether any new funding will be set aside for Whanau Ora in the next 4 years or is it just a “Take from Pita to give to Paula” approach? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: We have an agreement at this moment for funding of $134 million over the next 4 years. Who knows what the Budget next year will hold? 
Rahui Katene 
: How will contracts be integrated through a Whanau Ora approach? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: There is a focus on the Ministry of Social Development contracts and health contracts at present. Those contracts will be integrated in the first instance which will make savings and compliance a really important first stage. 
Katrina Shanks 
: How will Whanau Ora encourage flexibility and innovation? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: The greatest innovation will come from skilled practitioners who are able to go beyond crisis and intervention to build skills and strategies that will contribute to w’anau empowerment and positive outcomes. This funding encourages Government agencies to be responsive and flexible enough to align with w’anau aspirations and it also enables w’anau ownership of solutions and actions in ways that are unique. 
Hon Annette King 
: As over 800 non-governmental organisations were part of the Pathways to Partnership programme many of which were to be fully funded through the Pathways to Partnership funding which is now being diverted to Whanau Ora how many of these providers will receive funding under Whanau Ora and how many will have to operate with less funding? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: Nobody will operate with less. I cannot give any guarantees about who will receive this funding because there is an expressions of interest process. 
Kelvin Davis 
: Can she explain why Whanau Ora which was once touted as an overarching programme designed to overhaul the delivery of social services to Maori with funding of $1 billion has morphed into a small-scale programme for all New Zealanders that is being run out of Te Puni Kokiri on a budget of less than that of John Key’s proposed cycleway? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: The fact is that this is not a programme. There is integrated funding which in the first instance for 20 providers will be well over $100 million—that will be contributed. The money that is being set aside for W’anau Ora is about the capability of the providers—the training for the navigators. It will be used for the research that will run alongside it. It will be the first time that the Government will have value for money. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Tena koe Mr Speaker. Kia ora tatou katoa. How will providers that are not included in the first wave of providers be supported to undertake a fantastic Whanau Ora approach? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: This is already happening and it is really exciting. The Government’s whole approach is about moving towards integrated contracting trusting communities and families to know what is best. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: What kinds of investments will be made in whanau to realise aspirations of self-reliance and self-management through the fantastic Whanau Ora approach? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: The important investment will be to restore self-belief in these families so that they do not need the State to be their parent.