Turia Tariana: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Turia Tariana: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
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Hon TARIANA TURIA (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 Tena koe. Tena tatou katoa. Our nation is marked by moments that define a generation. There is the generation who paid the ultimate price of citizenship in serving in C Company of the 28th Maori Battalion during World War II. The battalion was formed along whakapapa lines drawing on the enduring connections from common lines of descent. A generation later during the 1960s many of our w’anau took up the opportunity of a drive to encourage young Maori into skilled trades building on the strengths of the collective spirit as their foundation for success. Now a decade into the new century our w’anau are hungry to embrace a new vision. The vision which will be the defining moment for our generation and for their generation is Whanau Ora. 
The Maori Party has welcomed the statement of support from the Prime Minister for a new approach to the way that the Government works with many communities and in particular with Maori families. This new approach will require Government agencies to be innovative and to apply greater flexibility in the way that they deliver services. It will require the State to change the way that it does business in the provision of services to w’anau. Whanau Ora is a vision which was born from the history of tangata w’enua as entrepreneurs and as people willing to embrace new challenges. Across the globe tangata w’enua have a reputation for being innovative and for taking on new technologies. That spirit of enterprise has now taken on a new edge in the call for Whanau Ora. Just as the Maori Battalion and the trade training schemes drew their strength from the connections made through common genealogy so too is Whanau Ora about the commitment between and across generations based on the shared hopes of w’anau. 
In this House we often bear witness to the pathology of Maori as members of this House talk about the “unders and overs” clubs. The underachievers in education the overrepresented in justice the underreported in health and the overrepresented in areas of high deprivation and low income are described as an underclass which successive administrations have overlooked. The drive for Whanau Ora responds to the poor outcomes experienced in health education the economy justice and many other layers of our current social infrastructure. But the key determinant of success in this approach is the realisation that in this moment of greatest challenge there exists an even greater opportunity: an opportunity to rebuild the integrity of w’anau by empowering them to determine and take greater control of their lives and well-being. It is an opportunity to move forward and to restore to w’anau their capacity to be self-determining. 
It is for all of these reasons that in the relationship and confidence and supply agreement we signed up to with National there is a fundamental statement which I think it is timely to remind the House about. It is that the Maori Party seeks significant outcomes in Whanau Ora through eliminating poverty advocating for social justice and advancing Maori cultural economic and community development in the best interests of this nation. That statement was signed in November 2008 and is just as vital in 2010. The intentions of the Prime Minister which were laid out in his speech today state a commitment to lift our economic performance while also delivering increased incomes and better living standards. For the Maori Party those better living standards are firmly about Whanau Ora. 
Essential to this focus must be the importance of eliminating poverty. In this light we have begun the process of working through some of the impacts of the tax system upon our people and in particular the difference that will be made to low-income families. We are adamant that we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that these families are at the very least no worse off and hopefully are in a position to enjoy an improved quality of life. We believe that Whanau Ora is an essential approach towards advancing opportunities and outcomes for families. Ultimately Whanau Ora is in the hands of our families. It is their resilience determination and courage that will unleash the greatest potential for our nation. 
I will shortly be receiving a report from the task force that I established to provide the Government with advice. From the feedback that I have received to date there is enormous excitement right throughout the country about our people’s aspirations for themselves and the generations to follow. I have heard about the enthusiasm of w’anau to be self-managing and to participate fully in society while also being confident in their contributions to Te Ao Maori. There has been a keen hunger for living in ways that are consistent with nga kaupapa tuku iho the values beliefs obligations and responsibilities passed down through the centuries. This to me is one of the most profound aspects of transformation. It is in a sense a renewing of the promise that our ancestors signed up to in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is the promise that our traditions our heritage and our cultural assets would retain their integrity while enabling us to benefit from the full opportunities of citizenship. 
In this light I want to emphasise that Whanau Ora will benefit all people who call New Zealand their home. It is not for Maori to tell other cultures and other peoples how to achieve outcomes that will measure their success. We know that there is a keen interest from many other communities particularly our Pasifika families in applying Whanau Ora to their own situations and we welcome that. 
Although the vigour for transformation within our w’anau is evident we must not abdicate responsibility within the State apparatus to respond to the high level of optimism that things can be improved. We all know that the social framework that successive Governments have put in place has been unworldly and fragmented creating barriers to efficiencies. In some of our smaller centres we see 35 providers established all vying for the same target population. The overlapping contracts and the duplication of efforts have helped to shape the call for simplified funding and reporting structures. The appetite for a new approach is motivated by the call for integrated and comprehensive services that focus on measurable outcomes that will contribute to w’anau empowerment. The transformation being pioneered by w’anau must be met with a transformative process for Government agencies and providers alike. 
We are hearing about the desire for a fundamental shift in approach to support w’anau to become self-determining. It will be demonstrated in a united focus on achieving w’anau outcomes that make specific measurable differences in the lives of individuals and more important we should note also the tangible difference made in the lives of collectives. It will not happen tomorrow but with optimism and with faith we can all be part of an approach that is honest about the challenges that we face and be prepared to stand up and be counted. This is an opportunity to make the change that will bring benefits not only to Maori families but greatly to the nation and to future generations. Whanau Ora is quite simply an idea whose time has come. Kia ora.