Politics

Budget 2018: Kei hea te putea? Where's the money?

07:43 am on 18 May 2018

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Kei hea te putea? Where's the money? Maori-specific funding took a major hit in this budget, despite voters backing Labour in all seven Maori seats last election. Te Puni Kokiri will lose about $9 million this year as part of the 2018 Budget. TPK is the principal advisor on government-Maori relationships. It advises on policy affecting Maori wellbeing. And the government says it will lose a further $12 million over the next four years as the money is "reprioritised" to other areas. But Maori development minister Nanaia Mahuta told our reporter Te Aniwa Hurihanganui, the funding will be used to support whanau in other ways.