Budget 2024 doesn't reflect Māori needs, Human Rights Commission co-leader says

This year's Budget does not reflect Māori needs, the Human Rights Commission's co-leader says.

The Budget, delivered by Finance Minister Nicola Willis on Thursday, saw Te Matatini receive $48.7 million over three years for the future of kapa haka, while Kōhanga Reo will get $12 million over four years for property maintenance, part of a wider $1.5 billion for education property.

But cuts to Māori initiatives were much more wide-ranging. They included $40 million in uncontracted funding for new supply and capability of Māori housing and $20 million for rangatahi transitional housing, which would be returned to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

Funding for Matariki public holiday activities was reduced by 45 percent, while $9.5 million for historical Treaty of Waitangi settlement claimants would be returned to the Crown.

Funding for Mātauranga Māori-based approaches to reducing agricultural emissions has been scrapped, and $37 million will be returned to the Ministry for Primary Industries over four years.

Meanwhile, the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, is set to save the government $35.5 million.

Willis said the government focussed on Māori needs, rather than targeted Māori funding, in this year's Budget.

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But Human Rights Commission tatau urutahi/shared leader Julia Whaipooti said the Budget did not reflect Māori needs.

She was also critical of increased funding for 500 additional police officers and for expanding Waikeria Prison, saying that would only result in an increase in the Māori prison population.

"It is disappointing, you want to be putting money into housing, into jobs, into people having the right to participate in communities and this is really investing into a black hole.

"Whatever the government is investing into prisons and police doesn't lead to better outcomes."

Health Minister Shane Reti has indicated that funds could go to Iwi-Māori partnership boards to deliver services previously delivered by Te Aka Whai Ora.

Hāpai te Hauora chief executive Jacqui Harema said she would like to see funding go to Māori health providers which had shown they could deliver.

"I'm definitely one for providing more resources to Māori hauora providers who are on the ground all the time with families and enabling them to have more engagement, more reach into the communities.

"That came through in Covid and the ability of Māori hauora providers to connect with whānau in a very Māori way, which Te Aka Whai Ora was meant to allow these providers to do."

Harema said there were not many surprises in the Budget, and the focus on need over race had become a well-used line.

"In reality who are the people that are in need the most? It's Māori and Pacific. I know because of their voter base, [the government is] trying to stay away from the ethnicity conversation and have the need conversation which works for them politically, but at the end of the day it's still our people, our Māori whānau, that are the ones that are in need across all spectrums."

* The $9.5 million of funding for historical Treaty of Waitangi Settlement Claimants will be returned to the Crown. An earlier version of this story incorrectly said it would go to Te Arawhiti.