Māori news stories for the week ending 13 April 2012: omnibus excerpt
- Sir Peter Tapsell passed away last week, aged 82. Sir Peter Tapsell was the first Māori Speaker of the House and served as Internal Affairs Minister, Arts Minister, Police Minister and Defence Minister.
- Mr Tom Roa has been named the new chairperson for Waikato-Tainui executive.
- From 1 July, Sir Henry van der Heyden will chair the Tainui Group Holdings company.
- Last Tuesday it was announced that five contract health providers who deliver the Family Start programme will not have their service contract renewed. The Ministry of Social Development indicated that the contracts have been lost due to poor performance (yet also expressed willingness to consider new proposals from the providers). The five providers are also organisations within Whānau Ora clusters, and one has publicly questioned how Whānau Ora can be progressed without such contracts. The providers are Te Whānau o Waipareira Trust, Turuki Health Care, Papakura Marae, Te Ha o Te Whānau Trust, and Te Roopu Awhina Family Start.
- Last Tuesday Prime Minister John Key unveiled a $62 million Youth Mental Health package. Two Whānau Ora providers will be allocated $480,000 (over two years) for the provision of youth mental health services to 40 Māori and Pacific youth aged 12 – 19 years.
- Last Tuesday Tauranga MP Simon Bridges was promoted to Minister outside of Cabinet. Mr Bridges has been appointed as Consumer Affairs Minister, Associate Minister of Transport, and Associate Minister for Climate Change Issues.
- Māori-owned kiwifruit company Te Awanui Huka Pak are currently leading a business and cultural delegation to Tokyo. The aim of the visit is to increase New Zealand kiwifruit exports too Japan
Posted by Honoria on April 13, 2012
http://www.panui.net/2012/04/13/maori-news-stories-for-the-week-ending-13-april-2012-omnibus-excerpt/
