The Māori economy continues to grow, while employment drops and home ownership remains a distant dream for many. Business advisor Joshua Hitchcock explains the disconnect. The Māori economy is now worth almost $70 billion. That was the headline figure of Te Ōhanga Māori 2018-The Māori Economy Report 2018 recently released by BERL (Business and Economic … Read more
Budget 2020: Although it was called “Rebuilding Together”, it’s hard to see what exactly yesterday’s budget is rebuilding. Budget 2020 was never going to be a transformational budget. Not for Māori. Not for Aotearoa New Zealand. It is easy to understand the disappointment of many across the country who hoped for something more and who … Read more
Māori will likely make up the worst unemployment figures in the forthcoming economic recession. Things can’t go back to the way they were, writes Joshua Hitchcock. Our world has changed. While it is too early to know with any certainty what the full impact of this crisis will be on Māori, what we can surmise … Read more
Every few years, as the Māori economy grows, someone floats the idea of an iwi-owned financial institution. The list of pros and cons is long, writes business advisor and Treaty commentator Joshua Hitchcock. It has been a challenging period for the banking industry in New Zealand. Moves by the Reserve Bank to strengthen capital carrying … Read more
Size is relative, and a recent report on iwi investment shows that despite growth, the Māori economy has a long way to go. It often amazes me that when we speak of the Māori economy we do not talk about what comprises the Māori economy, how it is supporting the Māori population, and how to … Read more
It has been 25 years since the commencement of the Wai 262 claim, and seven years since the Waitangi Tribunal’s Ko Aotearoa Tēnei report. So why are we still waiting for the New Zealand government to respond? One of the promises of the new government was a better relationship with Māori. A large Māori caucus … Read more
Ka puta Matariki ka rare whānui, ko te tohu tēnā o te tau e! Matariki reappears, Vega starts its flight. The new year begins! Matariki is a period of reflection and renewal. An opportunity to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. As we move into the new year, it … Read more
Today’s Māori organisations are the result of decades of Māori being forced into corporate structures that don’t fit. It’s time to rethink them, writes Joshua Hitchcock. The accountability of Māori organisations to their members was back in the news in April, with several stories highlighting unjustified spending and unaccountable governance structures. It is always disheartening … Read more
Business consultant and Treaty commentator Joshua Hitchcock looks at the terms of reference for the new Tax Working Group and asks: how can the tax system create a more equitable outcome for Māori? The Spinoff is hosting Tax Heroes – a series covering tax, who pays it and what it means. Click here to read … Read more
Joshua Hitchcock is looking to Māori businesses to help solve the problem of Māori unemployment. In mid-February I travelled to Tauranga to attend Te Hekenga – The National Māori Business Networks and Māori Enterprises Conference. It was an uplifting experience. For two days we heard stories from successful Māori business men and women who have … Read more
For many Waitangi Day is an opportunity to talk about tino rangatiratanga – Māori sovereignty and self-determination. But does sovereignty mean the same thing to all of us? Waitangi Day means many different things to many different people. To some it is a time of reflection on where we are as a country; for others … Read more
On Sunday, Stuff revealed that Ngāi Tahu and Waikato-Tainui received Treaty payment top-ups totaling $370 million thanks to a ‘relativity clause’ in their original settlement. Language used in the report implied the payments were furtive and excessive. Here’s why they’re not. Relativity clauses are in the news again, with the “revelation” by Stuff.co.nz that both … Read more
Joshua Hitchcock looks ahead to 2018 and hopes that the thriving Māori economy doesn’t overshadow other important areas of development. Two years ago I packed my bags, said goodbye to Mum, and boarded the plane to Heathrow. Following in the footsteps of millions of New Zealanders before me, I set out on the traditional OE … Read more
It has been a landmark week for two prominent Māori lawyers – cause for much celebration among the Māori legal profession this Christmas. Last Friday Moana Jackson was awarded an honorary doctorate in law from Victoria University of Wellington, and yesterday long-serving high court justice, and former chief judge of the Māori Land Court, Justice … Read more
Deloitte have released their list of the Top 10 Māori organisations for 2017. Joshua Hitchcock looks at the year’s big hitters. 20 years ago Ngāi Tahu settled their historical grievances with the Crown for $170 million. Over the past 20 years, they have developed an asset base of $1.67 billion through investment in property, primary … Read more
In his previous column Joshua Hitchcock looked at the alarmingly low employment rate for Māori. Here he searches for some solutions. Research in the United States on the effect of institutional racism in hiring practices show that a black man without a criminal record is less likely to secure a job offer as a white … Read more
Thirty years of economic reform and the gap between Māori and Pākehā employment rates is wider than ever, says business columnist Joshua Hitchcock. I have never experienced unemployment. Since graduating in 2007 I have always found a job when I wanted one. That is not to say I have always worked these past 10 years. … Read more
As Treaty commentator Joshua Hitchcock prepares to return home from London, he is optimistic for the new Labour government, but argues that reflecting on past mistakes will help them regain Māori trust. Ka mua, ka muri. This rather elegant Māori proverb reminds us that to move forward, we must keep one eye on our past. … Read more
Joshua Hitchcock looks at the Māori Party initiatives most at risk from a new government: the Whānau Ora health programme and the Māori land law reforms. The votes are in, negotiations are underway, and while we enjoy the peaceful interregnum between the election and the formation of a new government, the election results have sent … Read more