Nice lineup. Now for the mahi – starting with the minefield of Māori health

Decisions around associate health delegations are critical, writes Shane Te Pou. If yesterday offered a moment to celebrate a historic series of cabinet appointments for Māori, today the euphoria needs to be put aside. It’s time to get on with the mahi. Nowhere is this more pressing than health. The new Labour government’s health team … Read more

A momentous day for Māori – at the cabinet table as never before

Jacinda Ardern today announced an executive line-up without Kelvin Davis as deputy prime minister, but with five Māori in cabinet and another three Māori MPs in the wider executive. Shane Te Pou on what it means – and what must come next. Labour’s new cabinet gives more power to more Māori ministers across a whole … Read more

The children come first: A day at the Oranga Tamariki hui

Ātea editor Leonie Hayden headed out to the hui for a Māori-led inquiry into Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry for Children, and found a unified Māori force that has decided enough is enough. When first announced, Saturday’s Oranga Tamariki hui was to be hosted at Ngā Whare Waatea marae in Māngere. When four times the projected … Read more

In defence of the Māori caucus’s support for Meka Whaitiri

The Māori caucus statement that it stands by Meka Whaitiri is simply tikanga in action, writes Morgan Godfery. Parliament and the Beehive are, as workplaces, uniquely awful. The expectations are high. The hours are punishing. And the work never really stops. There’s correspondence to file, press releases to draft, briefings to read or write, negotiations … Read more

One year in, how have our Māori MPs and ministers rated?

A year and two days ago New Zealanders went to the polls, returning a record 29 Māori MPs. But who’s up and who’s down? Who are the top performers and who are the up-and-comers? Māui street editor Morgan Godfery picks his faves and rates them out of 10 for performance. Ministers  Willie Jackson, Labour (Ngāti … Read more

Labour to Iwi Chairs Forum: ‘Iwi leaders need to catch up with the new world’

After a fraught election, Labour’s Māori caucus is going head to head with the Iwi Chairs Forum. The change of government has signaled a profound change in iwi relationships with the Crown. In the past 17 years, the corporate iwi model was the power ascendent at the Iwi Chairs Forum, and has proven to be … Read more