Speech: Katene - Financial Review – MSD
te-pati-maori
Wed Apr 08 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Speech: Katene - Financial Review – MSD
Wednesday, 8 April 2009, 9:19 am
Press Release: The Maori Party
2007/08 Financial Review – Ministry of Social Development
Rahui Katene, Member for Te Tai Tonga
Tuesday 7 April 2009; 8pm
In 2007, during the period of this financial review, the Maori youth unemployment rate was a massive 23.7 percent.
As this House will know, the youth unemployment rate records the number of unemployed youth aged 15-19 years divided by the total number of youths in the labour market aged between 15 to 19 years.
For the European population it was only 11.4 percent. That’s a 12.3 percent difference –the Maori youth rate is more than twice as high as the European.
Mr Speaker, I wanted to set the context for looking at the review of the Ministry of Social Development by placing our rangatahi firmly in the centre.
At this point in time, there are almost four thousand young Maori jobseekers out there – and our biggest concern in the Maori Party is that they are active and engaged in further education, in training, in employment – in society.
The report of the Social Services committee into the financial review gave considerable focus to the area of unemployment – although it is of interest that just as the former Government ignored the very substantial inequalities related to the Maori unemployment rate so too, the Committee’s report is silent on the Maori rate.
Now why is this of such concern?
The Committee’s report puts the microscope onto the strategies in place to prepare for a possible large rise in unemployment.
It was interesting to hear of the twin dilemmas facing the Ministry - the challenge of being able to absorb unemployed people, while also staying on top of its workload.
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We know that there are measures that the Ministry prides itself on –being able to quickly place jobseekers into either a transition service or training seminars within the space of 28 days.
And for us, we think these measures are vital to keeping the workforce dynamic, and for being able to quickly respond to the needs of the people.
But we simply say, that if we value the diverse populations that comprise the New Zealand workforce, we must ensure their specific needs are considered.
There is no dispute that Maori unemployment, given all available scenarios, is likely to at least double the general rate. Te Puni Kokiri suggests that Maori unemployment will rise from 8 percent to something like twelve to fifteen percent by the middle of next year.
We know the history – we know also that the initial signs of economic slowdown are being felt in construction, tourism and primary industries – all industries in which Maori are strongly represented.
And we know the dramatic over-representation amongst Maori youth.
So with all of this information in front of us, it was disappointing that not one of the Labour, Green or National Party members on the committee raised the issues to do with Maori unemployment.
Fortunately, we are now in the position that a Maori Party Minister, Hon Tariana Turia, has the delegated responsibility for Maori and Pacific employment issues within the Social Development portfolio
And I believe this is a very positive development for Aotearoa.
This is someone who used to be the Southern Regional Co-ordinator of the Maori Access Training Programme; who managed the Whanganui regional development board; who was a service broker for Te Puni Kokiri and a founding member of the Te Awa youth trust.
But above all, someone who is passionate about whanau ora.
I am optimistic that the genuine concern Mrs Turia has for Maori and Pasifika employment will be vital in ensuring that the Ministry of Social Development, in preparing for unemployment, truly prepares for the needs of all New Zealanders in managing any rise in unemployment beneficiaries over the next year.
There are hard times ahead – none of us deny that. But a key point I have been making within our communities, the onus of responsibility must not be that of the State alone. This is the ideal time for collaboration to be the buzz word. It is good to see in the committee report that the Ministry is developing industry partnership with a large number of companies and industries.
What we in the Maori Party would like to see, is the initiative taken to establish partnership with iwi and Maori owned business enterprises, to achieve better employment outcomes for all Maori – and in particular youth.
There are iwi out there with all the infrastructure and enormous enthusiasm for working together, to mitigate the impacts arising from the recession.
Government should be doing all that it can to build on their momentum, and to address the nature, the extent and scale of any recession effects on Maori as a key priority for moving forward. The Maori Party will certainly be watching carefully to ensure this happens.
ENDS
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