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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Friday, May 12, 2006

Archbishop Whakahuihui Vercoe performed his last duties as head of the Anglican Church in New Zealand today, closing the General Synod in Christchurch.

77-year-old Bishop Vercoe became primate at the synod two years ago, after heading Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa since 1981.

Along with layman Whatarangi Winiata, he led the drive in the 1980s to establish the Maori arm of the Church as an independent entity, or tikanga.

Tai Tokerau Bishop Kito Pikaahu says Bishop Vercoe provided firm strong leadership which the church needed at the time.


"He's been a fearless leader but he has also been leader able to amalgamate all the Maori tribes and he has been a pioneer for the Anglican Church within Maoridom," Bishop Pikaahu said.

He said while Bishop Vercoe is a traditionalist regarding Maori language and culture, he is also a revolutionary.

Under the Church's new three-tikanga structure, Bishop of Aotearoa Brown Turei has become the primate for the next two years, with Hamilton Bishop David Moxon and Pasifika bishop Jabez Bryce serving as co-presiding bishops.


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Former NZ First list MP Bill Gudgeon says he's pleased a report on the exposure of soliders in Vietnam to Agent Orange will be released uncensored.

Veteran Affairs Minister Rick Barker told National's veterans' spokesperson Judith Collins he had no plans to edit the report on veterans' concerns.

Mr Gudgeon, a Malaya and Borneo veteran, says it's time the truth came out:

"My thinking is that report should be made public so everyone knows what happened, the truth, and the facts are our men who fought in Vietnam should be compensated where required and also medical attention where required and
consideration given to families who suffered from the effects of their dads," Mr Gudgeon said.

The report written by a working group chaired by former State Services Commissioner Michael Winteringham, was given to Mr Barker and Defence Minister Phil Goff earlier this month.



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The views of young Maori are being given a prime focus in Arero, a new panel discussion show which starts tomorrow on Maori Television.

The panel will be hosted by Kaapua Te Paea Smith, a tutor at Auckland University working towards her PhD in political studies.

Series producer, Claudette Hauiti, says rangatahi views have been largely ignored by television broadcasters.

"Our rangatahi Maori are really sophisticated, they are global in vision, they know their politics, and we don't hear enough of their opinions, hear what they think. The future is for Maori, so this is a good forum for them to come and say
what the future is from their perspective," Hauiti said.

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A trust that helps Maori businesses was last night named joint winner of the Vero Excellence in Business Support Award for the most significant contribution by a not-for-profit organisation.

The Poutama Business Trust was set up in 1988 to offer business development services to Maori entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Chief executive Richard Jones says the award is a big endorsement for the trust.

Mr Jones says he hopes it was noted by the major business players who attended the awards ceremony, a black tie dinner in Auckland last night which formed part of the small business expo.

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They say a week is a long time in politics, and Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples says this week will take a long time to forget.

Dr Sharples says he was shocked at Labour's Maori MPs, who voted against the Maori Party's proposed changes to the Education Amendment Bill.

Dr Sharples says he thought he had agreement on the changes, which were designed to improve the status of schools which teach in te reo Maori.

The votes were lost by 60 to 61.

Dr Sharples says he expected better from the Maori MPs.

"No explanation no nothing just bang, that was a shock, I was gutted. I suppose I should learn. i don't want to learn. I really want us Maori in Parliament to start working together on vital issues of kaupapa Maori around the survival and development of te reo me nga ona tikanga , we really must be working together," Dr Sharples said.


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More than 240 Maori Anglican women from 9 to 90 have descended on Te Tii Marae in Waitangi for the bi-annual Kahui Wahine.

Organiser Lynnore Pikaahu says the highlight will be a pilgrimage to the Marsden Cross at Oihi in the Bay of Islands, where the first Anglican missionaries landed in 1814.

The hui is also the first major event for the church's new primate, Archbishop of Aotearoa Brown Turei, who was installed at the General Synod in Christchurch yesterday.

He replaces Archbishop Whakahuihui Vercoe, who retires today after a quarter century as a bishop and more than half a century as a priest.

Mrs Pikaahu says women are a major force in the church, with 78 in clerical positions in Tai Tokerau alone.

She says Bishop Turei is supportive of there being a Maori woman bishop within the next decade, and the Kahui Wahine is working together towards that aim.

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