Waatea News Update

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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Wananga's Lifeworks licenced for use in Australia

A distance learning programme orignially developed to get unemployed Maori into education and jobs has been picked up across the development.

Lifeworks was developed for use by the Open Polytechnic as a Pakeha version of Mahi Ora, a programme used by Te Wananaga o Aotearoa.

Mahi Ora and Lifeworks developer Su Cullen says the wananga has given a licence for Lifeworks to be adapted for use in New South Wales community colleges.

She says after last year's attacks by politicians on the wananga and its distance education courses, it is good to get endorsement of its educational philosophies from outside the country.

"For us it means we get the distance learning model recognisd by international governments for funding, and for the community sector. Because it's a community education model. It's fabulous, and that's what we wanted to do, release it into the world, and let the people carry it forth," Cullen says.

Su Cullen says in New Zealand, Lifeworks gives students up to 600 hours of tuition in a wide range of life and employment skills at a cost to the government of only $2500 a year per student.

LAKE ALICE INQUIRY WELCOMED

Northland kaumatua Dennis Hansen is welcoming a review of a role senior staff member played in administering shock treatment to inmates at Lake Alice psychiatric hospital during the early 1970's.

Police are considering complaints made by former patients against psychiatrict Selwyn Leeks, who headed the hospital's child and adolescent unit.

Dr Leeks now lives in Melbouirne.

Mr Hansen says many young Maori were sent to Lake Alice for relatively minor offences, but ended up getting electro-shock therapy.

He says the treatment scarred them for life and made it hard to adjust to society when they got out.

BROWN THUMBS UP FOR GREEN TRASH PLAN

A bill designed to reduce the amount of recyclable material ending up in landfills is gaining Maori support.

Green MP, Nandor Tancos says his Waste Minimisation Bill will make those reponsible for dumping recyclable material more accountable,

Mr Tancos says many Maori groups want to promote recycling initiatives.

Nandor Tancos says with support from the Maori Party, New Zealand First and Labour, his bill looks set to get past the First Reading.

WAIPAREIRA BOOKS TO BE OPENED

A showdown looms tonight in West Auckland between factions at the troubled Te Whanau O Waipareira.

The trust is having a special general meeting at Hoani Waititi Marae to discuss events which led this week to the axing of the training, call centre and building development businesses, with the loss of 49 jobs.

Acting chief executive John Tamihere says it will be the first time in a long time that whanau members will be exposed to honest financial reports.

But former trust chairperson Naida Glavis says the job cuts aren't the right way forward.

Ms Glavish says the previous management team had a path out of the urban Maori authority's problems, but it was not a path Mr Tamihere wanted to follow.

Waipareira has been losing more than $2 million a year and has been selling assets, including some of its shares in the Westgate shopping mall development at the end of Auckland's north-western motorway.

TASER PUSH STUNS GREEN MP

Green MP Nandor Tancos doesn't want taser stun guns used in New Zealand.

The supposedly-non lethal guns will be trialled by police later this year.

Mr Tanczos says the police have still to prove they can use pepper spray in an appropriate manner, so it is not a good idea to give them a device which gives people a 50,000 volt electric shock.

He says he has heard too many reports of police using pepper spray on people who are handcuffed or in the cells.

Mr Tanczos says more consultation and dialogue is necessary, because on their past record, police are likely to use the weapons disproportionatley against young Maori males.

ABSENT PARENTS BLAMED FOR STREETWALKING SURGE

A South Auckland Maori community worker says some young teens are getting into prostitution because their parents aren't supervising them.

Tunuiarangi McLean from the Tapui Hauora health trust says Maori Wardens are seeing increasing numbers of young Maori prostitutes in the region.

He says many are still at schools, but they don't seem to have any oversight once classes finish, as both parents are working.

O'REGAN TO HEAD AUCKLAND RESEARCH CENTRE

Former Ngai Tahu chairman Sir Tipene O'Regan has been shoulder tapped to chair a Maori-focussed research centre at Auckland University.

University vice-chancellor Stuart McCutcheon says Sir Tipene's academic experience, his wide knowledge of Maori economic development, and his reputation within the business community will be a major asset to the research centre, Nga Pae o te Maramatanga.

The university wants to increase the number of Maori doctoral students.

Sir Tipene is also an assistance vice chancellor (Maori) at Canterbury University.

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