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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Corrections fails to meet Ngawha promises

Maori from Ngawha say the prison is falling short in delivering promises made to them.

Percy Tipene, an organic farming advocate from the area, says when local Maori gave their approval for the prison  they were promised that there would be close co-operation between inmates and the wider community.

He says they were led to believe this integration would work in such areas as farming and gardening but this hasn't happened.

"They're concerned Ngawha is turning into a rural Mt Eden (prison) sort of style rather than the original philosophy that was advocated by the hapu when they made the engagement with the Corrections Department," Mr Tipene says.
 
HARAWIRA PREPARED TO WORK WITH ANYONE

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira has confirmed that the party would work with National if that was necessary to further Maori interests.

Hone Harawiri says his first preference would be working with Labour but he would not be opposed to working with National in a loose political arrangement if that was necessay.

"Really I dont care at the end of the day which one it is. My personal preference is it not be National but at the end of the day you got to do the business if you want to advance your people's interests," Mr Harawira says. 
 
KAUMATUA JOIN TOGETHER TO GET THEIR EXERCISE

Kaumatua from West Auckland are being aknowledged today for their participation in a programme to get them more active.

One of the members of the 30 strong group is Dennis Hansen, from Te Paatu in the far North.

He says Waitakere City Council, Sparc and Sport Waitakere are behind the kaumatua programme, which includes nutritional advice.

He says its a chance for them to come together and talk while they walk, and it's much more fun than excercising on their own.

"It's better to be working together so they can kanohi ki te kanohi and kia ora and peihana and how's things that you're doing your walking, and it's better to be walking in numbers rather than to be at home, because we believe that working as a whanau, you get more done than relying on yourself," Mr Hansen says.
 
VALUE OF WANANGA MORE THAN THE BOTTOM LINE

The Chairman of Te Wananga o Aotearoa says the balance sheet is not the only guage of the tertiary institute's success.

Richard Batley says the wananga has benefited from the well publicised review of its operations which resulted in a number of uneconomic courses being slashed.

He says while numbers are down on their peak a few years ago, the wananga continues to attract Maori students, many inspired by the success of their own.

"There's absolutely no doubt about it. Typical situation is you get one member going up to get their diploma and then the next week you get all the family enrolled, so sometimes you get two or three different generations coming up to get diplomas," Mr Batley says.
 
MAORI ROLE IN TOUR PROTESTS REMEMBERED

Anti-Apatheid activist John Minto has paid tribute to the role Maori played during the 1981 Springbok Tour of New Zealand.

He says while many think of the anti-tour protests as being middle class and largely Pakeha in nature this certainly was not the case and many Maori distinquished themselves in protests around the country.

"If you look at any of the photos of the protest in Auckland, you find the very tall figure of Syd Jackson with his helmet on, standing ahead above everybody else, because he was very tall. Tame Iti was there, very involved, bringing people over from the Bay of Plenty and again he was on the field in Hamilton. Donna Awatere Huata, who everyone will know. Hone and Hilda Harawira, they were very much at the core of the Auckland organising, right from the start," Mr Minto says.
 
AWARDS FOR MAORI ORGANIC GROWERS

The chairman of Te Waka Kaiora, an umbrella group representing Maori organic farmers is urging Maori to put themselves forward for the annual Organics association of New Zealand awards.

Percy Tipene says maori are involved in all aspects of the organics sector, including organic beef farming.

He says nominations are now open, and he is keen to see maori involved.

"Looking at our whanaungas from the East Coast with their kumara wine, our biofarm wahine from the Wairarapa doing the yoghurt, and there's a few other small but enterprising activities growing peruperu or taewa, there's a whole lot of activity in that area," Mr Tipene says.

He and Tawhai McClutchie are the maori representatives on the board of Organics New Zealand. 

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