Waatea News Update

News from Waatea 603 AM, Urban Maori radio, first with Maori news

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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Monday, August 11, 2008

Future is brown for retirement income

The Children's Commissioner is warning the quality of life enjoyed by future retirees will depend on the education and healthcare offered to Maori and Pacific children today.

Cindy Kiro says population changes mean that those expecting to retire in twenty years time will be relying on a workforce that is predominantly Maori and Pacific.

She says when children born today enter the workdorce, the number of people aged 65 year and over they will be expected to support will be twice what it is today.

"We know that Maori have slightly higher fertility and replacement rates than non-Maori, and Pacific rates are even higher again, so those children that we are going to rely on in the future are actually Maori and Pacific and new migrant children who are the very one in the under-achieving tale and if we don't get that right, if we don't make the investment, we're all going to pay that price," Ms Kiro says.

She says no one can afford to ignore the quality of education offered to Maori and Pacific children.
 
SHARPLES TARGETS RANGATAHI IN SOFT START TO CAMPAIGN

The Maori Party is reaching out to non voters.

Co-leader Pita Sharples is touring secondary schools over the next few weeks, starting in South Auckland.

He'll be talking to rangatahi about the parliamentary process... and possible careers in Wellington.

"Well I'm talking to them about politics and why they need to participate and the whole exercise is to encourage them to enroll, get themselves on the roll and vote for whoever they want to vote for," Dr Sharples says.

The tour is a way to put his party's kanohi ki te kanohi, face to face principles to work and show the students whey it's vital they become politically active.
 
DEPLETED WELLINGTON PICKS MATATINI CONTENDERS

Regions around the country have been sorting out their top kapa haka teams with an eye to next years national competition.

This weekend it was Rotorua and Wellington's turn.

In Rotorua Tuhorangi ki Ngati Wahiao took the title, while in Wellington Tu te Maungaroa took top honours.

Tamahou Temara who was at the Wellington competition says while every contestant put in maximum effort... the number of teams was down on previous years, so only Nga Taonga Mai Tawhiti will join Tu-Te Maungaroa at the nationals in Tauranga in February.

KERIKERI HALL DEMOLITION UPSETS NGATI REHIA

Ngati Rehia has some hard questions for the Far North District Council about the former Kerikeri War Memorial Hall.
 
The council sold the 7200 square metre site to its Far North Holdings trading subsidiary, which started demolishing the hall last week.

Nora Rameka says the land has great historical significance to her Northland hapu.

"Due to the fact that there was no consulation in their process for that piece of land and that memorial hall then i think that they didn't meet their obligations to us as a hapu and kaitiaki of this area," Ms Rameka says.

Ngati Rehia hopes to talk to the Far North District Council this week ... with return of the land for Maori or community use on the agenda.
 
MORE TIKANGA ON SHOW WITHIN OLYMPIC TEAM

The use of tikanga Maori by the New Zealand Olympic team has increased in the four years since Athens.

Amster Reedy, the team's advisor, says individual sports now recognise the how Maori culture can reinforce team culture.

This was clear when the women's soccer team was welcomed to the athletes' village with a powhiri.

"They not only replied to our thing but did a karanga when they came on and they had this wonderful haka which threw us off guard when they replied to our welcome so there was all that sort of stuff going on," Mr Reedy says.

TE ARAWA RETURNS TO KAPA HAKA NATIONALS
 
Te Arawa kapa haka groups are returning to national competion.
Over the weekend four clubs won the right to represent the region at Te Matatini in February: Tuhourangi ki Ngati Wahiao, Te Matarae-i-Orehu, Manaia and Nga Uri o te Whanoa

Te Arawa pulled out of the competition six years ago in a dispute over organisation and broadcasting rights.

After the departure of Tama Huata as Te Matatini chairperson this year, moves were made to heal the rift which has deprived the competition of some of its strongest teams.

Wetini Mitai-Ngatai, the choreographer for Te Matarae-i-Orehu, says the gap has strengthened their appetite.

"None of us wanted to leave in the first place. That's the biggest hui for our people and to be a part of that movement, so we're all happy to go back and whoever represents our people are very happy. Our young people have been starved for the last four, five years. Actually, 2002 was the last time so they're all pretty hungry," Mr Mitai-Ngatai says.

The Arawa region includes past winners Ngati Rangiwewehi and Te Matarae-i-Orehu.
 

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