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Monday, November 17, 2008

Hare Puke dies last of Tainui reformers

Ngati Wairere, Ngati Mahuta and the Tainui waka is mourning the death of Hare Puke, a former long-serving chairman of the Tainui Maori Trust Board.

Mr Puke died on Saturday at the age of 84.
James Ritchie, a former advisor to the board, says Mr Puke, a Hukerere dairy farmer, joined the trust board in the 1960s, as it was being restructured by the late Robert Mahuta and Hori Forbes.

“From then on Hare carried the heavy weight of transition in the trust board from being an artifact of government decision to really having a leadership role in change and modernization of Tainui as a tribe, and beyond that of course, a leader in many other ways,” Professor Ritchie says.

Hare Puke's role as a kaumatua for organisations like Waikato Univeristy and Hamilton City Council did much to strengthen Tainui's role in the affairs of the region.

MAORI PARTY NEEDS TO LEARN FROM HISTORY

Ousted New Zealand First MP Ron Mark says the Maori Party has some harsh lessons to learn.

He says the widely heralded consultation hui the party ran in advance of signing a deal with the incoming national government were not a true guage of Maori opinion.

Mr Mark says New Zealand First tried working in government with national, before it parted company over the sale of state assets.

“They can learn like everybody else. We’ve been there and done that and the result is written in history. So good luck to them. My only word of advice is if you are going to huis where there are 20 to 30 people who all talk like you do, Sound like you do, look like you do, behave like you do, chances are you’re not talking to the real people, you’re just talking to yourself,” Mr Mark says.

TARANAKI BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IDENTIFIED

Taranaki businesses and local government agencies are being urged to factor the province's Maori and their wealth into their plans.

Venture Taranaki Trust project manager Amokura Panoho says a report by Business and Economic Research has identified Maori assets of more than $700 million, including $100 million cash from Treaty settlements.

While many of those people no longer live there, they have a cultural connection and can be drawn back to work in industries like dairying, oil and gas, engineering and tourism if the conditions are right.

“We have a growing demand for skilled labour in our region and we’ve got an increasing Maori population base so it makes sense that the key industries need to think about how to utilize that growing Maori population base more effectively, to move them from being unskilled to semi-skilled to skilled, to work within those key eight industries Taranaki is based around,” Ms Panoho says.

Recommendations in the report include a Maori economic summit, a land asset mapping project; and an industry skills and education programme.

PACE OF COALITION DEAL SETS BELLS RINGING

Dover Samuels says the pace and willingness of the Maori Party to strike a deal with National should set alarm bells ringing.

The former Labour MP says the party may live to regret its decision to team up with National.

He says last week's consultation hui fell short of what the Maori Party promised before the election, and left many Maori questioning what we being done in their name.

“It's for the Maori people themselves to decide whether this has credibility or whether it’s just manipulation by a few who now can see the baubles of office and also the benefits of power and I don’t know whether it’s just for some individuals within the Maori Party caucus or whether there is a genuine attempt to move forward Maori economic and cultural aspirations,” Mr Samuels says.

He says rather than the five headed monster John Key was warning would happen under Labour, the National-led government is a four-headed taniwha.

WANANGA PRESENT UNIFIED FRONT

The three major Maori tertiary institutions are presenting a united face the new government.

Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi and Te Whare Wananga o Raukawa have been talking for some time, but also having separate negotiations with the Crown over compensation for their joint Waitangi Tribunal claim for set up capital.

Those claims are now settled, and Aotearoa chief executive Bentham Ohia says last week's 21st Century Education Hui in Manukau was a chance for them to chart a course ahead.

He says the wananga can't afford to be divided.

“The government has sectorised the tertiary sector into four parts, the university sector, the polytechnic sector, the wananga sector and the private training establishments and other providers. We thought as part of that move made by government that solidarity must be core and centre as part of our sector as wananga,” Mr Ohia says.

The three wananga are looking at what resources could be shared and how students can move between wananga where necessary.

FILM LOBBY SPEAKS OUT ON MAORI TELEVISION CHANGES

The head of a Maori film and television professional group has slammed Maori Television boss Jim Mather for pushing out veteran Maori film-maker Larry Parr.

In a regular newsletter of Nga Aho Whakaari, chairman Te Arepa Kahi challenged a General Manager with two years industry experience for ousting someone with thirty years industry experience.

Mr Kahi says the issue is being discussed further by the organisation as a result of his comments.

Jim Mather from Maori Television refused to comment.

Larry Parr says he has no comment on the circumstances of his departure from Maori Television but he is happy in his new job as manager of television funding portfolio at Maori broadcasting funding agency Te Mangai Paho.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kia ora Adam,
what a cool blog 2day some very interesting comments. Cool up 2date on the pass of Hare Puke, but really enjoy the comments that you've put with regards to Ron Marks korero to the Maori Party. I think that you couldn't have put it in a better way, with his persona. So yes, he has prophesised what seems to be a caution to the Maori Party to not repeat. I do like the part about how they all look the same and sound the same the not talking to the real people so there is some honesty to his korero. A good "tip" perhaps, maybe he should have emailed this to the Maori Party knowing he wouldn't have enough kaha to tell them to their face as a "friend". HEoi pai te noho korero mo te ra nei.
Here's one that might of interest, there was a presentation at the Wananga Waiariki on the weekend and there is a student from Hamiltong that is making a big difference with his customary lands. He is making a profit but also giving back to his people by gifting kai to whanau and friends. What a huge step for Maori "o" for "orsum", (re: the taranaki biz tuhi). As for Mr Kahi who has he overstepped the line. Anyway good on Larry Parr he has a better job now anyway so he can tell Jim Mather where to go just by sitting on his turanga silently. I must say though there must of been some difference there in the start for him to go though Mr Kahi wouldn't of helped by writing what he did. Ki ahau though, Mr Parr would have had the inside step on that one without having told Mather or maybe that was the whole reason 2 his departure. Who knows.. maybe some one should interview him......? hmmmmmm

10:12 am  
Blogger Patu said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

12:37 pm  
Blogger Patu said...

What does Ron Mark mean by talking to the real people?

12:38 pm  

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