The Minister of Social Welfare Ann Hercus released Puao-te-ata-tu (Report of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on a Māori Perspective for Social Welfare) after the end of a special ministerial inquiry led by John Rangihau involving over 60 hui across the country.[i] The report was highly critical of the department and identified ‘institutional racism’ as a major problem, with the agency imposing a strongly European cultural perspective on its Māori clients. The committee found that the department had failed to protect the interests of Māori and had profoundly misunderstood the place of the child in Māori society and the relationship of Māori children with whānau, hapū, and iwi structures.[ii] The report made 13 recommendations on how the department might meet the needs of Māori in policy, planning, and service delivery.[iii]
Footnotes
- [i] go to main content Danny Keenan, ‘The Treaty is Always Speaking?’, in Margaret Tennant and Bronwyn Dalley, eds., Past Judgement, Social Policy in New Zealand History, Otago University Press, Dunedin, 2004, p. 212.; Margaret McClure, A Civilised Community: A History of Social Security in New Zealand 1898–1998, Auckland, 1998, pp. 224–225.
- [ii] go to main content Wai 2915, p. 33.
- [iii] go to main content Wai 414, p. 108.