Today the Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka (Māori and Pasifika) caucus supported the 2023 Budget, but there’s still room for improvement.
“While we acknowledge the investment for Māori there’s still much more to do to address generations of under-funding.” Says Green Party’s Māori Development spokesperson, Teanau Tuiono.
“We are glad to see there is a focus particularly on Māori housing, the Green Party has always advocated for safe, accessible homes for all. We know that Māori are disproportionately affected by homelessness and poor living standards and this funding boost will hopefully begin to address that.
“We acknowledge the funding increase to Te Matatini which has been critically underfunded for too long. We mustn’t under-estimate the positive outcomes these kaupapa have on mental health, connection and well-being. To allocate more resources and pūtea into Te Reo and kaupapa Māori as a whole is to honour Te Tiriti and Māori development as a priority.
“We understand and acknowledge there may be concerns raised by iwi, hapū, Māori and environmental groups that this Budget does not adequately address the severity of the climate crisis and the damage caused to the whenua and people of Te Tai Rāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay, Tāmaki Makaurau and Tai Tokerau following the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.
“We welcome the investments towards improving access to Pacific language learning.
“We don’t need a ‘No Frills Budget’ we need a fairer tax system. The money is already there. An excess profits tax and a wealth tax where everyone pays their fair share would allow us to redistribute the money from the wealthiest few to benefit us all.” says Teanau Tuiono.
