Kua puta te Puao-Te-Ata-Tu says committee on Social Welfare

Tu Tangata, Issue 32, 1 October 1986, Page 10

Kua puta te Puao-Te-Ata-T u says committee on Social Welfare

Daybreak must come for the Maori people in social equity, with the Department of Social Welfare needing to be at the forefront of most radical change. That's the conclusion of the Ministerial Advisory Committee which was charged with giving a maori perspective of the Department of Social Welfare to its minister, Anne Hercus.

Its members, John Rangihau, Lena Manuel, Donna Hall, Hori Brennan, Peter Boag, John Grant and Neville Baker have held 65 meetings on marae, in institutions and offices, listening to people have their say. This is their report. Among its thirteen recommendations are the complete reappraisal of policy objectives that operate from a ‘superior’ point of view towards those of other ‘inferior’ cultures.

Power sharing is advocated, one example of which is the abolishment of the existing Social Security Commission (seen in the report as “four Pakeha male officers of the Department”) to be replaced by a Social Welfare Commission (to be composed of four Social Welfare officers, two persons nominated by the Minister of Maori Affairs after consultation with tribal authorities and two persons nominated by the Minister of Women’s Affairs. The option of a nomination from the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs is also offered.) Accountability to the community was seen as vital therefore District Executive Committees were advocated, each having up to nine members.

Changes to dole payments and child benefits were also seen as vitally necessary so that maori efforts to break out of the dependency cycle could be realised. The maori customery practices that strengthened whanau, hapu and iwi ties were seen as being paramount, rather than the primacy of the individual. In that context the recommendations to the review of the Children and Young Persons Act 1974, as requested specially by the Minister, were pertinent. They were to have customery cultural preferences recognised by the courts and social workers.

The Social Welfare institutions around the country needed to be run by management committees drawn from the local communities. This was necessary to utilise the extended family support networks and help the youngsters in the institutions re-establish their tribal identities.

The fairly new programme pioneered by the departments of Maori Affairs and Social Welfare, Maatua Whangai, was given enthusiastic approval, with the caution that it may be too early to

expect it to be able to support those young people already in institutions. The committee instead advocated a return to the original focus of nuturing children within the family group. The needs of the rangatahi were acknowledged in that, although they are the future, many of them are alienated

from their culture and identity. It was acknowledged that parental influence had broken down and the maori networks were not yet strong enough to be really effective. The committee saw it as being essential that a co-ordinated strategy by the departments of Social Welfare Maori Affairs and the Police was needed to strengthen maori networks and family ties. The proposed Social Welfare Commission could meet with the tribal authorities to consider best allocation of funding so that young Maori skills could be promoted and employment opportunities result.

The overall pakeha staffing of Social Welfare and subsequent lack of knowledge of maoritanga and insensitivity needed to change radically said the committee. It advocated job criteria appropriate to the needs of the client community and recognition for Maori people assisting in field and reception work. From this basis it saw that its recommendations affected all government departments and it called on the State Services Commission to act urgently on the training needs for social service delivery in the public service. Meanwhile it said Social Welfare should immediately contract Maori trainers for all its staff.

In the familiar form-filling area of Social Welfare, the Ministerial Advisory Committee said simpler forms should be produced in english and maori to assist Maori people as to what benefits they are entitled to. Toll-free calling services were also recommended so that rural areas could make much-needed enquiries.

The area of inter-departmental coordination amongst the departments of Labour, Social Welfare, Education, Justice, Health and Maori Affairs was also a priority concern. Too often, it was felt, government agencies were unable to deliver a good social service because of little or no cooperation between themselves. The committee recommended that the State Services Commission take immediate action.

Finally a comprehensive approach to the major social crisis facing New Zealand was seen as being best met across a broad front of central Government, local Government, Maori tribal authorities and the community at large. A Cabinet Commitee on Social Equity was advanced as a serious way to tackle the cultural, economic and social problems that were creating tensions in our major cities and outlying areas.

What comes through again and again in the report of the advisory committee is that the main strength of the Maori lies in tribal links, links that have been the target of pakeha fear, misunderstanding and attack.

An appendix to the main report, ‘Puao-te-ata-tu’ (Daybreak) gives a historical perspective and legal perspective to the faces of racisim in Aotearoa, and it makes gripping and sobering reading. The report has been presented to the Minister of Social Welfare, Mrs Anne Hercus. A further committee of Taitoko Tawhiri, Joe Karetai, Api Mahuika, Norman Perry, Ruruhia Robin, Eva Rickard and Anne Tia are working with the advisory committee chairman, John Rangihau, to help implement the recommendations of the committee and give advice where necessary.

The final plea of Puao-te-ata-tu, “we are not talking of mere redecoration of the waiting room so that clients feel more comfortable.”