Waatea News: Māori Radio Station

Te Kōhao Health Managing Director Lady Tureiti Moxon says the Waitangi Tribunal’s findings on the Government’s Treaty reform agenda should serve as a wake-up call, warning that attempts to weaken Te Tiriti o Waitangi will have lasting consequences for Māori health, wellbeing and the relationship between Māori and the Crown.

Speaking with Dale Husband on Radio Waatea, Lady Moxon said the Tribunal’s report confirmed what many Māori organisations, iwi and community leaders have been saying for months—that the Government’s proposed reforms are inconsistent with Te Tiriti principles and risk undermining decades of progress.

The Waitangi Tribunal recently found that aspects of the Government’s Treaty reform programme breached the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, prejudiced Māori, and damaged the relationship between Māori and the Crown. The report also questioned the consultation process, concluding that Māori had not been meaningfully involved in decisions that directly affect their rights and interests.

Lady Moxon said the findings reinforce the importance of honouring Te Tiriti not simply as a historical document, but as a living constitutional agreement that continues to shape public policy and government responsibilities today.

She said the Tribunal’s conclusions extend beyond constitutional debate, with direct implications for health, education, housing and social services. In her view, weakening Treaty commitments inevitably weakens the systems designed to improve outcomes for Māori communities.

As one of Aotearoa’s most prominent Māori health advocates, Lady Moxon has long argued that Māori-led health services consistently deliver better outcomes because they are grounded in tikanga, whakapapa and the aspirations of whānau. She said those approaches require partnership with the Crown rather than policies that reduce Māori participation in decision-making.

The interview also explored the wider direction of health policy in Aotearoa. Lady Moxon said equity cannot be achieved without recognising the distinct status of Māori under Te Tiriti and ensuring Māori organisations have a genuine role in designing and delivering services.

She warned that recent policy changes risk reversing gains that have taken decades to build and could deepen existing inequities if Māori voices continue to be sidelined.

Lady Moxon said the Tribunal’s report should not be viewed as simply a legal finding but as an opportunity for the Government to reset its relationship with Māori and recommit to genuine partnership.

With the 2026 General Election approaching, she believes the future of Te Tiriti and Māori participation in public decision-making will become defining issues for voters, particularly as political parties present competing visions for the country’s constitutional and social future.

For Lady Moxon, the Tribunal’s report confirms that protecting Te Tiriti is inseparable from protecting the health and wellbeing of Māori communities.

#Tags:
#LadyTureitiMoxon #TeKōhaoHealth #TeTiriti #WaitangiTribunal #MāoriHealth #HealthEquity #Hauora #TeAoMāori #TreatyPrinciples #MāoriLeadership #WhānauOra #Election2026 #Constitution #PublicHealth #RadioWaatea #WaateaNews #Aotearoa #Māori #TreatyJustice #HealthPolicy

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More than 30,000 New Zealanders have backed a petition calling for the permanent protection of the Denniston Plateau, with Forest & Bird arguing the West Coast landscape is too ecologically significant to be opened up for further coal mining.

The petition is being delivered to Parliament by Forest & Bird Denniston campaign lead Scott Burnett, who says the plateau is home to globally important ecosystems and rare native species found nowhere else in the world. The conservation organisation is urging the Government to provide permanent protection for the area rather than allowing future mining proposals to proceed.

Burnett says the campaign is about safeguarding one of Aotearoa’s most unique natural environments for future generations.

The Denniston Plateau, located north of Westport, is internationally recognised for its ancient sandstone landscape, extensive wetlands and unique biodiversity. Despite its harsh appearance, the plateau supports a remarkable range of endemic plants and animals that have evolved in isolation over thousands of years.

Among the species highlighted by conservation advocates is the Denniston giant snail, along with a range of rare native invertebrates, mosses and alpine vegetation found only in the region. Conservationists say the plateau also provides habitat for threatened birds and insects, reinforcing its status as one of New Zealand’s most distinctive ecological landscapes.

The campaign comes as environmental protection continues to dominate national debate. Earlier this year, New Zealanders voted the striking “Avatar moth” as the country’s Bug of the Year, reflecting growing public interest in protecting native invertebrates and the ecosystems they depend on. Conservation groups say that heightened public awareness is also reflected in the strong support for the Denniston petition.

The petition arrives at a time when the Government is pursuing policies designed to increase resource development and economic growth, including reforms affecting mining and conservation land. Ministers have argued responsible resource extraction can coexist with environmental protection, while conservation organisations say irreplaceable ecosystems should remain off limits to development.

The campaign has also sparked debate on the West Coast itself. Some community leaders and industry representatives argue mining continues to play an important role in the regional economy, supporting employment and local businesses. Forest & Bird maintains the plateau’s environmental significance outweighs the economic case for further extraction, saying once these ecosystems are damaged they cannot be recreated.

The petition will now be presented to Parliament, where supporters hope it will encourage MPs to provide permanent legal protection for the plateau and recognise its national and international conservation value.

For Forest & Bird, the message is straightforward: some places are simply too precious to mine.

#Tags:
#DennistonPlateau #ForestAndBird #ScottBurnett #ProtectDenniston #Conservation #WestCoast #Biodiversity #CoalMining #Kaitiakitanga #Environment #NativeSpecies #BugOfTheYear #AvatarMoth #Climate #PublicConservationLand #TeTaiao #RadioWaatea #WaateaNews #Aotearoa #EnvironmentalProtection

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A leading language policy expert says Parliament’s decision to make English an official language has created unresolved legal and policy tensions with existing protections for te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, questioning whether the legislation was necessary in the first place.

Speaking with Dale Husband on Radio Waatea, ReoPol Managing Director Dr Vincent Olsen-Reeder described the new legislation as “the shortest bill in history”, arguing it offers little practical benefit while raising important constitutional questions about New Zealand’s language framework.

The legislation formally recognises English as an official language alongside te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. The Government has maintained the law simply reflects long-standing reality and does not diminish the status or legal protections afforded to the country’s other official languages.

Dr Olsen-Reeder said, however, the legislation has introduced uncertainty by creating a third official language without adequately addressing how it interacts with existing statutory protections, particularly those established under the Māori Language Act and legislation recognising New Zealand Sign Language.

He questioned why Parliament considered the legislation necessary at all.

“English has always been the dominant language of government, the courts, Parliament and public administration,” he said, arguing that it had never required formal legal recognition to function effectively.

Instead, he believes the legislation risks shifting attention away from the ongoing work needed to strengthen and revitalise te reo Māori, a language that continues to require active protection under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and existing law.

Dr Olsen-Reeder said the Crown has long recognised obligations to actively protect te reo Māori as a taonga. He warned that introducing English as an official language without clearly defining how the three official languages interact could create future policy and legal challenges, particularly when government agencies make decisions about language use and public services.

The legislation has attracted criticism from a range of language advocates and constitutional commentators, many of whom argue English has operated as New Zealand’s de facto official language since colonisation and therefore required no additional legislative recognition. They contend the new law is largely symbolic while doing little to improve access to public services or strengthen language rights.

Supporters of the legislation, including Government ministers, say the law simply formalises existing practice and provides certainty by recognising the language spoken by the overwhelming majority of New Zealanders. They have rejected suggestions that the change weakens protections for te reo Māori or New Zealand Sign Language.

For Dr Olsen-Reeder, however, the debate is about more than symbolism. He says language policy carries constitutional significance and reflects the Crown’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Indigenous language revitalisation and equitable access to public life.

He believes future governments will need to clarify how the three official languages operate alongside one another to ensure the legal recognition of English does not create unintended consequences for the protection and promotion of te reo Māori.

#Tags:
#TeReoMāori #OfficialLanguages #EnglishLanguageAct #VincentOlsenReeder #ReoPol #LanguagePolicy #TeTiriti #MāoriLanguage #NZSignLanguage #LanguageRights #Māori #Politics #Constitution #Aotearoa #RadioWaatea #WaateaNews #TeAoMāori #PublicPolicy #LanguageRevitalisation #Election2026

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Economist and child poverty expert Professor Susan St John says New Zealand First’s proposed Kiwi Kids Grant has sparked an important national conversation, but warns that meaningful reductions in child poverty will only come through long-term income security, affordable housing and sustained investment in families.

Speaking with Dale Husband on Radio Waatea, Professor St John said the proposal to provide financial support to encourage New Zealanders to have more children may attract attention, but questioned whether it addresses the deeper structural issues affecting whānau.

“I’m not sure this Government gets it,” she said, arguing that raising children is fundamentally about providing families with confidence that they can afford secure housing, nutritious food, education and healthcare over many years—not simply at the point a child is born.

The discussion comes as new child poverty figures continue to paint a concerning picture for Māori communities.

Recent data highlighted by Te Ao Māori News found that one in four Māori children are living in material hardship, reinforcing longstanding concerns about inequities in income, housing and access to essential services.

Professor St John said those figures demonstrate that while individual initiatives may help some families, New Zealand still lacks a comprehensive strategy capable of breaking intergenerational poverty.

She said reducing child poverty requires policies that provide certainty throughout childhood rather than isolated interventions.

Professor St John said financial insecurity remains one of the biggest barriers facing many families.

She argued that income support cannot be considered separately from housing policy, with rising rents and mortgage costs continuing to absorb a growing proportion of household budgets.

For many whānau, she said, stable housing is just as important as income support because children thrive when families have certainty about where they will live and can remain connected to schools, communities and wider whānau networks.

New Zealand First recently unveiled its proposed Kiwi Kids Grant, describing it as part of a broader strategy to encourage New Zealanders to have more children while responding to declining birth rates and demographic change.

Professor St John acknowledged that declining birth rates are a legitimate policy challenge, but said governments must also ask why many young New Zealanders feel unable to start or grow their families.

She said decisions about having children are increasingly shaped by housing affordability, employment security, childcare costs and confidence in the future economy.

With child poverty expected to remain a major election issue, Professor St John said political parties should avoid viewing children through the lens of short-term election commitments.

Instead, she believes New Zealand needs a sustained national commitment to lifting family incomes, improving housing affordability and ensuring all children—regardless of where they are born or their ethnicity—have the opportunity to thrive.

For Māori communities, she said, that means recognising the disproportionate impact of poverty while supporting Māori-led solutions that strengthen whānau and improve long-term wellbeing.

As political parties continue unveiling family-focused policies ahead of the 2026 General Election, Professor St John said the measure of success will not be the size of individual payments, but whether fewer children are growing up in hardship in the years ahead.

#Tags:
#SusanStJohn #ChildPoverty #KiwiKidsGrant #NZFirst #MāoriChildren #MaterialHardship #Whānau #Economy #Housing #IncomeSupport #ChildWellbeing #Election2026 #MāoriHealth #SocialPolicy #CostOfLiving #TeAoMāori #RadioWaatea #WaateaNews #Aotearoa #FamilyPolicy

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Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says strengthening Māori political representation, protecting Te Tiriti o Waitangi and confronting divisive political rhetoric will be central issues heading into the 2026 General Election.

Speaking with Dale Husband on Radio Waatea, Davidson discussed the design of New Zealand’s enrolment and electoral system, the future of the Māori electorates, the Waitangi Tribunal’s recent findings on Treaty reforms, and comments made by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

Davidson said the current enrolment and Māori Electoral Option process remains unnecessarily restrictive and creates barriers for Māori wanting to exercise their democratic choice.

The discussion follows renewed debate around the Māori roll after reports of enrolment difficulties and longstanding calls for reform of the Māori Electoral Option. Davidson reiterated the Green Party’s commitment to strengthening Māori political representation, including entrenching the Māori electorates so they cannot be removed by a simple parliamentary majority. The Greens have also highlighted strong Māori representation within their own candidate list for the 2026 election.

She said democratic participation should be made easier, not more complicated, arguing Māori should have confidence that the electoral system works fairly and consistently for all voters.

Davidson also reflected on the recent Waitangi Tribunal findings, which concluded aspects of the Government’s proposed Treaty reforms breached Te Tiriti principles and had caused prejudice to Māori while damaging the Māori–Crown relationship.

She said the Tribunal’s conclusions reinforced concerns raised by Māori organisations and communities over the direction of Government policy, arguing the findings demonstrate the importance of genuine partnership with Māori in decision-making.

The Greens maintain that Te Tiriti should remain a foundational part of New Zealand’s constitutional and legislative framework and have committed to reversing policies they believe weaken Treaty obligations.

The interview also turned to the increasingly heated political exchanges following comments by Winston Peters towards Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan.

Davidson said she believes it is time for Peters to leave politics, arguing his comments have further inflamed division rather than contributing constructively to political debate. She also criticised Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s response, suggesting he had failed to show the leadership required to address the controversy and accusing him of lacking the resolve to challenge his coalition partner.

Davidson said the coming election presents voters with a choice over the future direction of Aotearoa, including the protection of Te Tiriti, the strength of Māori representation in Parliament and the health of New Zealand’s democratic institutions.

She said ensuring Māori voices remain strong within Parliament and across government decision-making will continue to be a central priority for the Green Party as campaigning intensifies.

#Tags:
#MaramaDavidson #Greens #Election2026 #TeTiriti #MāoriRoll #MāoriSeats #WaitangiTribunal #WinstonPeters #ChristopherLuxon #TeAoMāori #Democracy #PoliticalNews #MāoriRepresentation #GreenParty #DaleHusband #RadioWaatea #WaateaNews #AotearoaPolitics #TreatyJustice #GeneralElection

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The Government has moved to protect customary shellfish beds in the Hauraki Gulf while simultaneously advancing offshore petroleum exploration, highlighting the competing pressures of environmental protection, customary fisheries and economic development.

Speaking with Dale Husband on Radio Waatea, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones defended the Government’s approach, arguing that New Zealand is capable of pursuing both conservation and responsible resource development.

The interview also touched on recent political tensions following exchanges between the Green Party and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. Jones dismissed suggestions the controversy reflected a broader crisis in New Zealand politics.

“People are catastrophising,” he said, arguing that while political debate had become heated, New Zealanders expected robust exchanges and that attention should remain focused on substantive policy issues affecting the country.

Jones confirmed the Government has extended temporary shellfish harvesting bans across parts of the Hauraki Gulf for a further two years following requests from local iwi seeking to restore depleted customary fisheries.

The extended temporary closures include:

Jones said the extensions recognise the importance of allowing shellfish populations to recover while supporting iwi-led efforts to restore traditional food gathering areas.

The temporary closures, commonly referred to as rāhui under fisheries regulations, are designed to protect customary fisheries and ensure future generations can continue to harvest kaimoana from healthy marine ecosystems.

The interview also addressed the Government’s recent decision to grant the country’s first new offshore petroleum exploration permit since the previous exploration ban was lifted.

The move has attracted strong criticism from environmental organisations and opposition parties, who argue expanding fossil fuel exploration conflicts with New Zealand’s climate commitments and marine protection goals.

Jones rejected the suggestion the two decisions were contradictory.

He argued fisheries management and petroleum exploration operate under separate regulatory frameworks and said New Zealand could continue protecting sensitive marine environments while responsibly developing offshore energy resources where appropriate.

Jones said resource development remains an important contributor to regional economies and employment, particularly as New Zealand seeks to strengthen energy security and economic resilience.

The decisions have reignited debate over how Aotearoa should balance environmental stewardship, customary rights and economic opportunity.

For Māori, the discussion carries particular significance, with customary fisheries representing not only an economic resource but also an expression of whakapapa, tikanga and kaitiakitanga.

While environmental groups continue to oppose new offshore exploration, many iwi have also emphasised the importance of restoring traditional shellfish beds through rāhui and sustainable fisheries management.

Jones said the Government’s role is to ensure both objectives can coexist through evidence-based regulation rather than ideological positions.

As debate over energy, climate and resource management intensifies ahead of the 2026 General Election, the challenge of balancing conservation with economic development is likely to remain one of the country’s defining political issues.

#Tags:
#ShaneJones #HaurakiGulf #Kaimoana #Rāhui #CustomaryFisheries #Kaitiakitanga #OffshoreExploration #Petroleum #OceansAndFisheries #MāoriFisheries #Environment #Climate #EconomicDevelopment #TeAoMāori #Election2026 #WinstonPeters #GreenParty #RadioWaatea #WaateaNews #Aotearoa

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Hai te marama o Noema 2026, me whai Aromātai Āwhina Mātua ngā rangatahi e hiahia ana ki te tautoko a te takuhe aru mahi arā te Jobseeker Support i Te Hiranga Tangata arā i a (Work and Income).

E ai ki ngā tatauranga, neke atu i te 4,000 ngā rangatahi ka pāngia e tēnei panonitanga.

Ka utu hoki te Kāwanatanga i te bonus $1000 ki ngā rangatahi 18–24 tau e noho ana i tētahi tūnga mahi mō te kotahi tau.

E ai ki a Marama Davidson o te Rōpū Kākāriki, ka uaua ake tēnei ki ngā whānau, nā wai i pōhara kātahi kā pōhara ke atu.

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Whai muri i te whakarewatanga ake i kī katoa ngā tūru, ā, ka hoki mai a Tērā te Auahi ki Rotorua hai tēnei raumati.

Hei tā te Kaihautū Auaha a Matiu Hamuera, he mea nui kia whakaora ake i ngā kōrero mō te pahūtanga o Tarawera i te tau 1886, nā te mea kua roa ēnei kōrero e noho ngū ana. Ko tana tūmanako, ka tae mai ngā whānau puta noa i te motu ki te kite me te wheako i tēnei whakaari e whakaatu atu nei i tō tātou hītori mā roto mai i ngā mahi ngahau.

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Kei te piki ake rānei te tokomaha o ngā rangatahi e kōwhiri ana i ngā mahi ā-ringa arā ngā trades hei ara matua, tēnā i te whare wānanga?

E ai ki a Minita Tama Potaka, kua whāia taua ara e ētahi o ana irāmutu, ā, ki a ia he huarahi pai tēnei kia tere uru atu ai ki te mahi, hai whakakori i te tinana, kia whakawhanake pūkenga, ā, kia tere ake hoki te āwhina i ngā utu me ngā hiahia o te whānau.

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I puta te āki i a NZMACI ki te Kāwanatanga kia tautokona tonutia rātau kia pai ai ā rātou mahi whakawhanake i te reanga hou o ngā ringatoi Māori, arā ngā kaiwhakairo me ngā kairaranga.

E ai ki te Upoko o NZMACI, a Ranginui Rikirangi Thomas, kei te haere tonu te mahi a te whare nei ki te tiaki me te tuku iho i ngā toi Māori me te mātauranga Māori i raro i te Māori Arts and Crafts Act 1926 me te NZMACI Vesting Act 2020.

Mai i te whitinga o NZMACI i te karauna ki ngā iwi i te tau 2020, i mimiti hoki te whitinga o te pūtea a te Kāwanatanga, ā, kua uta te nuinga o ngā utu ki runga i ngā iwi.

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