Maori Status Discussed

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31730, 13 July 1968, Page 36

Maori Status Discussed

(N.Z. Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 12.

Parliament was told today that the Maori was not yet the equal of the European and until the Government recognised “this basic truth” the high unemployment rate among the Maoris would not be alleviated. Speaking in the resumed Address-in-Reply debate, the Labour member for Eastern Maori, Mr P. B. Reweti, said: “It is no use attempting to treat Maoris as equals.” “Because of the educational shortcomings of the Maori people and consequently the greater unemployment, it is the duty of this Government to see that they are given every possible assistance in the way of education,” he said. Mr Reweti agreed with those who believed that the Maori, in general, was “a secondclass citizen.” He said that New Zealand spoke proudly of its record in race relations. “But it is time the Government woke up to the facts and did something about it—giving some substance to the claims that they make on the international scene,” he said. Mr Reweti said: “I consider this is an indictment of our society and this Government. Society must take care of the misfits it produces and must take responsibility for a socially - depressed minority group.” 1 He said that two-thirds of

the Maori work force on the East Coast earned extremely low wages. The Maori birth rate was almost 4 per cent per annum and the present average age of the Maori population was 15 years. "This means that 50 per cent of the total Maori population is of school age and under. Some 44 per cent form

the working-age group, most of tyhom are unskilled," he said. Mr Reweti said most young Maoris entered labouring jobs on leaving school. “If the standard of education is not improved, more and more young Maoris will enter unskilled employment. It is a potentially dangerous situation,” he said.