‘Volunteer workers give Government free service’

Press, 2 June 1982, Page 14

‘Volunteer workers give Government free service’

PA Hamilton The government is "copping out" of its responsibilities by. recruiting an army of volunteer social workers to do its work for nothing, the national ’ Maori wardens president. Mr Peter Walden, has said in Hamilton. Mr Walden had earlier told the Waikato-Maniapoto district wardens at Hui Te Rangiora marae, in. Hamilton. that since the Maori Affairs Department withdrew from individual casework there was no-one except social workers for people to turn to. The department's welfare officers used to be "all over the place" in the community, but now they were called community officers; “you don’t see them," he said. The switch in departmental emphasis was decided several years ago when the Tu Tangata community policies were dreamt up, supposedly to encourage Maori people to take responsibility for their development; said Mr Walden. The Social Welfare Department was thought capable of taking up the slack with individual casework. But. when interviewed, Mr Walden said Maori people did not approach that department.

He said Maori Affairs Department officers used to be the source of most information for the people, “But now "half of them don’t even know what’s going on.” “There are many fine community officers but they don’t go into the schools — I don’t know where they go." he said. "In my opinion the department is on the way out.” Mr Walden said he believed the department's demise was just part of general Government policy to dodge its responsibilities by getting people to do social w'ork for nothing. "The Social Welfare Department is flat out training voluntary people, the wardens are flat out." he said. "There’s a whole army out there being recruited, being thrust into the gap — it's crazy." Mr Walden said the Government. if it wanted to rely on volunteers, had a moral obligation to supply them with the tools to do their jobs and not just "turn them loose." The 1000-member Wardens Association had asked for the salary of a full-time field worker but this year the Government had contributed only $3OOO for administrative expenses, he said.

The only other funding had been $lO,OOO from the Alcoholic Liquor Advisory Council. This contrasts with two years ago when the Government made a $50,000 one-off grant to get the association back on its feet after a long recess. "The wardens have proven a case for greater assistance and I don’t mean clambering over red tape and bureaucratic bungling to get it — it's got to be made easier," said Mr Walden.