Labour policies could help Maoris—U.S. report

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 28

Labour policies could help Maoris—U.S. report

NZPA staff correspondent Washington Success for the Government’s economic policies could significantly improve the social and economic status of Maoris, according to the United States State Department. In its annual country reports on human rights practices for 1985, the State Department gave New Zealand its usual clean bill of health, noting that during the year the country “continued its good record in the human rights field.”

“New Zealanders continue to enjoy personal freedom, freedom of religion, freedom of press,

universal suffrage, and the rule of law,” it said. The report said New Zealand’s free enterprise economy offered a reasonable standard of living for most, although it noted that the median income level for Maoris was “significantly lower” than for non-Maoris. “The 1983 unemployment rate among nonMaoris was 6.4 per cent—among Maoris it was close to 27 per cent. The report said there was growing sensitivity to the status of women and Maoris in New Zealand society. It said Maoris lagged significantly behind nonMaoris in many important

areas, with Maoris suffering the stresses of moving from rural to urban environments. The report noted a rise in Maori activism as well as the development of some ethnic radicalism. “While the Labour Government’s long-term structural economic reforms address the concerns of Maoris only indirectly, their eventual success could significantly improve the socio-econo-mic status of Maoris,” the report said. The State Department makes human rights reports .on all countries each year. Their findings go to the House and Senate foreign affairs committees.