Maori group upset by lack of response

Press, 23 February 1987, Page 8

Maori group upset by lack of response

PA Wellington A committee which represents Maori people within the Raukawa district has expressed a vote of no-confidence in the Minister of Maori Affairs, Mr Wetere.

The group, Te Komiti Whakatinana o Raukawa, which represents the Raukawa District Maori Council and the Raukawa Trustees, is upset by a lack of response over plans for the employment scheme, Access.

However, the Wellington region Maori Affairs Department director, Mr Bill Kaua, says the programme is having “growing pains” in some areas, and the committee should soon get satisfaction to its complaints. The committee says it is in the embarrassing situation of being the administering body for Maori Access for most of

Raukawa region — which covers much of the lower half of the North Island — but has no funds to get the scheme started.

Mr Kaua approached the committee in October for it to administer Access, which it agreed to. But the committee has still not received funds. The co-ordinator of the committee, Mr Te Maharanui Jacob, said it wrote to Mr Wetere in January, and to the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, and the Board of Maori Affairs earlier this month. No response was received to any of the letters, he said.

As a result the committee was publicly expressing a vote of no-confid-ence in Mr Wetere, which was also stated in a letter to Mr Lange. A meeting between the committee and Mr Wetere over the issue is expected today.