Greater say for Maoris pledged

Press, 29 May 1989, Page 7

Greater say for Maoris pledged

By GLEN PERKINSON The New Labour Party has pledged a greater say for Maoris in health and education policy and services. The party’s leader, Mr Jim Anderton, yesterday made public its policy paper on Maori affairs. Mr Anderton and the N.L.P.’s president, Mr Mat McCarten, attended a Mana Motuhake Party hui at Te Kao, Northland, where the policy was discussed. The two parties also discussed a policy and electoral alliance for next year’s election. Yesterday’s policy statement was broad and held no details of Maori policy. Mr Anderton said the outlines would be the basis for firmer policy that would be formulated at the N.L.P.’s foundation conference in Wellington on the Queen’s Birthday week-end. Apart from more auton-

omy in delivering health and education policies the policy paper also hinted at different tax and income maintenance rates for Maoris. “Those measures must recognise the different perspectives of those from different cultures in relation to both the systems of delivery and the systems on which these are based,” the paper said. The N.L.P.’s document attacked the present economic policies of the Government, asserting that they discriminated against Maoris and the poor. “Policies must actively address the disparity in social well-being between Maori and pakeha. Policies of positive discrimination are needed to overcome unequal access to resources and services. If these are not forthcoming the position of the Maori in society will worsen.”