Changing face of Cabinet
Ma¯ori looking for results from tranche of appointments
As Labour unveiled its ministerial appointments on Monday, the headlines were full of “firsts” and “record number of”, and particularly for Ma¯ori.
And quite rightly so. Nanaia Mahuta became the first female Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the second of Ma¯ori heritage, after Winston Peters. She is though, the first to bear a moko kauae.
As others have pointed out, it is akin to a First Nation woman being appointed as the United States Secretary of State.
It is hugely deserved recognition for one of the party’s mostexperienced MPS and most knowledgeable around tikanga Ma¯ori.
“It’s a signal of just how far we’ve come as a country,” political commentator Morgan Godfery said, also noting the “irony” of Peeni Henare, who also has links to the Kingitanga, being appointed Minister of Defence.
Labour also appointed an equal record number of Ma¯ori ministers inside Cabinet: five — the same as the last Labour-led Government, which included three from NZ First.
Along with Mahuta and Henare, party deputy leader Kelvin Davis gained the portfolios of Minister for Children, Corrections and Te Arawhiti/ma¯ori Crown Relations; Willie Jackson Minister for Ma¯ori Development; and Kiri Allan Minister of Conservation.
Ma¯ori Ministers outside Cabinet include Minister of Customs Meka Whaitiri and Green Party co-leader, and Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Marama Davidson.
Rino Tirikatene is the Parliamentary Under-secretary to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, and Adrian Rurawhe deputy speaker.
There will be a lot expected from this historically-high representation for Ma¯ori, but numbers aside, political commentator and academic Dr Rawiri Taonui is cautious about what they will be able to achieve.
“The appointments are good recognition of the contributions they made during the election. They have earned it, and it is overdue.
“There is going to be a lot of pressure from Ma¯oridom, and from their colleagues and the Ma¯ori Party to deliver, but the weakness is they have not been given any of the major portfolios where they can really drive the change needed.
“While there is equality in numbers, there is not necessarily equality in positions.”
Davis turned down the Deputy Prime Minister role, and Peeni Henare missed out on his desired role of Health Minister to Andrew Little.
Aside from Mahuta, Ma¯ori missed out on the major mainstream portfolios of health, finance and education – all also key areas particularly as the country recovers from the impacts of Covid-19.
Despite being outside of those key roles, Taonui said it was vital the Ma¯ori caucus worked closely with their colleagues to ensure the recovery not only did not repeat the inequities that existed across the board, but used it as a tool to fix it.
There will be disappointment Davis turned down the Deputy Prime Minister position, but Taonui said it likely reflected Davis’ own view of himself as a “worker, not a talker”.
He commended his appointment as Minister for Children, with responsibility for the embattled Oranga Tamariki that has been a major thorn in the Government’s side.
Taonui said Mahuta’s was a “brilliant” appointment.
“I can really see her shining on the international stage, and also with the cultural capital of Kingitanga behind her, it is we have something never had.”
He also commended the promotions of Allan and Henare into Cabinet.
“They are ones to watch for the future.”
There will also likely be a continuing transformation when it comes to settling historical grievances of breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Little, who is again Minister of Treaty Negotiations, impressed at Waitangi Day this year when he spoke in te reo of the need for a different approach, one that was focused more on hapu¯ and future relations.
“You can bet the Ma¯ori MPS would have wanted more influential positions, but would have accepted what they’ve got as steps in the right direction,” Taonui said. “At the end of the day, they have got to appease the majority.” — NZ Herald