Excellent progress made

When we were sworn into office the Prime Minister was proud to say we would be a different government, one that deals with the big challenges New Zealand is facing.

Six months down the track we are making excellent progress.

Our Families Package, which takes effect in July, will lift the incomes of low-middle income working families by an average of $75 per week and help make a real dent in child poverty. Our plan to provide 100,000 affordable homes over 10 years through Kiwibuild is under way. We’ve already made significant investment in our regions, and we’ve begun rebuilding core public services like health and education. We’ve also made bold decisions to protect New Zealand’s environment and ensure there’ll be meaningful, well-paid jobs for Kiwis as the world transitions to a clean energy future.

As Minister of Crown/Ma¯ori Relations, Corrections, Tourism and Associate Education Minister responsible for Ma¯ori education, I’ve been dealing with some long-standing issues. Take Crown/Ma¯ori Relations for example. For at least 15 years ko¯hanga reo have been striving to have their Waitangi Tribunal report recognised. And there are other issues, like how wa¯nanga fit into the tertiary education system. More fighting in the courts is not good for anyone. That’s why I am restarting the conversation and working with these organisations to make progress.

As I am hearing, there needs to be a change in perspective. Too often Ma¯ori are seen as a handbrake on plans, instead of involving Ma¯ori more at the outset and working with them through the process.

I’ve spent a lot of time visiting prisons and community-based programmes around the country, talking to staff, specialists and prisoners, to understand how the system currently works and exactly what we need to change. Major changes are needed in the Corrections space, but I’m taking time to think through the issues and come up with solutions that will set us on the right path, while ensuring the public are safe.

We also need to be conscious of the impact of tourism on local communities. Most people recognise the economic benefits of tourism, and I want to make sure this attitude remains strong over the long term. No single funding mechanism is likely to be the silver bullet for visitor-related infrastructure, but the government is continuing to fund tourismrelated infrastructure, and I am currently considering options for charging international visitors, including through a levy.

If New Zealand is to continue to see the benefits of tourism, central, local government and the industry need to work together. This is the approach we are taking through the working group to resolve freedom camping issues, which will be reporting back to me with some solutions at the end of July.

"Too often Ma¯ ori are seen as a handbrake on plans, instead of involving Ma¯ ori more at the outset and working with them through the process."