Foiled, or fouled?

Te Ururoa Flavell, Minister for Maori Development and for Whanau Ora, couldn’t wait. He triumphantly issued a press statement last Friday headed: ‘‘Reports shows (sic) success of Whanau Ora approach.’’ Flavell was referring to an analysis of research and monitoring results from the first four years of Whanau Ora, set up in 2010 as part of the confidence and supply agreement between the Maori Party and National.

The findings were published in a report this week.

Just as Flavell portended, the report paints a positive picture of the programme. Almost 900 whanau, representing about 5000 people, have been surveyed and more than half have reported improved access to services and improved happiness, relationships and leadership. But critics would be happier if hard financial data or an evaluation of the spending of the first $140 million on the scheme were included. Regardless of those critical omissions, Flavell enthused: ‘‘Clearly, the report tells us there are benefits to be had, and the change of approach is right.’’

He wasn’t in Parliament on Tuesday, however, and Christopher Finlayson, the Associate Minister for Maori Development, fielded questions from New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. Finlayson answered yes when asked if the Minister stood by his statement that ‘‘we’ve got the platform right, I think we are in the right space’’. But when Peters asked if it were fair to say the Minister had commissioned a report costing over $20,000 to defend his position that Whanau Ora is producing results, despite the report containing no hard data, Finlayson said this should be directed to the Minister for Whanau Ora.

He similarly rebuffed Peters when asked which was a better use of taxpayer funding – $20,000 spent through Whanau Ora on Dunedin gang members to buy cannabis, over $60,000 to an Otaki Maori club for a one-day hooley, or $140 million on 2750 more nurses in our hospitals, 2725 more primary school teachers in our schools, or 2360 more police officers protecting our streets from crime? A breakdown of costs found Parliament cost $310 a minute in 2014. Another hundred or so were squandered during this duel over the worth of Whanau Ora and Peters had cause to fume at being foiled by Finlayson’s procedural pedantry. Taxpayers whose money for Whanau Ora unambiguously comes from ‘‘Vote Maori Development’’ should be fuming, too.

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