White Middle-class Women can’t say? – Jadis

OK, so I’m not really meant to be posting.  I am meant to be a guest poster when David is on a holiday or some other excursion however we all know that he posts even more on holiday so what is the point in obeying his rules.

First of all, I had better declare that I am a white middle class woman.  Apparently Jan Pryor, as Head of the Families Commission, thinks being a middle class white woman is some impediment to answering a question with a straight answer at select committee.

Through questions from Labour and National MPs the Head of the Families Commission refused to define what she believed Whanau Ora to be because:

“…the simple fact that I am a middle class white woman. And so I don’t feel that I should be giving definitive answers.”

I’m sorry but “What the F***?”

How hard is  it to say “Wraparound” or ask Minister Turia during the meetings that Pryor has with her?  I’ve done my fair share of Women’s studies, sociology, etc papers (yes, I used them as filler subjects) but Pryor takes the cake.  The point is the Commission has done a paper on Whanau Ora so it is within the work of the Commission.  I suppose this is a new way of avoiding a question at select committee.

So here it is, from a middle-class white woman (who even lives in the suburbs)…. *Whanau Ora is a wraparound approach to helping families especially Maori.  Whanau Ora is a combo of using what is available within families, the state and community organisations so that there is a multi-faceted approach.

* Please note I have intentionally worded it so there is a bit of policy-speak so that the Head of the Commission might learn that she can still answer a question like a head of a wannabe policy (or is it lobbying) tax-payer funded entity, without using a cop-out, post-modernist, feminist line like she couldn’t possibly comment because she is middle class, white  and female.