Dear Hon Willie Jackson: Minister for Maori Affairs

Hello Willie

I know that you will be a regular reader of Kiwiblog. In contrast – I almost never watch TV – but I happened to watch the Sunday programme on the weekend. The one about Fenton St in Rotorua.

One aim of the programme seemed to look to blame the tragedies on people gaming the system.

But there was so much wrong there – highly inhumane – that I was sure that you and the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction would suddenly appear (Bit-Man and Robbin?). You see – my family was without a home for much of my first two years of high-school and I had to live in a bus. As per the Monty Python sketch – compared to what many of these motel dwellers have … the bus was “luxury”.

I was blessed through a friendship and one good teacher that helped me understand that education is a HUGE part of breaking the chains of inter-generation poverty.

That was 40 years ago. Do the Math on the human cost since. Why is what Sunday showed happening in our nation in 2022? Why – as Minister for Maori Development – are Maori so highly represented in the poverty statistics? What have you achieved in the last 5 years?

Do you believe in education for Maori? If so – just picking one stat – why do 67% Asian School leavers (many of them without English as a first language) have University Entrance but only 18% of Maori? It has got worse under your watch. What are you doing about it? It is urgent Hon Mr Jackson.