Kāhore ētahi mema paremata i te whakapono, e tika ana ngā tukanga whakatū i ngā mema ki Te Mātāwai, te manatū hou ka arahi i ngā mahi whakarauora i te reo Māori.
E mea ana te mema o NZ First a Pita Paraone, me kaha ake ngā tukanga hei whakatū i ngā mema, ā, hei tā te mema o Reipa a Peeni Henare, ehara i te mea, e mārama kehokeho ana he aha kē te tukanga.
Kotahi anahe te mema kua whakatūngia ki Te Mātāwai, ā e puta ana ngā maharahara o ētahi mema paremata.
Hei tā Paraone, “I te mutunga mai o te rā, mena kei te mohio mai, me pehea aua tangata i tohungia, kei te hari ahau.”
E ai ki a Henare, “Ae koina taku e patai nei, he aha te mahi whiriwhiri a NUMA ki te whakatau ma Willie te turanga e whakakii. Rawa au i kite i etahi huihuinga ki roto o Tamaki Makaurau. Ki te whiriwhiri, kahore.”
Nā te māngai mō ngā Māori noho taone nā John Tamihere te whakatau, ko te komiti whāiti o NUMA i heamanahia e ia, te kai-whakatū i a Willie Jackson hei māngai noho taone ki Te Mātāwai. Hoino, kaare a Tamihere mō te whāki mai ko wai rā ngā mema o te komiti whāiti i whai wāhi ki te kōwhiringa.
“Koina te take, hakaaro ana au, he aha te mea rereke pai atu ma ratou kia whakamohio mai ki te ao whanui, engari mo NUMA, karekau matou e mohio ana te ahuatanga i aru i a ratou,” hei tā Paraone.
Tekau mā toru katoa ngā mema ka whakatūngia ki Te Mātāwai a te mutunga mai o Hurei. Pēnei i te māngai noho taone a Jackson, arā hoki ngā mema ka whakakanohi mai i ngā kaikawe kaupapa reo Māori i roto i ngā mahi ā iwi, te karauna, hapori, pāpāho me te mātauranga.
E ai kit e Minita Whanaketanga Māori a Te Ururoa Flavell, “Kahore au i te tino rata ki te aata whakawaa i nga tangata ka tohutohungia e tena, e tena i mua tonu i te wa ka noho atu te katoa o Te Mātāwai. Ka mutu, i raro i te tikanga, ma tena iwi, ma tena ropu ia e whakarite.”
Kīhai a Jackson i whakaae kia tuku kōrero mai mō ngā tukanga whiriwhiri, engari hei tānā, ka ū tonu ia ki āna kōrero, ehara te whainga matua o tana tūranga e aro pū ana ki āna pūkenga kōrero Māori, engari he arataki kē i ngā kaupapa hei painga mō te whakarauora i te reo.
Some opposition MPs are criticising the appointment process to Te Mātāwai, the organisation responsible for revitalising the Māori language. NZ First MP Pita Paraone is calling for greater transparency in the appointments and Labour MP Peeni Henare says the process isn't clear.
Only one member has been appointed to the Te Mātāwai board and the entity is already getting flak from opposition MPs.
Paraone says, “At the end of the day, if we know how the representatives are appointed, then I will be satisfied.”
According to Henare, “I question NUMA's process to appoint Willie (Jackson) as the urban representative. I wasn't party to any meetings or the appointment process in Auckland. Not at all.”
Urban Māori leader John Tamihere confirmed that the National Māori Urban Authority (NUMA) Sub-Committee, which he chaired, appointed Willie Jackson as the Urban Māori member to Te Mātāwai.
However, Mr Tamihere wouldn't confirm who was part of the Sub-Committee, who made the appointment.
“That's why I think the process is different for some. Some inform the public, but in relation to NUMA, we have no idea what process they followed,” says Paraone.
13 members are set to be appointed to Te Mātāwai by the end of July. Along with urban member Mr Jackson, representatives will be made up of iwi, Crown, community, media, and education Māori language stakeholders.
Minister of Māori Development Te Ururoa Flavell told Te Kāea, “I am not a fan of judging who will be appointed by the various groups before they are appointed to Te Mātāwai. The process is that iwi and groups will appoint their own representatives.”
Mr Jackson declined to comment on the selection process but says he stands by his comments that his appointment is not about his ability to speak te reo Māori, but rather his ability to advocate for the best interests of Māori language revitalisation.
