Hon Kelvin Davis

The Māori Pathways will be available to women at Christchurch Women’s Prison and those serving sentences and orders in the community, with priority for those who identify as Māori or have a connection though their children or whānau.

Celebrating Nelson’s participation in Te Hurihanganui today is an important milestone not just for the community, but for the education system and the Government. Nelson will be at the forefront of our work to address racism and inequity in the education system and improve outcomes for ākonga Māori and their whānau not just here, but across the country. Communities are at the heart of Te Hurihanganui because they know their people, their local contexts and histories, and what works best for them.

In 2016 the founding cohort of Pūhoro STEM Academy exceeded nationwide pass-rates of non-Māori in NCEA Level 1 physics, biology and chemistry. This trend has continued every year. I’m very pleased to announce today that a new funding agreement will see the Government provide $2.97 million for a further three years, enabling the Pūhoro STEM Academy to increase their student numbers to over 5,000, and continue this story of Māori educational success.

Today we are breaking new ground in the development of Tiriti-based partnerships with public service agencies. This is an historic occasion; it was 20 years ago when Māori educationalists gathered here under the mantle of Tā Tumu and carved out an agenda for Māori educational success. The broad aim then, as it is today, was seeking active Māori participation in the design of education policies and programmes within a model of partnership and from the foundations of a focused Māori voice.

In three years, we have safely reduced the prison population by 19 per cent. There are now 830 fewer Māori in prison. The Māori imprisonment rate, while still too high, has been decreasing, and Māori reconviction and reimprisonment rates are improving. Those are real results, but to continue making progress we need to keep doing things differently. We need to make real change. And it’s a real pleasure to be here today to share details of what that change looks like with Māori Pathways in Hawke’s Bay.

It’s a real privilege to be here this morning to officially launch the 2021 Corrections Inter-Site Whakataetae Kapa Haka Competition. To the wāhine, I’d like to start by thanking you for your performance this morning. I know the team here at Arohata came first in the Manukura Wāhine category in last year’s competition, and I can see there’s a lot of talent here at this site.

Evidence shows us that involvement with care and protection does not place children and young people on the path to offending. However, we know that if we don’t make a difference in the lives of the young people coming into youth justice, some of them will offend again and may end up in the adult system. Whakatakapokai gives us a chance to make a big difference.

It's a privilege to be invited to speak to you today. We have faced many challenges in the past 12 months with COVID-19 turning our lives upside down.
You have learned to find new ways of working in the face of mounting pressure and changes, and I’m proud to be here with you to celebrate your successes despite these disruptions.

It’s a real pleasure to be here today to join with the community in acknowledging the ten-year anniversary of the Tai Aroha residential programme. Ten years is an important milestone worth celebrating. Over that time, I know this programme has also become an integral part of the Waikato Community.