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Te Raukura – Te Wharewaka o Poneke – Wellington

“Working together to give a voice to whānau experiences”

E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga iwi o te motu tena koutou katoa.

I want to thank Community Research and in particular the tangata whenua committee, for inviting me to this special event today, to launch the Whanau Ora Research Website.

This is the third of three fabulous days that I have had, in which we have been immersed in the spirit of transformation we know to be Whanau Ora.

Te Raukura - Te Wharewaka o Pōneke, Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington

Thursday 22 November 2012; 10am

Tēnā tātou katoa. Talofa lava, kia orana, malo e lelei, fakaalofa lahi atu, bula vinaka, taloha ni, fakatalofa atu, tēnā tātou katoa.

It is great to have you here, Pa Ariki and I want to mihi to Ta Meihana (Durie) for his absolute vision and commitment to Whānau Ora. It is a dream that all of us have had that he was able to make a reality.

Novotel Hotel, Tutanekai Street, Rotorua

[Delivered on behalf of the Minister by Te Orohi Paul]

“Kia Takoto Te Manuka” – Is Whānau Ora Working for you?”

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā tini karangatanga ki runga i a koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Te tuatahi. E koro, e te matua, Rawiri Te Whare, kua takahia te ara whānui a Tāne. Haere, haere, haere atu rā e koro, okioki ai ki waenga i ngā matua tipuna.

E te hunga ora, tēnā anō koutou katoa.

The Ministerial Committee on Poverty is working through a number of issues critical to improving the lives of low-income New Zealanders and their families.

It is focused on supporting New Zealanders from all backgrounds to move out of long-term poverty, tackling the impacts of poverty and ensuring the Government’s interventions are effective and delivering value for money for taxpayers.

The committee was set up earlier this year under the National-Māori Party relationship accord and confidence and supply agreement.

Thank you, Dickie Farrar for your words of welcome. It is, indeed, a privilege to be invited to share in this milestone - the transformation of Te Ao Mārama Whānau Ora Collective.

I wish to acknowledge the tangata whenua located within this Whānau Ora region of Te Moana ā Toi: Ngai Tūhoe; Te Whakatōhea; Ngāitai; and Te Whānau-a-Apanui

I was fascinated at the decision to host this conference in the Faculty of Engineering. And I had to wonder if we have reached a point in our history when ‘social engineering’ has finally become acceptable.

You may recall at the end of last century the concept of social engineering was treated with disdain – a public contempt for the notion that society might place priority on planning one’s future.

Newspaper editorials declared war on those activists who supposedly were part of a greater plot to concoct a New Order.

The Minister for Whānau Ora, Tariana Turia, has welcomed the recognition that Whānau Ora is intimately linked to the drive to improve youth mental health.

“Whānau Ora, at its heart, is about whānau, aiga or families coming together to support each other through building shared aspirations, and working together to achieve those aspirations,” said Mrs Turia.

“Young people are valued members of whānau, and so I am pleased that we are able to support their development as part of the Prime Minister’s project announced today.”

Tena koutou katoa

I was both intrigued and excited when I read the name of this conference - “What matters?” It is indeed a question that I have asked myself, and no doubt, you too have pondered over the years about what truly counts in this lifetime.

What are the lessons we have learned? What do we want to leave behind? What would we like to pass on to our children and grandchildren? How do we want to be remembered?

The Ministerial Committee on Poverty met for the first time last night, with ministers reaffirming their focus on providing opportunity for low income New Zealanders and getting better results from spending on social services.

"The Government's focus in tackling poverty is on providing opportunity – through things like better education and jobs," Deputy Prime Minister and committee chairman Bill English said.