The Minister of Māori Affairs, Hon Dr Pita Sharples, calls for Māori leaders to consider bold initiatives to address the impact of the global economic crisis on Māori and all New Zealanders.

More than 100 Māori leaders from throughout the country gathered for the Minister’s Māori Economic Summit held at Te Puni Kōkiri’s national office in Wellington on 28 January.

Hon Dr Sharples, announced that he will be establishing a Māori Affairs Ministerial Taskforce on the Economy, which he will personally chair.

“This parliamentary term will be defined by how we negotiate the swirling economic waters ahead,” says Hon Dr Sharples. “We have faced these perils before, and for Māori the experience was disastrous.

“We know that too many of our whānau are still recovering from the inter-generational effects of long-term unemployment and grinding poverty,” he says.

Dr Sharples says research by the Child Poverty Action Group indicates that between 40 and 50 percent of Māori children live in benefit- dependent families.

“The children of low-income families are in a precarious state with too many lives at risk as a consequence of severe and significant hardship. These children must be in all our thoughts as we venture forwards.”

However, Hon Dr Sharples says Māori are in better shape to face a recession, both economically and culturally. “Generally our businesses and organisations are conservative; investment portfolios are careful; our strategic vision is shaped by building capacity and capital development,” he says. “This offers a strong platform to bring forward infrastructure, community and educational programmes.

“There is also another aspect to our story today, which some commentators are calling the ‘Māori edge’ - basically our comparative advantage in business.” He says a tradition as explorers and entrepreneurs enables Māori to develop their growing asset base in innovative ways.

“My desire for this Māori economic workshop is that we bring together our knowledge and expertise and that indisputable Māori edge, to take a leading role in the nation’s economy, in ways which are nothing short of outstanding.”

Hon Dr Sharples says the workshop is not just a one-day wonder. “We are entering a new era, with a commitment driven by kaupapa Māori, a vision guided by tikanga.”

He warns that a narrow focus on business and the economy, at the expense of the environment, is not sustainable. “The concepts of guardianship, of respect for the earth and water, of care for the generations to come are central to our traditions and customary rights. As Minister of Māori Affairs I want to make sure that the voice of Māori and the interests of Māori are listened to.”

“We can’t just carry on with a strategy which assumes exponential growth is the solution – without at the same time educating each other about how to manage in a post-carbon world. That requires, at the very least, energy, social and agricultural reform to prepare for our future.”

While the workshop focused on Māori business and economy, Hon Dr Sharples calls for leadership for the benefit of the nation as a whole.

“The challenge ahead of us all is deadly serious. We must think of all our populations, all our communities, all our whānau in every deliberation we take today.”