What is Whanau Ora?

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, December 10th, 2009 - 16 comments
Categories: national/act government, public services - Tags:

Family Commissioner Jan Pryor says she can’t give a definition of Whanau Ora, Tariana Turia’s pet programme that Pryor’s Commission will be helping to run. What a bunch of utter crap. Saying that she can’t give a definition because she is “a middle class white woman” is totally unacceptable. This isn’t some academic activity, we’re talking a billion dollars of our money each year.

I’ve looked around, trying to understand what Whanau Ora is. This is the best I’ve found:

whanau ora

That is technically known as polished bullsh*t. Then there’s this:

Minister Turia established the Taskforce on Whānau-centred Initiatives in order to develop a new approach for the design and delivery of government funded services and initiatives to whānau one that places whānau at the centre and builds on the strengths and capabilities already present in whānau. The Minister believes that a new approach will lead to better outcomes for whānau, and better value for the related investment made by the government. 

“The Minister believes” – that’s public service speak for ‘this is a bunch of crap, we know that’s a bunch of crap, but the Minister wants it’. Maybe that’s what Pryor is trying to say too.

The government needs to explain. Turia and Key need to explain exactly what they are going to do with a billion dollars a year of our money, and exactly how that will produce better outcomes.

I have a sinking feeling that this is all just a scam. I fear that interjecting themselves between public service providers and the public is just a way for Turia’s buddies to clip the ticket, grabbing some taxpayer dosh without delivering anything of real value to the people in need. The complete failure of anyone to show what precisely Whanau Ora is and how it will deliver a net benefit to the people it is intended for only deepens my suspicion that it is all a scam.

16 comments on “What is Whanau Ora? ”

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  1. gitmo 1
    10 December 2009 at 7:10 am

    “I have a sinking feeling that this is all just a scam”

    Of course it’s a fecking scam just like all the same mindless waffling ministries/departments/initiatives that the governments past, present and future pour taxpayers money into, no plan, no governance, no outcomes………….. perfect…… now how do the rest of us get our snouts in the taxpayer trough.

  2. Ron 2
    10 December 2009 at 7:21 am

    As someone who works in the comunity/non-profit sector I can see the POTENTIAL for a programme that both builds on the strengths already present in an extended family AND improves the way agencies cooperate to provide service to those families.
    I’m not sure, however, if it should take a billion buck to get government agencies to DO THEIR JOB.

  3. Al 3
    10 December 2009 at 7:47 am

    I can’t see this going down well with the National constituency. One billion dollars is a vast sum of money, and it is frankly apartheid to give that amount of money away to a group of people just because of their race. Good luck to National trying to justify this. Hopefully it will cost them the next election. Labour need to expose this for the rort it is.

  4. ConorJoe 4
    10 December 2009 at 9:02 am

    whanau ora = happy families.
    sounds like what this cobbled together government are playing – at our expense

    captcha – settled heh

  5. handle 5
    10 December 2009 at 9:24 am

    Is it “apartheid” that Maori are worse off on nearly every social indicator? They’re obviously not doing a very good job with all that power and wealth they have.

    • Craig Glen Eden 5.1
      10 December 2009 at 10:53 am

      Take a look at the world handle, no its not apartheid.There are rich people, white, black, brown, yellow what ever race, Poor people white, black, brown,yellow, what ever race.
      While NZ Maori do have some legitimate grievances that deserve addressing, you would have to acknowledge that the money that been paid has not been used to help those most in need.
      Some Maori have done very well others have not seen a cent.

      Maori just like any race are not exempt from capitalism and greed! The Maori Party was going to look after its people ( who ever they are ) and be good for everyone not just Maori. I haven’t seen it YET !

      What I see is a woman who has lead a whole lot of well meaning people down the garden path and sadly those people will most likely get a rude awakening when voters turn on them.
      Shame on the Maori Party they are sellouts and its about time the left called it for what it is. They could be called the What ever name Party for all I care the truth is they are not doing what they said they would do and Hone knows it.

  6. Deus ex Machina 6
    10 December 2009 at 9:31 am

    Tut tut. Any hint of criticism of things Maori – or even quasi-Maori – is racist. Any suggestion that the Maori way is less than perfect is racist. Any explanation for Maori failure that doesn’t put the blame on European colonisation/exploitation/dispossession/cultural insensitivity which only vast sums of Pakeha money will rectify is racist.

    The Standard is clearly wrong to publish such a racist comment and must instantly apologise to every Maori in the Country and make a large donation to the Maori Party to compensate for hurt feelings.

  7. ak 7
    10 December 2009 at 9:53 am

    Be interesting to re-read some old quotes from the tories on Closing the Gaps right now…..

  8. Bored 8
    10 December 2009 at 10:05 am

    I’m with Ranganui Walker, the problems of race and nationhood will get settled between the bed sheets. Turiana wants action now and can’t wait, but it all sounds pretty selective who she wants what for. If you are not hapu or iwi linked there is zip for you, which in turn creates another problem. Watching an event on the news with Sharples in South Auckland a year or two ago was very instructive, the question to him was who the hell are you, and why did you only come when there was a problem?

    Also whether Turiana likes it or not her reported stance in this instance and language in general is just as racist as that which has flowed the other way. It’s the old story of two wrongs don’t make a right, what she is promoting for short term gain is long term divisiveness.

  9. tc 9
    10 December 2009 at 10:15 am

    As long as the maori division of the national party (aka the maori party) get what they want the votes to pass whatever crap is being pushed through parliament are guaranteed.

    That’s it, pure and simple, it’s up to maori to reign in their self serving leaders and replace them before the wider NZ public just get sick and tired of all these schemes on top of an already out of control treaty settlement program.

  10. Rob 10
    10 December 2009 at 1:11 pm

    From what I read of what she said she explained the whanau ora scheme fairly well… What she couldn’t do was define the Maori word/phrase itself. This I think is probably not unusual for people who aren’t Maori to be honest…

    • snoozer 10.1
      10 December 2009 at 1:19 pm

      so what is the whanau ora scheme?

      • Rob 10.1.1
        10 December 2009 at 1:30 pm

        A scheme to pool the funding from various areas to provide for families most in need based on a wider range of criteria than are currently used. I assume since it has not been implemented yet that those specifics have not all been worked out.

  11. BLiP 11
    10 December 2009 at 4:23 pm

    Whanau Ora = More privatisation of government services, only these ones come with the Turiana Seal Of Approval, available for cash only at a hui near you.

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