He waka eke hoa, engari raising waka, and not just yachts

15/07/2020

Last week, the Public Services Association published a paper by me and my friend Dr Amohia Boulton.

We were part of the PSA’s 2020 Progressive Thinking Seminars.

In our paper, Amohia and I talk about how COVID-19 has reminded us of how underprepared the world is to detect and respond to emerging infectious diseases while simultaneously confirming how well placed and effective institutions in Te Ao Māori are in being able to react decisively and positively on behalf of our people.

We argue while Government leaders remain focused on navigating the current crisis, they could also be making smarter investments in Iwi, in Māori institutions and in the Whānau Ora Commissioning agencies – as all three institutions have the potential to accelerate the nation’s COVID-19 response while also ensuring COVID-19 does not raise inequality in the same way past pandemics have.

We talk about improving service delivery to whānau, hapū and Māori by finding a balance between what worked before and what needs to happen to succeed in the ‘next normal’.

We cover what worked in the COVID-19 lockdown, what needs to be resolved, which attitudes and practices need to stop, and what must be accelerated.

Special mihi to the Public Services Association. They never retreat from arguing for policies that improve public services and the working conditions of those who deliver them. They are a powerful voice and a key player in New Zealand politics.

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