NZ Māori Tourism chair Dale Stephens rejects notion we are all equal and need to be treated the same

Dale Stephens is chairman of New Zealand Māori Tourism. Photo / Whakaata Māori

A senior member of the National Party’s Māori team is rejecting Act Party leader David Seymour’s assertions that New Zealanders are all one people and need to be treated the same.

New Zealand Māori Tourism chair Dale Stephens stood for Christchurch Central in October’s election and was ranked 29 on the National Party List. He didn’t make it to Parliament this term.

Stephens says all sectors and demographics in Aotearoa have different needs at different times.

A smart economy would target the right support to the right areas.

“When we talk about providing funding opportunities for Māori, the rules and regulations by which that take place often don’t fit with Māori post-settlement entities,” Stephens told Waatea.News.Com.

“So we need to understand, if we are going to be able to provide capital investment to Māori businesses, are we doing that in a way which is able to be used by Māori?

“The answer at the moment is possibly not. And so we need to change those settings to bring Māori more on board and help them to survive and thrive using kaupapa Māori, not just conform to what everybody else does.”

Peter Verschaffelt - Waatea.News.Com