Sharples' letter 'gags' commission

Pita Sharples. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples is being accused of gagging some members of the Maori Language Commission as he considers a report recommending restructuring that could spell the end of the commission.

The tension arose on the eve of the launch of an independent ministerial report looking at the Government's value for its estimated $225 million-$600 million reo spending.

The report, released on Wednesday, advocates the biggest shake-up of the sector since the 1987 Maori Language Act established Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori (the Maori Language Commission).

The authors, led by Sir Tamati Reedy suggest a new standalone minister for te reo Maori, responsible for the total government spending on the sector, and nine regional "runanga a-reo" to plan programmes, expenditure and evaluation.

It also proposes a nine-member panel, called Te Matawai, representing seven regions plus Auckland and Wellington.

It would replace the present commission structure, Sir Tamati said.

The commission's chief executive, Glenis Philip-Barbara, and chairman Erima Henare received a signed letter from Dr Sharples a day before the launch.

It stressed that as part of the media strategy, Dr Sharples would be the point man for the whole of the Government response, and the commission should direct all media inquiries to his office.

But that has angered some members who said the letter effectively gagged the commission.

Mr Henare said he didn't feel pressured by the letter but had been in contact with Dr Sharples about it.

"I advised him and his office that Te Taura Whiri is an independent body and will comment on anything that it wants to. We've been going through [the report] with a greater amount of detail, rather than flying off the handle."

Mr Henare expected to make fuller comment today but said he felt comfortable about the commission's future.

"Any talk about it being subsumed or done away with at this stage is speculation because it takes a great deal of time and consultation with a whole range of stakeholders before any changes are made to the Maori Language Act."

A spokesman for Dr Sharples said it was standard practice to co-ordinate an overarching Government response. "Given Te Taura Whiri's expertise in Maori language matters, I would expect it to play an integral part in providing advice to inform the Government's response to the report."

Sir Tamati said the proposed restructuring would allow iwi to drive initiatives which supported te reo being spoken in the home.

There should be no "dilly-dallying" around because the evidence was mounting that the language was balanced precariously, he said.

Former commission chief executive Haami Piripi said it wasn't right that Dr Sharples had quelled the commission's top two voices for the sake of political management.

He said if the commission was disbanded it would be a waste of efforts by those who had worked tirelessly in taking the WAI 11 Treaty claim, which led to the commission's establishment and recognition of te reo as an official language through the Waitangi Tribunal process.