Cracks show in gaps policy

Closing the Gaps was trumpeted as a highlight of the first Labour-Alliance Budget this year. Now it is a phrase the Coalition is keen for everyone to forget. Political reporter AUDREY YOUNG provides a guide to the policy backdown.

What is Closing the Gaps?


It is the umbrella title the Labour-Alliance Government gave to a series of social policies - some inherited, some new.

Of the 72 policies grouped under Closing the Gaps in this year's Budget, 39 are aimed specifically at Maori and Pacific Islanders and 33 are more broadly targeted at the disadvantaged.

Another key aspect of Closing the Gaps is the emphasis given to monitoring both new programmes and those already running.

Where did Closing the Gaps start?


Before it became the flagship policy of the Coalition, it was the title of a Te Puni Kokiri report drawing together a variety of statistics showing disparities between Maori and non-Maori. The first report was introduced by former Maori Affairs Minister Tau Henare on July 14, 1998.

The second Te Puni Kokiri report, updating the statistics, was presented to the Government in May this year.

Did the former National Government have any Closing the Gaps type of policies?


National says its policies were not exclusive in the way that Closing the Gaps policies are. But among its last Budget items was provision for $10.5 million over three years for a fund to develop Maori providers of social services to whanau and community development, and it expanded the scholarship scheme for 160 poorer children each year to attend fee-charging schools to an additional 160 to 240 scholarships for Maori students.

National also encouraged Maori health providers through the 1990s. In 1997, there were more than 220 Maori health providers, receiving $40 million in health funding, compared with 30 Maori providers in 1993.

What did Labour and the Alliance do to Closing the Gaps?


Helen Clark turned the title of a report into a policy grouping. She elevated the status of the policy by taking charge of it and terming it a flagship policy. She announced at Ratana Pa on January 24 that she was not only setting up a special Closing the Gaps cabinet committee, but she would chair it to throw the weight of her office behind the drive to close the social and economic gaps between Maori and Pacific people and other New Zealanders. The committee is backed up by a high-powered officials committee.

On February 28, she said Te Puni Kokiri would monitor the effectiveness of Maori programmes in Government departments and their bonus pay would be docked if they did not measure up.

How much money was given to it?


Michael Cullen's Budget in June dedicated $114 million over four years for Closing the Gaps. And $50 million was budgeted to be allocated for further Closing the Gaps projects developed between Budgets.

An example of a Maori-specific programme: $18.6 million over four years for programmes aimed at helping Maori stop smoking.

An example of a non-specific programme: $7.5 million for homework centres for primary school students at risk of under-achievement.

How does it work?


The cabinet Closing the Gaps committee meets fortnightly with its officials, the so-called O-Gap committee, chaired by Mary Anne Thompson, Helen Clark's policy director.

It has an overview of all Closing the Gaps policies across departments but its focus is on education, health and employment.

The powerful committee calls in chief executives to assess how present policies are going, to devise new programmes and set specific targets to close statistical gaps.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard released the first batch of targets on Tuesday, including ones aimed at boosting Maori and Pacific Island enrolments at preschool and reducing Maori pupil suspension rates.

When did Closing the Gaps start changing?


On October 23, Helen Clark spoke for the first time about wanting to "correct misperceptions" that Closing the Gaps was only about Maori and Pacific Islanders and did not address the needs of poor Pakeha.

In the past few weeks, she has avoided using the term Closing the Gaps at all and it was purged from the document marking her Government's achievements in the first year.

She has also talked about restructuring the Closing the Gaps cabinet committee out of existence.

What has actually changed?


Nothing except the emphasis. Closing the Gaps always included policies aimed at all disadvantaged people and policies aimed at Maori and Pacific Islanders. Until now the Government emphasised the Maori and Pacific Island policies to the point where these became synonymous with the term Closing the Gaps.

Now it wants to rebrand the programme with the emphasis on policies for the general disadvantaged: the minimum wage, income-related state rents and increases to superannuitants.

Why did it go sour?


Helen Clark is blaming National for playing "dirty little race politics," for what she termed "going doggo" on something it started.

But sensitivity to Maori policy was heightened mid-year over Treaty of Waitangi clauses in health restructuring legislation and during Tariana Turia's holocaust speech.

Race Relations Conciliator Dr Rajen Prasad also remarked on damaging perceptions of Closing the Gaps in his annual report.

Herald Online feature: Closing the Gaps