Mixed reception for Maori lessons plan

By Richard Knight

Mauri Pacific leader Tau Henare's plan for all public service workers to learn Maori has come under fire from Act leader Richard Prebble but has won praise from other quarters.

Mr Prebble said the policy was wrong if it was intended to create more jobs.

"I'm sorry, Mr Henare, but forcing the public service to learn Maori will not deal to the real problem that Maori have," he said Mr Henare said it was important that the public service deliver an effective service which dealt with the needs of its major client group.

He said Mauri Pacific would make it compulsory for all public servants to undertake a course in Maori language and culture "to assist them in their dealings with Maori clients because Maori use public services more than any other group."

Mr Prebble said the plan would cost around $25 million, and taxpayers would not agree with that cost.

"A vast number of New Zealanders want Maori to do well, but they want money spent on positive programmes that could increase job prospects or improve health," he said.

A Wellington public service worker said yesterday that relationships between the public service and Maori could be vastly improved if public servants took the simple step of learning to pronounce Maori names correctly.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said she was reluctant to support the Mauri Pacific plan.

"Where I work, they made reo [language] courses at various levels available," she said.

"If you made it voluntary, those that attend would obviously be committed, where if it was compulsory, the commitment has to be questioned."

A Far North health worker, John Davis, said he thought it was more important that the level of understanding of tikanga (Maori custom) be raised.

"A lot of public servants who deliver services on behalf of Maori have no understanding of what it means," he said. "It's obvious that if they know what they are doing, it will benefit everyone concerned."

The interim general manager of the Maori Language Commission, Holden Hohaia, said Mr Henare had his full support for the compulsory training.

"Anything that encourages the use of Maori language needs to be supported."