Tarnished GAPs goes - social equity is in

By VERNON SMALL deputy political editor

Goodbye "closing the gaps," hello "social equity."

The Government has officially buried the phrase closing the gaps, which caused it so much heartburn last year.

It has replaced it with the broader, but blander, term "social equity" in a rejig of the cabinet's subcommittees.

Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday unveiled a new "streamlined" committee line-up, including two new groupings but scrapping five existing committees - including the Closing the Gaps committee, which she set up and chaired in January 2000.

Most of its former functions will go to a revamped social policy and health committee which is renamed the Social Equity Committee.

Helen Clark has insisted that Government policy has not changed but that the slogan Closing the Gaps was dumped because it was demonised as a racist policy by Opposition parties.

The former GAPs committee had as its sole brief "to consider policies and oversee the development and implementation of measures to close the economic and social gaps between Maori and Pacific Island people and other New Zealanders."

But the new committee's terms of reference are significantly different, stressing the needs of all disadvantaged groups and removing the reference to removing disparities between ethnic groups.

The reference to "other New Zealanders" has gone and there is now an emphasis on measures to help Maori and Pacific "communities."

The new committee, to be chaired by Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey, will have oversight of a range of social policy issues including:

The needs of disadvantaged communities.

Setting of directions in social and economic policy to respond better to the needs of Maori and Pacific communities.

Reporting, monitoring, auditing and refocusing of public service to achieve required outcomes in responding to the particular needs of Maori and Pacific communities.

Capacity building in Maori and Pacific communities.

Its membership is identical to the GAPs committee, with the addition of Justice Minister Phil Goff.

Labour's two-day caucus retreat at Premier House this week ticked off the change in emphasis with the approval of Maori members.

Other cabinet committee changes will see a new education and health committee and the disestablishment of special committees on the Employment Relations Act and ACC now that law changes in those areas have been substantially completed.

Sources said the caucus meeting had focused on the year ahead in Parliament and other "strategic issues."

It is understood the meeting endorsed the view that individual members should be entitled to attend future Waitangi Day celebrations in Waitangi but that official crown representation would not resume until things settled down.

Herald Online feature: Closing the Gaps