NZ Poll: How Well is Georgina Te Heuheu, Pacific Affairs Minister, Performing?

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Hon Dr Pita Sharples (L) and Hon Georgina te Heuheu (R) chat on board the plane before landing at the Fua’amotu International Airport, July 7, 2009 in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. The Prime Minister is on a four day visit to Tonga, Samoa, Niue and the Cook Islands for the first time in his role as Prime Minister of New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images).

Time to bring out those scorecards. We haven’t yet received a public scorecard(lots of private informal ones) from the Pacific community on how Georgina Te Heuheu, Pacific Affairs Minister, has fared in the role. Fifteen months is long enough to get familiar with the issues, if she wasn’t aware already. So far, what we’re hearing is not good news. Her responses in the House during question time do not give us much confidence. So we want to cast the net wider. Now, if you’re in the Minister’s office, you can enter the poll as well. But like everyone else, you get one vote only.

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Unemployment Highest Among Maori and Pacific Job Seekers; Still Worst Hit By Recession

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No pretty picture here. Statistics NZ shows the unemployment rate has risen again for Maori and Pacific job seekers.  They represent the worst hit groups normally resident in New Zealand. The unemployment rate for Pacific has almost doubled from 7.8 percent unemployment (December 2008) to 14. percent, as at December 2009.

Unemployment among Maori has risen from 9.8 at 15.4 percent. This does not include the figures for European/Maori which is 13.6 percent. Asian unemployment stands at 9.2 percent. The unemployment rate for those who identify as European is 4.6 percent.

MP for Mana Luamanuvao Winnie Laban says the rate should shame the Government into action.“Just over three months ago unemployment rates among Pacific Islanders was 12.3 per cent and we were being promised by the Government it was working to get people back to work, “she says.

The Labour Opposition Spokesperson for Pacific Island Affairs says this latest increase shows their policies are not working. “In just one year, 5000 additional Pacific Island people have lost their jobs. Pacific Island people, who are overrepresented in lower paid jobs, were also bitterly disappointed at the miserly rise in minimum wage announced last month.”

Luamanuvao says many in the Pacific community are saying they are disappointed with a lack of action from the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs Georgina Te Heuheu.

Te Heuheu, who is the second Maori woman to gain election to the National Party, is  widely criticised within the Pacific community  for her lack of action on Pacific issues.

Luamanuvao on Te Heuheu:

“She  is virtually invisible in the portfolio and offering no support or ideas. I am deeply saddened that the Government is failing so many families and that the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs has sat back and done nothing.”

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NZ Pacific Affairs Minister Georgina Te Heuheu(right), during a visit to Samoa with the Prime Minister John Key(next to her) and Maori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples (left), July 7, 2009 in Apia, Samoa.


Opposition Leader Phil Goff says unemployment in New Zealand is now at the highest level it has been in 16 years and is growing at the highest rate in a decade.

“168,000 Kiwis are now unemployed. The total number of jobless is more than 275,000,” says the Labour Leader.

“The Government’s stimulus package has produced just 2300 jobs. That is a lot less than the 3500 people who queued for hours last month for the chance to grab just 150 jobs at a new South Auckland supermarket.”

Goff, who is highly critical of Prime Minister John Key’s Job Summit for producing few results to help those who need it the most, says more and more people are struggling to make ends meet, with the young, the less well off, Maori and Pacific communities and other ethnic groups especially hard hit.

Source: Statistics NZ
Single/combination unemployment rate (unadjusted) by ethnic group
Ethnicity December 2008

quarter (percent)

December 2009

quarter (percent)

European only 3.2 4.6
Māori only 9.8 15.4
Pacific peoples only 7.8 14.0
Asian only 6.3 9.2
MELAA only 10.7 17.1
‘Other ethnicity’ only 4.1 3.3
European/Māori 7.0 13.6
Two or more groups not elsewhere included 6.5 14.1
Note: MELAA = Middle Eastern/Latin American/African

Open Message from Pacific Leader to Pacific Affairs Minister Georgina Te Heuheu

Cr Taima Fagaloa
Porirua City Council
Sun 22 Feb 2009

Pacific people have high levels of resilience and perserverance, but I think that this recession is going to be crunchier.

The up and coming Job Summit led by the  Government needs to take heed of some of the forecasts outlined in the report by Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, says Porirua City Councillor Taima Fagaloa and Interim Chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Council to the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs Honourable Georgina Te Heu Heu.

We need to consider a number of levels. One important part of finding the right solution is ensuring Pacific representatives are providing effective, frank and sound advice to the Ministers.

Over the past 10 years there have been signs that Pacific people have achieved to good positions in policy making and education.

It is important that those providing advice on behalf of Pacific communities have a high level of knowledge about what is actually happening at the grassroots levels so that any prudent investment the Government makes is well-targeted and effective.

We can’t afford to mismatch the investment, the impact will be devastating for generations to come.

The report released by MPIA last Friday identifies that high numbers of Pacific people are employed in ‘at risk’ industry categories such as manufacturing.

There is no doubt in my mind that Pacific people have achieved significant levels, however, no one could forecast the recession and the impact it has had.

So its important all communities in New Zealand are working towards finding collaborative solutions that work for everybody. We need immediate solutions, so families can continue to put immediate food on their tables.

I meet people regularly on the street in my community who have just been made redundant and although there are worrying signs of concern, there is still hope and determination to find a way.

It is these people that the Government should be talking to. They may not be Ministers and Councillors, Policy makers and have PhDs degrees but they know what they have the capacity to do and are probably in a better position of surviving the recession and, in turn, advising the Government on where the investment can be best targeted.

If I were sitting on the summit, I would be encouraging Government leaders to come out to communities like Porirua City where we have the 2nd largest Pacific population to talk with us, our community groups and our churches. We want to be part of the solution not the problem.

Government can’t do it on their own and we might surprise the Government and actually have something worth considering – don’t take too long, time is of the essence.