NOT A SINGLE CENT AND NOT A SINGLE JOB – IN 3 YEARS | Open Letter to Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

October 15, 2020

Rt. Hon. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

E te Premia, tena koe

Tuatahi, kia kaha koe mo to mahi rangatira mo tatou whanau i roto nga wā rerekē – me kī, COVID19. Me mohio tatou tenei whakatauki:

“Ma te kaha o te mahi i roto i te mātauranga, ka whakawhiwhia”

Prime Minister, firstly I want to acknowledge and openly applaud you personally for your leadership in successfully navigating our nation though these unprecedented times of COVID19.  A Maori proverb is helpful in recognising the challenge that you and we all face going forward:

“It is through hard work and knowledge will we achieve”

I especially want to acknowledge your leadership and rapid decision-making cutting through the bureaucracy of government to make the rapid decision making necessary to safeguard the well-being of our whanau and Nation through the unprecedented times of COVID19. 

I have no doubt that your leadership has saved lives of our whanau and people across our nation.

But! 

Soon after you were elected into Parliament our Trust wrote to you laying out detailed plans to develop our lands and create no less than 100 new whanau jobs in five years through the conversion of our underutilized Maori lands into high value export focused horticulture. This, is in a part of our country with the highest unemployment, and some of the worst associated socio-economic problems. 

Our letter was accompanied by comprehensive and detailed independent analysis (our Information Memorandum).

We got no response!

We have been patient and persevered!

In the ensuing weeks, months and years we engaged all the part’s of your Government with meetings and discussions with:

• Minister of Maori Development, Nanaia Mahuta;
• Minister of Employment, Willie Jackson;
• Minister of Climate Change and Associate Finance, James Shaw;
• Waiariki Member of Parliament, Tamati Coffey;
• Ikaroa Rawhiti Member of Parliament, Kiritapu Allen;
• Regional Government Development Agency (BOP); and
• Local Government Leadership (Opotiki).

In all of these engagements we got words of encouragement and support from each!

So why is it that after such a sustained and systematic effort and unanimous support from your central, regional and local government leadership, and billions of dollars of government commitment to such development as we have planned, not a single cent and not a single job for our whanau in three years?

A combination of sheer incompetence by government officials in PGF, MPI, MSD and TPK Ministries! Coupled with interference by Government Ministers skewing approved projects in favor of pet projects like green schools and efforts to influence re-election prospects!

I know our experience is not particular to us where numerous other like concerns are currently under investigation by the Auditor General.

Time for your continued decisive leadership

On Saturday Prime Minister, on latest polling it appears you and your team will be reaffirmed to lead our country!

Should this happen, we need to see the same kind of decisive leadership and determination from you to cut through the bureaucracy and incompetence rampant across government Ministries charged with the implementation of your regional development policy under the broad umbrella of Provincial Growth.

I call on you to consider the following recommended steps:

1. Retain the policy and focus on Regional Economic Development;
2. Put on hold immediately all Provincial Growth Funding (PGF) applications;
3. Dismantle completely the PGF Government Officials network across all Government Ministries;
4. Centralize the Regional and Economic Development Policy Implementation under a Senior Minister in your cabinet;
5. Contract out the implementation and delivery of the policy to a private delivery organisation like one or two of the big New Zealand Accounting firms; and
6. Set focused key performance indicators for these one or two private accounting firms.

These recommendations will:

• Cut through the delivery and implementation of the regional development policy;
• Strip out massive bureaucracy and duplication across government Ministries;
• Eliminate Ministerial interference in delivery;
• Fast track massive economic development and job creation (billions and 1,000’s new jobs).

E te Rangatira, on behalf of my whanau, shareholders and Trustees may I applaud in the strongest way possible your leadership and hard work in navigating us through these tough times of COVID19.

Our Trustees would welcome an opportunity to talk with you, ne?

I leave you with this photo above of two of our whanau, shareholders, Trustees and respected elders of Te Whanau a Apanui as they sit on the beach, looking out to Whakaari on the horizon, pondering what might have been?

Kia ora

Chris Karamea Insley (Chairman)

Wherurere Lands Trust and Awanui Haparapara 2B1A Lands Trust

Waiariki Maori land Court District

Omaio

Bay of Plenty