Ministry of Māori Development proposes to cut 8 percent of staff

Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Māori Development, is proposing to cut 8 percent of its staff as part of government-ordered cost-saving measures.

The ministry is proposing to reduce 38 of it 434 positions.

The net figure includes both the creation and disestablishment of positions.

Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Puni Kōkiri Dave Samuels said the decision to institute a recruitment pause last year had reduced the scale of job losses necessary.

"The vacancies have provided us with flexibility as we have considered our options. Nonetheless, I confirmed to kaimahi today that it is inevitable that there will be the loss of some positions and some people."

Kaimahi have three weeks to provide feedback on the proposed changes.

"I intend that arrangements will have been confirmed by the end of the financial year," Samuels said.

'Attack on support for Māori'

The cuts were targeting support for Māori, the Public Service Association union said.

PSA kaihautū Māori Janice Panoho said losing the many specialist roles would have a direct impact on the kaimahi and their whānau, and the services they provided to iwi Māori and the community.

"This cut continues the attack on support for Māori health and wellbeing that is becoming a hallmark of this government's cost-cutting drive."

Earlier this month, Oranga Tamariki announced it was downgrading its commitment to te ao Māori and removing 21 specialist Māori roles, even though two-thirds of rangatahi and tamariki in care are Māori.

"With Māori continuing to lag behind Pākehā in a range of indicators for wellbeing and development, the government should be investing more in this critical kaupapa not less," she said.

"The PSA will be opposing these changes."

RNZ