Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples says he will put his political credibility on the line to secure a positive outcome from a review of spending on Maori language revitalisation.
A ministerial panel led by former Maori Affairs secretary Tamati Reedy, is considering whether the Government is getting value for the $200+ million per year that it spends on te reo Maori programmes.
Dr Sharples says the direction for the language needs to be set by te reo speakers.
One of the members of the panel looking at te reo Maori says the next step is to draw feedback from the community through a series of 10 rohe hui around the country.
The panel convened a national language conference at Parliament last week so educationalists and Government agencies could have their say.
Pania Papa, a teacher and broadcaster from Tainui, says it's not a job that could be done by a ministry like Te Puni Kokiri.
After the rohe hui, Ms Papa says the panel intends to review each of the government agencies who run te reo Maori programmes.
She also says the review could take longer than expected.
