Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples is sympathetic to calls for the streamlining of efforts to strengthen te reo Maori.
The Maori Language Commissioner, Erima Henare, has recommended merging the commission, Te Taura Whiri, with the Maori broadcasting funding agency Te Mangai Paho, with any savings used for community-level projects.
He has also called for spending on te reo by other Government agencies such as such as the Tertiary Education Commission, the Ministry of Education and New Zealand on Air to be scrutinised to avoid duplication and waste.
Mr Sharples told Waatea News that resources were being wasted through duplication of language promotion, and that improvements could come from organisations working together rather than by full mergers.
His predecessor, Parekura Horomia, says that devolving resources is a good idea, but that some capacity-building could be required.
He told Waatea News that there are risks in devolution, and that any strategy for it needs to acknowledge that some agencies or departments have unique roles in preserving and promoting the Maori language.
