19 Nov 2012

Keep Whanau Ora, says Waikato-Tainui

9:09 am on 19 November 2012

Waikato-Tainui has made an unequivocal call to keep Whanau Ora - the social welfare programme created by the Maori Party.

As Radio New Zealand recently reported, millions of dollars of funding are being handed out without proper checks on whether the money is well spent.

The policy has also faced sustained political attacks from New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

Waikato-Tainui says it is too early to comment on the success, or otherwise, of the scheme so far, but wants the Government to continue funding Whanau Ora.

Tom Roa - the chair of the tribe's executive arm Te Arataura - says it is right for the state to help Maori the Maori way.

He says he celebrates the basic philosophy of Whanau Ora, which is that healthy individuals come from healthy families.

Mr Roa says the Government has taken the lead in recognising that the Crown has a responsibility to keep tangata whenua healthy.