Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell came under fire again today over the success of Whānau Ora, just a day after Labour MP's criticised the Māori Party's flagship policy. However, the Chief Executive of the Whānau Ora Commissioning agency John Tamihere has hit back at critics.
The Minister for Māori Development's response to criticism in Parliament today over whether information on the successful progress of Whānau Ora is available for all to see.
Flavell says, “All of the reports from the reports from Commissioning Agencies are available online on the website, and are public documents, anyone can read them.”
The CEO of Te Pou o Matakana says criticism by some Māori members of the Labour Party, saying that a detailed public progress report hasn't been released, was mischievous and misleading.
Tamihere says, “I and our chair briefed the Labour Party Māori caucus at great length in August last year. Nanaia Mahuta was on sick leave, she came here in April, six weeks ago and was fully briefed for three and a half hours in this room on all the details, all the numbers and all the funding.”
Since Whānau Ora was established six years ago, Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK) has not made public their consolidated report of all the commissioning agencies reports.
Labour's spokesperson for Whānau Ora Nania Mahuta says she asked Te Ururoa Flavell about this matter in select committee yesterday.
“There are three Commissioning Agencies, each with different goals outcomes and benefits for families. How is TPK accessing the outcomes of those Commissioning Agencies? He didn't have a good answer,” says Mahuta.
In a statement, Te Ururoa Flavell says:
“Whānau Ora Commissioning Agencies are subject to a range of transparency and accountability requirements set out in the Outcome Agreements between Te Puni Kōkiri and the Commissioning Agencies.”
Mahuta says she will be asking all three commissioning agencies to present their progress reports before the Māori Select Committee.