Entrenched poverty in Ikaroa-Rawhiti shocks Maori Party

"The burden of nine years of failed government policies is
falling on the young and the poor" says Ikaroa-Rawhiti Maori
Party candidate Derek Fox.

"In the last four days as I have walked the streets in the
Ikaroa-Rawhiti electorate I have despaired at the high
number of Maori children especially in the Napier/Hastings
area who are either truanting or not attending school. A
truancy officer in Maraenui told me today, that 89% of Maori
children at any one time are not attending school. This is
totally unacceptable."

"I am shocked by what I have seen as we have taken our
message to the people. A message of hope into what appears
to be a sea of hopelessness" added Mr Fox.

"After nine years on the Treasury benches Minister Horomia
boasts in local papers that there are only 800 unemployed in
the Ikaroa-Rawhiti electorate. He is obviously counting his
version of the WINZ unemployment benefit statistics, not
actual people.

“Since we started a tour through Ikaroa-Rawhiti from Te
Araroa last Sunday, our team has met more than 800
unemployed people, and we have not even reached the
Wairarapa or the Hutt Valley yet," said Derek Fox.

“I wonder when the Minister last walked the streets of
Maraenui and Flaxmere and listened to the people, rather
than preaching to them about how good his government has
been to Maori.

“We have a Minister quoting his official’s figures and
painting a glowing picture, but what we have seen are the
cold, harsh realities of many whanau. The two pictures are
just not fitting."

"Are streets of despair, sub-standard houses, non-attendance
at school and a future on a benefit without hope, good for
Maori? I don't think so" said Derek Fox.

"The Maori Party will do the hard yards, to listen to the
people, to do the work, to resource local communities to
seek out local solutions and to implement them."

"The Minister and his government have failed to do that,
because they do not believe the people know the solutions,
they do not trust our communities. We trust our people. We
trust our people and judging from the responses I have been
getting, they trust us," ended Mr Fox.

Contact Derek Fox: ph 021-375-857

The Maori Party Ikaroa-Rawhiti Bus Tour will tomorrow travel
to Waipukurau, Porongahau, Takapau, Dannevirke, Woodville,
Pahiatua, and Masterton.