Making Connections throughout Hauraki

The three most important things for many Maori whanau in
Hauraki are to positively develop as a people, the saddening
loss of land at the expense of the Seabed and Foreshore
legislation and our country’s economic future, according
to Maori Party candidate for Hauraki-Waikato, Angeline
Greensill.

Accompanied by Maori Party MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Hone
Harawira, Ms Greensill attended a series of
community-inspired meetings held throughout Hauraki during
the week.

“I was humbled to meet and listen to the many issues and
concerns shared amongst the whanau and communities
throughout the Hauraki area” said Angeline Greensill.

“The people of Hauraki - from the Coromandel to Thames,
from Waihi to Paeroa, showed great generosity of spirit by
opening their homes to the Maori Party”.

“We were overwhelmed by the range of issues brought to
these important town meetings” said Mrs Greensill. “We
were equally inspired by the range of solutions being
offered by the community itself, such as seeding every new
born child with $2000 in a community savings bank that would
carry interest through until retirement, equating to a
healthy amount to support their eventual superannuation.”

“A number of topics were discussed including the need for
local training programmes based around marae; the want to
establish native nurseries for learning and for employment,
and the cry that the current plan of free-health care for
children only relates to visits between 9am - 5pm Monday to
Friday, which is no good as children are sick at all hours
and especially in the weekend. Concern was also raised
around the rising fear of gangs in the community.”

“I met a Maori family who have prepared for the global
market collapse by localising their efforts, insulating
their home, channelling rain water, growing their own food.

“My hope is that these efforts will be replicated
throughout Hauraki-Waikato and that in the process of
finding basic and innovative local solutions, we are able to
inspire the entire nation”