Family Futures

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and especially on children. The Social Sector Trials (SST)
in New Zealand are a form of justice reinvestment where
communities, the ministries of Education, Health, Justice
and Social Development and the New Zealand Police work
together to change the way that social services are delivered
and resourced, and to allow communities to lead decision-
making. The SSTs are in communities with elevated levels
of deprivation and the early indications are that these initia-
tives have empowered communities and produced positive
outcomes in youth crime reduction, among other things.
One of the key characteristics of New Zealand demography
is the relatively youthful Māori profile. There is considerable
opportunity here. An investment in young Māori children
means that whānau, communities and the nation as a whole
will reap the demographic dividends. Māori scholar Linda
Tuhiwai Smith, in a recent discussion on inequality in New
Zealand, asserts that the rising generations of Māori (and
Pacific) youth provide an opportunity to change the future
positively if their access to that future is implemented now.
She argues that this rising generation will form a significant
part of the decision-making population. Their aspirations,
values and decisions will influence the future. She calls this
the gift of hospitality: that these young people will serve. She
cautions, however, that how well they serve depends on how
well prepared and supported they are now.
Confronting wh ānau poverty is a serious challenge, but it
is not beyond our capabilities. Poverty is not a natural condi-
tion, it is a social condition. With consciousness, appropriate
resourcing and will – including political will – we can make
positive social change that will enable Māori whānau and
other families to flourish in New Zealand.
particularly affected by the global financial crisis. Some of the
reasons that account for this are that Māori on the whole have
lower educational attainment, are over-represented in lower-
skilled industries and occupations, and are more vulnerable
in economic downturn.
Early labour market participation (as youth) is seen as key
to alleviating poverty and reducing state dependency. The
significance of the demographic importance of Māori needs
to be underscored. Attention needs to be paid to supporting
young Māori as they transition from school to further educa-
tion, training or work. Ensuring that there is good training in
place (and jobs to go into) is important. Training allowances
and incentives for employers to take on youth is important.
There has been some investment in trade training through
modern apprenticeship schemes and these could be much
further developed. Again, recognition of the gains that can
be made by investing in young Māori is critical. Sustainable
solutions will benefit the nation.
The majority of Māori contribute strongly to their whānau
and communities even under considerable constraints. A
small but over-represented sector of Māori has an early and
ongoing interface with the criminal justice system. While
the majority of people living in poverty live law-abiding
lives, poverty does create the conditions that are conducive
to becoming involved with criminality. As already noted,
poverty statistics too often map onto crime statistics. The
alleviation of poverty would go some way in reducing
criminal offending and reducing high incarceration rates
in New Zealand. The impact of incarceration is not purely
limited to the individual that is imprisoned. There is a nega-
tive impact of imprisonment on families and communities,
Positive social change will help to combat poverty and enable Māori whā nau to flourish
Image: Josie McClutchie, Ng
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Pae o te M
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ramatanga
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Confronting F amily P overty