The minister responsible for Whakaata Māori says the decision to time-lock funding increases for the Māori media organisation is the fault of the Labour government, not his.
But his predecessor, Labour’s Willie Jackson, has pushed back on suggestions the previous government could’ve done more.
Whakaata Māori Kaihautū Shane Taurima announced a review of the organisation’s structure as it faces a $9.5 million funding decrease in the coming years.
Minister of Māori Development Tama Potaka says the decision to time-lock funding for Whakaata Māori was Labour’s and he takes issue with the notion that it’s the current National government to blame for the decrease.
“The funding for Whakaata Māori it’s well-known; some of that funding is time-limited, and it was set up that way by the previous government.”
“The view that I have, which is shared by the prime minister, is that te reo Māori is a foundational part of New Zealand’s DNA, past, present, and future.”
“This year’s budget has reinforced that with the same level of funding te reo Māori. It did not take a haircut like many other government appropriations.”
The issue of time-limited funding for Whakaata Māori began under the previous Labour government and then Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson.
Speaking to Waatea News yesterday, Jackson said Whakaata Māori was crying poor too early.
“I wasn’t in a position to give them funding forever but while I was minister I was making sure I gave funding out.
“They should be pushing this minister, Tama Potaka, to fund them over the next two years. They’re sort of preempting the government – it’s a bit unusual what I’m hearing from them,” he says.
Baseline funding for the organisation, which is charged with aiding the revitalisation of te reo Māori through content, has not increased since 2008.
The news came on the same day broadcasting minister Paul Goldsmith announced he’d be tweaking the eligibility criteria for the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate, which means long-running soap drama Shortland Street could be spared the axe amid financial issues at TVNZ.
Minister Potaka bristles at the insinuation that Shortland Street is more important than the revitalisation of te reo Māori.
“That’s certainly not my view.”
“The most important thing for me in this space is the promotion and advancement of te reo Māori, not only for you, for me, but for everyone.”
Crying poor too early?
Speaking to Te Ao Māori News on Tuesday, Whakaata Māori Kaihautū Shane Taurima described the review as a future-focused plan.
“Unfortunately, that funding runs out over the next three years, so in the next financial year, we are set to lose $5.5 million and the year after that another $4 million. So a total of $9.5m we’re set to lose by 2027.”
Taurima said it represents a 20 percent reduction in budget, and that the organisation is pursuing a target of reducing 25 percent of its costs to account for future inflation.
In a statement yesterday, Minister Tama Potaka said his government’s recent budget provided $47.764m for Whakaata Māori, $24 million of which was a fiscally neutral transfer for Māori Broadcasting and Streamed Services.
“This will help enable the Māori media sector to continue to tell Māori stories in a uniquely Māori way that all of Aotearoa can enjoy,” Potaka said.
“As in other sectors, industry leaders must be innovative to ensure they achieve their goals for delivering content that audiences want to see across platforms they enjoy.”
Recent digital innovation from Whakaata Māori includes the MĀORI+ app, which has seen weekly users increase 169 per cent in the last year.
A spokesperson for the organisation said just in the last week, Whakaata Māori has drawn a linear television audience of 483,623, with 259,978 users accessing MĀORI+ and TeAoNews.co.nz.
“Along with normal scheduling, Whakaata Māori has broadcast live four days of Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua, the Māori All Blacks vs. Japan with te reo Māori commentary, the NRL Warriors vs. Broncos with te reo Māori commentary, Taikura – the annual kaumātua kapa haka festival and a full day of Matariki programming including live coverage of the Wanaka Matariki dawn service.”
