The idea of merging the various agencies responsible for
promoting the Maori language has found some favour amongst
them.
Both the Maori broadcasting funding authority Te Mangai Paho
(TMP) and the Maori Language Commission appeared before the
Maori affairs select committee.
The committee's chairman Tau Henare asked both agencies how
they would feel about bringing together their work, along
with that done by Te Puni Kokiri.
Commission chairwoman Erima Henare agreed with the suggestion
that work to preserve the language had become too fragmented
and it could be time to stop the "silo treatment" with each
agency doing their own thing.
The agencies were already showing a "spirit of coming
together", she said.
TMP chairwoman Jacqui Te Kani was more cautious, saying it
would depend on how the new agency model was designed and
whether it would work.
Another TMP official pointed out to the MPs that the
Education Ministry was also responsible for large amounts of
Maori language promotion and she would welcome TMP having
some control over that.
The Government is currently looking at number of state sector
agency mergers and restructuring with Prime Minister John Key
saying for a small country New Zealand has far too many
agencies, which causes fragmentation and waste.
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