It’s always better to have part of something than all of nothing.
Extra . Extra. Read all about it….
$4.8m dollars of “New Money” for Pacific Economic Development in the 2010 Budget.
Yay!!!
And the lucky recipient of the appropriated funds is PEDA Ltd … the Pacific Economic Development Agency Ltd.
Who?
PEDA LTD
Who?...
…You get my drift.
So…it’s a private company?
Yes.
Ok, so who is this agency? Their credentials? What is their proven track record? Good questions…ones that have since been asked by Radio 531pi and indeed in the House.
PEDA Ltd is an agency that was in operation for a little over a year then ceased to exist.
They are now seen to be leaders, an authority in taking Pacific economic infrastructure to the next level….As far as the Key led government is concerned.
So let us look at the positives ….
This is the single largest sum of money allocated to Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs in the ministry’s 20 plus year history
Fantastic news.
Yes.
In so many ways this investment into Pacific Island Affairs is a positive signal that the Key led government recognizes the growing importance Pacific communities have and are continuing to make to this country.
Which is right, as we are in all areas of society making a positive contribution to this wonderful nation.
The cynic in me says yes Mary it is a good sign… despite the grief John Key caused with comments two days before the Budget that… high income earners are “core and critical” to this country … totally insulting a great share of Maori and Pacific Island workers who are low to middle income earners…
…If all the cleaners in the hospitals and all the rubbish collectors ceased to exist, this country would shut down, you simply cannot operate within the guidelines of health and safety without these core and critical roles operating sweetly…I digress….
Anyway….at the end of the day…the mullah is a good sign.
So there should be celebration for the appropriation of $4.8m of “new money”?
Well, from the outset – no. It has not been received that way by our Pacific communities.
Radio 531pi broke this story and it quickly gathered momentum.
It’s not the allocation of funding that has many people asking questions, it’s the way in which this money has been gifted/presented/appropriated to an agency that we know very little about.
It appears that there were a few informal discussions and then PEDA Ltd. were given the green light.
Many in our community and in parliament were asking - Where was the process? The transparency? The opportunity for existing agencies to compete for this funding?
Rightly so, we live in an assumed transparent democracy…do we not?
To many, the front door process to the allocation of funds is to publicly afford other agencies an equal opportunity to throw their hat into the ring.
Not so in this instance.
The Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Georgina te Heuheu says that is not always the case and not when “ New money is allocated”
She says there was no tendering process for this and that it was an “Appropriation of funding, new money, allocated in the 2010 budget”
No process necessary.
So a backdoor deal then Minister?
“No, absolutely not Mary,” the minister tells me.
Can you see that many may feel this is may be the case minister?
“I can understand where they are coming from, but let me assure you Mary and your listeners that this is not the case.”
So minister are you saying that not one cent will be given to PEDA Ltd until there is a paper trail and clear and measureable outcomes that the community can view?
“Yes Mary that is certainly the case.”
…These are the Ministers comments from and interview on Island Time June 02…
Great, thank you Minister…All sorted then.
I admire the Rt Hon. Georgina te Heuheu. She is a great proponent of Pacific people together which is this stations brand.
She understands the benefits of integration for Maori and Pacific people.
When Pacific people migrated here in the 60’s and 70’s they joined with Maori under one banner, as Pacific Islanders…not as Samoans, or Tongans or Cook Islanders or Niueans…just Pacific Islanders, no segregation of cultures simply as one….strength in unity.
And we would do well to remember strength in unity, Pacific communities are always able to leverage off whatever Maori are afforded and working together allows us to have part of something than all of nothing.
So it’s certainly been a relief for many to hear the Minister say there will be accountability, transparency and therefore measurable outcomes regarding PEDA Ltd.
And there must be because there are many agencies at grass roots level who are providing all that PEDA Ltd claims they will do for our Pacific communities.
So three weeks on from the Budget announcement and we have seen the uproar and concern over this money….however now it is time to move on and let them get on with the business of what they claim to be able to do.
I haven’t even touched on who PEDA Ltd is and what their credentials are…Frankly, it’s irrelevant, they have the green light and what we must now do is get behind them and help support this sign of investment in our Pacific communities.
Infighting makes a mockery of us as Pacific people and we are so much better and more advanced than that.
To continue to fight amongst ourselves is to give in to a mediocre strategy.
…Throw them some crumbs and let them fight among themselves…
A basic strategy often used in the past with Maori. One we as Pacific communities must recognize - yet avoid.
Right or wrong, it serves no one for us to continue to harp on about a perceived lack of due process.
We now need to acknowledge that there was a process that was undesirable and ensure it does not repeat itself.
Now is the time to acknowledge that PEDA Ltd will become the most transparent and accountable agency working for our Pacific people.
They have no choice, the spotlight was on them from the start and they are now blessed with the eyes of us all watching and hopefully waiting for them to succeed.
I am a great believer in giving people 100 per cent and allowing them the space to honor that belief or to discredit themselves.
It’s a great way of saying yes I support and believe in you, however what you do and what you achieve is entirely up to you…self governance and self accountability.
So…congratulations PEDA Ltd, go well with what you propose to do….your success will pave the way for greater belief in our Pacific agencies.
We are all part of this investment, give us something to celebrate
Turn this initial investment of $4.8m into an endless timeline of successes for our people.
.
