This is a positive step forward for Māori society and for tax payers. The money is being administered by a government entity that has a proven track record in administering large amounts of funds, is publicly accountable and who are being transparent with the way they plan to structure the organisation.
The Māori ICT expert panel group I assume will be made of ICT experts with a Maori language and or economic development background and will be appointed via a public process as opposed to appointing the elite few, the cuzzies or the bro’s which is so common.
It would only make sense now that anonymous Māori Party’s Ngā Pu Waea “National Māori Broadband Working Group” also be merged into Te Mangai Paho as the new government super Māori ICT entity. Perhaps as a sub committee of the Expert Māori ICT Advisory group.
The following months will be interesting, watching what will happen to the sudden flurry of new Māori ICT groups and individuals who almost appeared over night at the announcement that there may be a $30 million fund after the government refused to recognise radio spectrum as a taonga. https://www.taiuru.co.nz/radio-spectrum-digital-land-in-a-new-era-of-confiscation/
I imagine the relevant ministers will be happy that all of these new groups and individuals will not be knocking on the door saying they are the only representative Māori ICT group and that the others are not. That there must be so much confusion for those without the cognitive ability to research or ask the right questions to figure out who is who and who does what.
The other benefit is that Te Mangai Paho will fall under the new Te Mātāwai electoral college who will take ownership of Te Mangai Paho and Te Taura Whiri. In my opinion again, this is another positive step forward and recognizes the fatal floor in the Māori Language strategy that ignored technology as a key tool for language revitalization.
I suspect that the Māori Spectrum group will be reconsidering their tribunal case they lost for the spectrum in which they referred to the $30 million fund as a beads and blankets deal.
A positive day for Māoridom and the first step forward for Māori to become more economically self-sustainable and advance in the Information Technology Communications fields.
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