Transcript
For the first time in almost 20 years the Ministry for Pacific Peoples gathered 350 Pacific leaders from around New Zealand to announce the new vision, at the same time speaking about Treasury's report of the Pacific community's contribution to the New Zealand economy. Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Minister of Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio spoke about both reports.
GRANT ROBERSTON: You can't be a good citizen of the Pacific if we don't understand the contribution of the Pacific community in our own country. Ummm to be honest I was surprised. It was a number I wasn't expecting to see but what a great base to now grow from and that's what I see in these two reports is potential. I just see a mass of potential. There are definitely challenges and we all know the statistics, but these reports say yeah what a base to grow from."
SUSANA LEI'ATAUA: Do these reports change anything with regards to the focus of the Pacific Reset?
GRANT ROBERSTON: : For the Reset not so much I don't think for the Reset I don't think because that is an outward looking programme. But as I say for me what they say is here is the potential for New Zealand to establish the base that allows us to be the best possible citizen of our region."
AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: There's still more work to be done on the report. I mean I want that report to scope out the contribution of Pacific Peoples to the night economy, contribution of our sports, our artists, and also our remittances back to the islands that's the full and complete story. So this is the start of a conversation. But it also builds on what Grant is working on and the well being framework because people told us what well-being meant to them, and it wasn't just in monetary terms. It was spirituality was important, knowledge was important, our ancestral connections, our geneaological connections. Those things, you know how do you put numbers around that? How do you quantify the value of that? It means much much more to Pacific people."
The Lalanga Fou Report reflects 60 percent of New Zealand's Pacific population is now born in New Zealand. Its vision is Pacific communities leading innovations within Aotearoa, the Pacific region, and the world - confident, thriving, resilient and prosperous.
Whanau Ora commissioning agency, Pasifika Futures, was involved in the consultation process for the Lalanga Fou Report. its CEO, Debbie Sorensen, says its now about what the Pacific community does to make the vision happen.
DEBBIE SORENSEN: The absolute determination that we have solutions of our own, that our future is ours to create. It's not for the government to determine that. It's for us to advise the government on what would be best for our communities, for our families and we need to create and do the work."
SUSANA LEI'ATAUA: Do you think that any of the outcomes or any of the information that was shared today is able to be incorporated in the well being budget that the Finance Minister was talking about or is it going to take longer?
DEBBIE SORENSEN: Well we hope so, we hope so. It would be a shame if we have to wait another year before we actually have the resource to make a difference and so there is an opportunity obviously with the well-being budget and we should take it."
