Yesterday at Mataatua Marae the Tamaki Makaurau Electorate of the Māori party congratulated Rangi Mclean who was appointed to the Vice president Tāne role of the party nation-wide executive.

“Everyone is talking about the regions, saying they want to help Māori development there, well the need is here - right here in Auckland, where we are getting double taxed on petrol, where housing is not affordable, where homelessness is highest, and where our opportunity to bring value as Māori to the city is not yet realised” – Rangi Mclean said in his speech to the Auckland electorate.

“We see the need for resource – the biggest Māori population of all districts in the country – yes we are ethnically diverse in this city but a quarter of the Māori population is here and the needs and dreams for Māori here are very diverse too – we need resource to reach those different areas.”

“It is also about opportunity – Te Matatini is here in our city and we know Māori bring value to the city – we need strong advocacy resources and innovative solutions that work for whānau.” “Of the five entities that the Ministry of Arts Culture and Heritage funded - $37,622,000 was given to the four Pakeha Arts entities. $1,948,000 funding went to the one Māori Arts entity Te Matatini. There are good organisations doing good things for Maori. There are Iwi doing good things for Maori. Let’s not lose sight of what Auckland needs.”

“This leadership position and appointment brings weight to the fact that Māori in Auckland deserve a Māori voice – whether it’s in business dealings or social services – we need to do better for Maori here and that requires focus.”

Rangi Mclean has been an advocate for Maori and local communities for a number of years, holding various governance roles in Auckland. He is a current local board member in Manurewa and has received awards for leadership in Maori Business, Services to Local Government and a Human Rights Commission award.

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