Māori affairs policies 1984 - 1994 and Māori trust boards

Abstract

In the 1980’s government moved from a highly regulated economy to a market driven economy. Major changes were made to the machinery of government, to state trading activities and to government policies and programmes. “Devolution” was the term used by the Labour government of 1984 to introduce its Maori affairs policies. Devolution was perceived as a radical policy initiative aimed at improving the socioeconomic position of Maori while also complying with the fiscal initiatives of Treasury. For Maori, devolution was seen as a means to help empower the tribes, to assist their tribal development ambitions, albeit in a limited manner, in the practical implementation of the new policies. This is a functional analysis of the effects of public policies specifically relating to Maori affairs, on Maori Trust Boards constituted under the Maori Trust Boards Act 1955. The primary (and most convenient) means of facilitating devolution was to use the framework of Maori Trust Boards that had originally been constituted to administer compensation funds on behalf of named beneficiaries. The paternalistic legislation under which Trust Boards must still operate inhibits tribal development and needs to be re-examined as does the formula under which perpetuity compensation payments are made to some Trust Boards. It is argued that Maori organisations such as Maori Trust Boards, by way of participation in policy formulation, planning and implementation, should be seen as a vehicle through which service delivery to Maori can be significantly modified and positively improved. Perhaps then we will see an improvement in the socioeconomic statistics relating to Maori.