Kei aku whakateitei ki te whenua, kei aku whakatamarahi ki te rangi tahuti mai ki Te Hui. Ko Mihingarangi tenei e mihi atu nei ki a koutou katoa. Welcome to The Hui ` Maori current affairs for all New Zealanders. E taro ake nei... He's a Maori pharmacist helping to improve the health of kaumatua, one hui at a time. He's really good, because he just reminds all of us how important it is to eat healthy, be healthy. Brendon McIntosh is on a mission to improve health incomes for Maori in Te Wai Pounamu. I think that's a big part that's missing in the health system is building that initial relationship, the whanaungatanga. And she's the first wahine Maori to win the Billy T James Award. And the 2019 Billy T Award winner is... Kura Forrester! (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) We catch up with Kura Forrester before her new stand-up 'Kura Woulda Shoulda'. Just wanna let you know that you can go to the wharepaks any time you like. Are you holding on? No holding on. Is anyone else holding on? www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2019 Karahuihui mai. There are currently four inquiries being held into Oranga Tamariki following an explosive story on the attempted uplift of a newborn baby in Hawke's Bay. One of those inquiries is by the Children's Commissioner, Andrew Becroft. This week, Becroft attended the Whanau Ora inquiry which was held at Turangawaewae Marae during the Maori King's coronation commemorations. Among the attendees were many of Maoridom's heavy hitters, sending a strong message about the seriousness of this issue. To discuss, I'm joined now from Wellington by the Children's Commissioner, Andrew Becroft. Tena koe. Tena koe, Mihingarangi. He pai ki te korero ki a koe tenei ra. He rawe hoki ki te korero ki a koe te rangatira. You attended the hui at the koroneihana at Turangawaewae. What did you hear? Well, primarily, I went to listen, as my mum said, with two ears and one mouth. What I heard was a deep concern with the ability to deliver for Maori tamariki. I heard that Maori didn't want inquiries done to them. I was concerned. I wanted to be clear that we wanted to work with Maori. We wanted to hear from Maori whanau as to what had worked well, what hadn't worked well when involved with Oranga Tamariki, what could be done better. That's really the focus of our inquiry ` to look at the response by Oranga Tamariki when there are concerns involving Maori pepi, babies, 0 to 3 months old. It'll be a... It'll be a pretty deep, qualitative assessment of what is going on ` quite different from the other three inquiries that I see as being parallel and complimentary, not, uh, d-duplicating inquiries. Um, Sir Mason Durie talks about taking the next phase of this Whanau Ora-led inquiry into the regions. What will happen... What will they be able to ascertain when they do those korero and those wananga in the regions? Well, I think the Maori-led inquiry want to look plainly and squarely as to what the experience of whanau, hapu and iwi has been in terms of... issues with Oranga Tamariki and care and protection concerns. We want to work with Maori whanau as well, but ours will be a much smaller group. It'll be hearing, in-depth, the experience of those families. We have the Minister for Children, Tracey Martin ` she was on the show only a few weeks ago saying she had full confidence in Oranga Tamariki. Meanwhile, you've got people like Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, who's leading Whanau Ora, saying the opposite. How do you think we can be at such different ends of... You know, we don't agree. These groups just have no` They don't agree. Mm. I think, from my perspective as monitor of the practices and policies of Oranga Tamariki, we have much that we can do better. The Paula Rebstock inquiry was pretty clear three years ago that it was a failing system and it needed to be improved. I think those at the sharp end, particularly Maori ` who've experienced for too long, decades-long, poor practice where they have been disadvantaged ` understandably are deeply concerned. Underneath it all, the government, the state, has a responsibility ` a United Nations Convention responsibility ` to make sure all children are loved, thriving, well-nourished and happy. Now, we have a... we have a dissonance here between the government underlying responsibility and the lived experience of whanau, hapu and iwi. Now, that's got to change. There was also another announcement this week with Tuhoe signing an agreement with Oranga Tamariki. They're going to take more... you know, more in the driver's seat, really, with tamariki Maori who are from Tuhoe. Are these the kinds of relationships that we need to see? Exactly. I was really excited to hear of that. 30 years ago, there was the promise of working the state, whanau, hapu and iwi together. Frankly, we blew that. 30 years on, we've got just about the second chance for a revolution. But it's now an obligation, as I was reminded at the hui in Hamilton. And... those sorts of positive and well-resourced agreements with iwi and Maori organisations ` they are the way forward. They are the blueprint; they are the template for delivering services by Maori, for Maori. You say it's an obligation; it's now law from July 1st that Oranga Tamariki has to form these relationships with iwi. So, we have Tuhoe there. The other obligation they have is they have to divulge resources to iwi to be able to fund whatever kaupapa they want to run in their own rohe. Is this going to be a bit of an issue? Because, you know, we just saw the government give $1.2 billion extra to Oranga Tamariki. Yeah, I mean, let's be clear. The 7AA obligation is no more than making explicit what is implicit in the Treaty, what was implicit in 1989. And yes, the $1.2 billion that goes to Oranga Tamariki ` unquestionably, some of that will have to be delegated and passed on to iwi and Maori organisation. That is the dream. I mean, there's no way round that, and that, as I understand, is what's going to happen. There are strategic relationship agreements in place with Tainui, Kai Tahu, Ngapuhi. I mean, this, at long last, is the delivery of the dream that we've been talking about. But the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. And they're all different agreements, aren't they? For example, Tuhoe, at this stage ` they just want to be notified when any Tuhoe child is being uplifted or going into Oranga Tamariki care. They're also saying that they think that they could probably get more whanau from Tuhoe to become caregivers, because now it's... because it's under Tuhoe now, not Oranga Tamariki. I guess for some other iwi, they want more. They want to be able to build things and... Dame Tariana Turia always talks about the duty of care. So, I mean, would your advice be to Oranga Tamariki to just go as quickly or slow as the iwi wants to? Exactly. Every iwi will put it differently. They'll have different needs and different resources and different emphases. The crucial point is that we've got to do better to work with whanau, iwi, hapu, Maori organisations to bring about the change. It can't just be a dead letter in a statute. It's gotta be something active. In Northland, with Ngapuhi, there is Mahuru, a remand service for young Maori alleged offenders. That's being financed by Oranga Tamariki. That is the way of the future. So, outside of those iwi relationships, we've got about 50 organisations that also provide foster care. One of those is a business called Key Assets. They've got about 80 tamariki in their care this year. They received $6.8 million last year. You know, is this the monetising of our most vulnerable children? I think most New Zealanders would say that's not the way we would like to do it. Where the money has to go and where the law now requires that it should go is to early preventive, supportive assistance with family, whanau, by whanau. That's where we've gotta start. We need to reduce significantly the number of children going into care. And secondly, if removal is required, it's got to be in the context of retaining whakapapa links within wider family groups. Now, as I understand it, over half ` about 55% ` of those in the care of Key Assets are Maori, yet they've got about a 10% family base that are Maori. That model is the failed model of the past, and we have to go well past that. In a sense, that's the challenge. So you'd like to see less children going into companies that are providing foster care and more into, say, iwi relationships or NGOs or, like, the Whanau Ora model? Absolutely. That is, in a sense, the remnant of the past Child, Youth & Family system. All New Zealanders would instinctively say we can do better than using an overseas-based company to care for our children, albeit using New Zealanders and New Zealanders who are volunteering for foster care. But what works best above all else is care in the context of wider whanau and family groups. That's got to be our priority. Just before we go there ` when might we hear something more from the inquiry that's being done in your office? We'll be in two phases. First phase is to interview whanau, hapu and iwi. We want something out before the end of the year; we're committed to that. Phase two ` halfway through next year. Tena koe. Thank you for your time this morning. Tena koe, Mihingarangi. Kia ora. Ko te komihana tamariki tera ko Andrew Becroft. Hei muri i nga whakatairanga ka tutaki ki a tetahi takuta rongoa. We meet the Maori pharmacist next. Auraki mai ano. Maori chemist Brendon McIntosh is on a mission to bridge the gap between te ao Maori and health professionals. The Christchurch-based pharmacist is not only helping poua and taua on the ground in Te Wai Pounamu; he's trying to change the way pharmacists interact with Maori throughout the country. Kei a Rewa Harriman te roanga ake o nga korero. He's the chemist on the move. Whether it's diabetes or dementia, he's got you covered. Kia ora. Try and drink at least eight glasses of water a day. He's really good, because he just reminds all of us how important it is to eat healthy, be healthy. We engage with him on a personal level ` if I might say, a marae level. Brendon McIntosh is bringing his expertise to marae to help kaumatua and kuia take charge of their hauora. I think that's a big part that's missing in the health system is building that initial relationship, the whanaungatanga. The mobile Maori chemist making a difference, one hui at a time. So, he's one of the boys of Tuahiwi. (LAUGHS) And... And that's how we like it. That's how we roll. 29-year-old Brendon is a community pharmacist in Christchurch and knows first-hand the problems kaumatua are facing on the ground. I guess the disconnect or the disengagement from medicines. They may have taken a medicine once before and got an upset stomach and then they would just not take anything any more. So he decided to take the medicine to them. Actually go into the marae first and then get in front of the kaumatua or anyone that's on more than five medicines and sort of explain the service in a... a better way. So, you're not taking anything for pain, apart from...? No. Paracetamol. If someone's got their medicines there, I can go through and tell them about what side effects they should be looking for or may be experiencing. (ALL SING WAIATA) This kaumatua group at Rehua Marae in Christchurch meet twice a week. The group, the marae, is really, really important for us, cos otherwise, we as old ones can be quite isolated. Sitting looking at the window all day is not the answer, you know? It's getting up and moving around and getting involved in something. Otherwise you might as well be dead. (CHUCKLES) Ko Hikororoa te mauka. Ko Waikouaiti te awa. Ko Kati Huirapa ki Puketeraki te marae. Ko Kai Tahu te iwi. No Kia Kaha Chemist ahau. Brendon is a regular at their hui. He introduced himself in te reo Maori, which we were very impressed with, I must say. And you feel at ease with Brendon? You feel comfortable talking? Oh, he's really good. I like the way he is, you know. And those are special people. So, it's a more cost-effective way. They can prescribe it, and you get three months' worth for $5. Being a Maori pharmacist and taking that time to get to know and engage with the kaumatua and talk about common backgrounds, like... I mean, I don't really look that Maori, but as soon as I do my mihi and say where I'm from, then I can feel that barrier just break straight away. And then they would open up about a lot of things. It's what's affordable for families... Brendon believes the state of Maori health is getting worse. Maori are still over-represented in low life expectancy and almost all chronic and infectious diseases, including injuries and suicide. Brendon says the whole health system is broken and there needs to be a focus on equity in order to improve Maori health outcomes. Recognising that there is Te Tiriti. So we are bound to actually pay more attention to Maori. It's not about, um,... 'Maori are more privileged and get more of our time.' It's actually` They need this because of what's happened in the past, and it's our duty to bring us back up to a level playing field. You might actually have to spend 20 minutes with this whanau instead of your usual eight-minute consult. But that 20 minutes is actually going to improve a whole whanau's health outcomes. The community pharmacy group is a collection of Canterbury pharmacists, and chairwoman Aarti Patel acknowledges their shortfall within Maori communities. We are delivering services, but we recognise that these services are not reaching everybody that it needs to reach, right, and especially our Maori population. We know that service delivery is inequitable. The group has engaged Brendon to help improve the relationship between Maori and pharmacists. We recognise that we've got a gap in terms of addressing the needs of our Maori population. And so for us, it's been an absolute no-brainer to connect with Brendon. He's driven that agenda. The priorities are there for us. And so the idea is ` how do we do this in a way that's going to support our pharmacy workforce? Brendon is making change. He's prepared a document ` Matauranga Maori in Pharmacy ` which will be distributed to all pharmacies in Canterbury. It's just simple things that they can do just to improve their engagement with Maori. Even just learning how to say 'kia ora' or 'morena' and taking the time to pronounce names is a big thing and the genuine interest. For the last 15 years, Tuahiwi Marae have run 'Healthy Day at the Pa'. It's an initiative to give kaumatua a safe space to talk about their hauora. Let me say this ` anyone is welcome to 'Healthy Day at the Pa'. Another important event on Brendon's calendar. Brendon has been coming for some time now. His take is very important for our people to know why is it they're taking this medication, or why is it` If you're walking around with a belly full of a chemist shop, why is it you're having to do that? Because, you know, people will decide, 'Oh, I don't think I'll take those pills today. I'm feeling OK.' You might not know what each medicine's for or even when to take it. I can actually come into your house and go through that with you. Brendon's mahi is empowering kaumatua and giving them the confidence to take control of their hauora. They're not afraid to go back to their GP and say, 'You gave me the wrong medicine,' or, 'This medicine's not right for me,' or even questioning their diagnosis. And then also to their pharmacists, saying, 'I spoke to the Maori pharmacist, and he said this.' So it's sort of... Empowering them. Yeah, it's empowering them. I've had a few phone calls from community pharmacists around the area, asking what I've told their patients. But, yeah, I think it's a good thing. Na Rewa Harriman tera purongo. After the break, we meet the wahine cracking up Aotearoa. Ka tutaki ki a Kura Forrester. Auraki mai ano. Ngati Porou comedian Kura Forrester is fast becoming one of the standouts of New Zealand comedy. Now her one-woman show 'Kura Shoulda Woulda' is back for one night only. John Boynton went behind the scenes to find out where Kura's comedy comes from. She's the rising star of comedy in Aotearoa. I am Kura, and this show is all about me. Kura Forrester is the first Maori woman to be crowned Billy T James Comedian Of The Year. And the 2019 Billy T Award winner is... Kura Forrester! (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) She's finding humour in all the wrong places. IMITATES POSH ACCENT: Everywhere now, though, isn't it? Te reo Maori? It's everywhere. We're saturated in it. Growing up in Wellywood, you could say Kura Forrester was destined for stardom. Hey, John. How are ya? Nice to see you. Come in. This is my sister Bubbles. Hi. Kia ora. And it was with her whanau she took her first tentative steps on to the stage. She spent most of her time hiding behind me and Mum. So... she did lots of performances and made up lots of shows but only showed them to us. So any time she was in public, she went into her shell. But Kura didn't stay in her shell for long. Where am I? Absent. What?! No, I'm next to you! Oh, yeah. (LAUGHS) Kura says as the youngest of three, her relationship with her siblings is a big part of her act. There's a lot of comedy to be mined, I reckon, out of families, and the more specific I am about our family, I feel like the audience sort of go, 'Oh my gosh, yes. We're like that too.' Yeah. I definitely talk about feeling dumb in my family. Like, that was a huge thing for me growing up was, sort of, like, 'I'm the dumb one.' And I know that doesn't sound like anything. But, you know, it was kind of tough for me. Ooh, struggle street, eh (!) Like, oh, I bet people are watching it like, 'Oh, you poor thing!' (LAUGHS) At 17, Kura left home to study drama in Auckland, working hard both on and off the stage. It feels pretty nice to be working full-time in what I enjoy doing. So that's cool. And, like, I do not miss waitressing or anything like that, (CHUCKLES) so... So you feel like a full-time actress now? Yes, absolutely. I feel like for the last two, three years, I've been managing to work as an actor and a writer and a comedian full-time, and that's really nice to be able to pay the bills with that sort of work. Cos it's been a long time comin', man. She might be best known for her comedic chops, even working alongside the likes of Taika Waititi. University, ja? Yeah, but after that, I'm gonna travel. But she's also an accomplished dramatic actress. In 2015, she was cast as the lead in 'The Possession of Janet Moses', the true story of a young mum who died during a makutu-lifting ceremony. How was it like for you to go from comedy to dramatic roles? I know you shot Janet Moses here on this on this wharf. Mm! Yeah. I really loved making that film. It was amazing, and they really looked after us really well in terms of, like, wairua. I think that's one of the reasons I got cast, actually, is that I could go from comedy to drama really easily and not kind of get stuck in the darkness of that. Which one do you prefer? I think they both give me different satisfactions. Like... But probably comedy. Well, actually, I don't know. I don't want to choose. I think I'd like to be good at both if I can. And she's mastered both by honing her craft here at Auckland's Basement Theatre. I've worked on this stage heaps, and I feel pretty comfortable in this space. This is where I performed the Auckland season of 'Kura Shoulda Woulda'. I think it's really important to have... energy and to establish a good, sort of, relationship with your audience and look at them. (CHUCKLES) If you look at them, it helps. So, this dressing room has lots of memories for you? Yes. I've done a lot of... warming up in here and... freaking out in here. (LAUGHS) Being the youngest, we all know that makes me the coolest,... the most irresponsible and the poorest. (SIGHS) (LAUGHTER) Her hard work has paid off, winning this year's Billy T James award for 'Kura Shoulda Woulda',... BROAD ACCENT: Oh, that's nice. Billy T's dead. ...a taonga which takes pride of place in her kitchen. I notice a big yellow towel on the wall, the famous yellow towel. Yeah. So, that's made the wall, so quite stoked with that. So, yeah, it's a towel, but I got it framed, cos I was like, 'I better look after it.' (LAUGHS) And no one is more chuffed about her success than big sister Bubbles. How does it make you feel to see Kura at the stage she's at now? Um, really proud. Like, I'm her number one fan. (CHUCKLES) It makes me emotional. (GIGGLES) Why does it make you so emotional to see her where she's at now? I think cos she's worked so hard, and people are recognising how good she is, and she's getting, you know, what she deserves. Kura is the first Maori in 15 years to win the Billy T Award ` something that's not lost on her. How come you think Maori don't go into comedy? I feel like Maori are doing comedy everywhere. It's just not mainstream, you know? So, my dad did a eulogy at his brother's tangi a few months ago, and it was the funniest comedy set I'd ever seen. Like,... It was really heartfelt and truthful and beautiful. But I saw my dad get a couple of laughs, and then he was kind of like, 'Oh, I quite enjoy this,' you know? I don't know the answer to it, you know, but one thing I do know is that if you want more Maori in comedy, you can't sort of stand back as a mainstream industry and go, 'Please, Maori, come to us,' you know? Kura isn't standing back; she's standing up. Today she's rehearsing an encore performance of 'Kura Shoulda Woulda' with her friend and director Jessica Joy Wood. And also, just a bit of classic Kiwi manaakitanga ` I just wanna let you know that you can go to the wharepaks any time you like. I don't care. Are you holding on? No holding on. Is anyone else holding on? Jessica says directing Kura is the sweetest gig. Working with Ku, who's, like, a genius,... (IMITATES CRYING) Here we go. Uh-oh. There we go. ...is` who's also my best friend, is awesome. Yeah. Kura will be back onstage later this month for a special one-off performance at the Q Theatre in Auckland. Her goal is to take the show overseas, but she's being pragmatic. I'd like to be really solidified in the comedy scene, you know? So I really need to keep doing that and keep gigging and doing stand-up and just be, like, mega-rich and mega-famous. (CHUCKLES) Na John Boynton tera korero. And you can buy tickets for 'Kura Shoulda Woulda' online at nz.patronbase.com. Hei tera wiki, he korero motuhake. (KNOCKS ON DOOR) It was a one-night stand that became a 16-year campaign of terror. It was like a bad nightmare you're just waiting to wake up from. Zania McCauley survived one of the worst cases of domestic violence ever brought before our courts. And he'd only untie you to rape you? Yep. Pretty much. Only got untied when he wanted a bit, so... It's the most serious I've seen where a victim is still here to tell her story. Zania McCauley on how she took her life back from her tormentor. I'm a stronger woman now. And you won't want to miss that story. Kua hikina Te Hui mo tenei ra. You'll find links to our stories on our Facebook and Twitter accounts or at newshub.co.nz. Newshub Nation's next. Pai marire ki a tatou katoa. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2019 ALL: He mea tautoko na Te Mangai Paho. The Hui is made with support from NZ On Air.