Kei nga huia kaimanawa o te motu, rarau 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... When Aotearoa locked down, those who'd been locked out were finally let in. It's The Ritz to me, this place. People just walked in off the street in what they were wearing, and, you know, it was a desperate scrabble. Could COVID-19 be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to begin to remedy New Zealand's homelessness? Here I feel a lot safer, eh. And Minister Of Police Stuart Nash says there's no systemic racism in the New Zealand Police. We ask why. If racism is found in the New Zealand Police service, it will be weeded out. There is no` But it has been found. It's found every day. There is no place... for racism. And we meet the speech therapists giving voice to the next generation of Maori. We can give our tamariki and our pepi that rich oral language, sense of identity and place in the world when they're so young. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020 Karahuihui mai. Aotearoa has the worst rate of homelessness in the OECD. But now COVID-19 has presented an unlikely opportunity to tackle the issue head-on. The government has committed $100 million to provide 1200 motel rooms to house the homeless for 12 months. The move comes after 500 rough sleepers were given temporary accommodation during the lockdown. Ruwani Perera takes a look at the collaborative intervention. MAN: # Swing low,... MALE SINGERS: # Swing low... # ...sweet chariot... RUWANI PERERA: When the city came to a standstill, those who call the streets home came inside. It's a big help for me to get back on my feet. For those of us that have been working with homelessness for a long time, it's kinda like a dream come true. Who would've imagined that a potentially deadly virus could help remedy chronic homelessness? Having a place like this ` yeah, it's a true blessing, eh. I was grateful. I was overly grateful. It's The Ritz to me, this place. And as tourist numbers tumble, the door is open to new possibilities. That pipeline of housing is really opening, so it's really exciting. These are our people. Being in this position to help them, it's been really important to us. (INTRIGUING MUSIC) Methamphetamine was the one constant in Leroy Smith's life for 20 years. I lost everything. What my mind was on is just, 'When am I gonna have my next fix?' I was thinking I'm gonna get off it, but then, you know, I was just getting right back on it again. It cost him his partner, his relationship with his children and the roof over his head. Ended up on the street, and I'd be up for days on end, eh, and just walkin' around, trying to find somewhere to sleep, but I couldn't sleep, because, you know... I'd be up for, like... I think the longest I was up for was, like, two weeks. So, yeah, definitely survival of the fittest out there. (CONTEMPLATIVE MUSIC) But when COVID-19 hit, even the fittest were at risk. Leroy along with 500 other vulnerable New Zealanders were picked up off the streets and placed in temporary accommodation. He moved into this motel on the first day of the lockdown and is slowly adjusting to life inside. I've always looked after myself, but being out there, it's a whole different atmosphere. I mean, you have to look after yourself. Zoe Truell from not-for-profit organisation Lifewise says the pandemic has created an extraordinary opportunity the likes of which they've never seen before and the best chance they've had to combat homelessness in Aotearoa. We just knew we had to get everybody inside. People were coming to us; they were really freaked out. They were scared. And they couldn't socially isolate, cos they didn't have a home. People just walked in off the street in what they were wearing, and it was a desperate scrabble. Wow. But we've had amazing support from everybody. Well, the guy at room 9 ` did he turn up at all? Yeah, so he was really good, yeah. 89 motels across the motu have come on board, partnering with government to keep rough sleepers like Leroy housed and supported through the rahui and beyond. Do you feel safe here? My main worry was, you know, someone probably... jump me, you know, for my stuff, and things get taken away. But here, I feel a lot safer, eh. (CURIOUS MARIMBA MUSIC) Wanna see some moves? 39-year-old Lyle Waitai-Tipene swapped a sleeping bag in the CBD for the home comforts in this motel unit ` a life-changing move that happened because of COVID-19. I was grateful. I was... overly grateful. It's The Ritz to me, this place. I just try and make the most of... what I have. Everyone comes to my house. I call it a house. These are our people. Being in this position to help them, it's been really important to us. (LAUGHTER) We can just do the same thing that we did last time and just put them all in the office, and they just come and collect them like they did last time. Yeah. Motel manager Esther Te Ahuru is overseeing 40 units across two sites which are putting up around 50 people who, before the rahui, didn't have a home. Our usual clientele is tourists, so this is much different for us, very much different. As a wahine Maori, how good do you feel being a part of all this? This is honestly` This has been a privilege. Working with Lifewise and helping our whanau ` it's been our honest privilege. We've really been grateful. Many people would think there's a stigma attached to people who are homeless. Has it changed your point of view? We've probably been hit up for the vacuum cleaner and clean towels and clean blankets more than any other booking, so it's quite interesting. Hello. From someone that's been in the accommodation sector, they are not the worst people to have. (CHUCKLES) Not at all. Morning. Morning. How are you? I'm good. That's good. Esther says that in a short space of time, they've created a sense of community here. I think after about... a month is when we really settled into a period with everybody, and then once they brought in the new lot of guests during Level 3, we just already had everything sorted. Tell them they're all welcome. With respect. Already we've seen, with people coming into housing, they're making huge changes, even in the motels. They've got somewhere safe and secure that they can relax in ` their own bed, somewhere to wash in the morning ` those kind of things. Associate Minister of Housing Nanaia Mahuta says the next step is to go from temporary digs into transitional housing, like this Kainga Ora development in the South Auckland suburb of Mangere. The ultimate goal, though, is to find whanau a permanent address. It's a partnership approach between the government and community housing providers, Maori housing providers, Housing First, to be able to understand that space and move with confidence with the whanau to their next transition. So that's really important for us, because we want a sustainable outcome that can help change lives. The big challenge in this space of responding to homelessness and insecure accommodation is that there isn't enough supply out there in the market. Those working to house the homeless are trying to utilise businesses hit hard by COVID-19, like those that relied on tourism. There's a lot of people contacting us ` landlords, people who had Airbnbs, and now they haven't got anyone to rent them. There's no tourism. So they're coming to us and saying, 'Well, would you like to rent this out? 'We'd like to help people who are homeless,' which is quite a turnaround, and that pipeline of housing is really opening. So it's really exciting. It's a very open time. There's a lot of opportunities. I'm seeing a lot of interest from, for example, Maori providers and iwi who are putting their hands up and saying, 'Well, actually, we wanna do something as well.' So in my mind, if we take an approach where everybody is a part of the solution, then we're going to have an enduring solution in terms of secure accommodation for families. And not having a home goes hand in hand with not having enough kai. Take a trip to Auckland City Mission's food bank, and there's no shortage of people in need of their help. Demand for their food parcels more than doubled during lockdown, and they estimate around one million Kiwis are going hungry. Part of a theme that we have seen happen during this COVID period is that the realities that existed before have been brought to the surface and really highlighted. We're really keen now to not only bring people indoors but keep them indoors forever. So that is the extraordinary opportunity that we have now. With the economic downturn expected to hit whanau even harder, there's no doubt there'll be more heartbreak ahead. We are thinking that there's gonna be a whole new wave of people coming through who are homeless. We know that already. We're seeing new people dropping out on to the street. Until we stop poverty, until we fix the inequality in New Zealand, we're not gonna stop homelessness continuing to happen, so that's what we need to focus on. Zoe Truell hopes that, despite the hardship, COVID-19 could be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to solve homelessness for good. Housing is a basic human right, but we haven't had the opportunity until now to make that real, to make that true for people. (GENTLE MUSIC) Leroy's problems won't be solved by four walls alone. Staying clean is still a constant challenge, but it's one he can face while living in his own whare. A fighting chance to rebuild his life and reunite with his whanau. That's my main focus is just, yeah, getting my kids to come` especially come and stay with me, you know, so they can spend a bit more time. Can't really dwell on the past, you know? I've got to try and move forward, I guess. And that's my biggest thing is just, yeah, trying to move on, get better. (GENTLE MUSIC FADES) Na Ruwani Perera tera purongo. And we're pleased to share that Leroy has moved into his own whare now and will continue to have wraparound service. After the break, we ask Police Minister Stuart Nash about institutional racism in New Zealand policing. Hoki mai ano. Well, the minister of police, Stuart Nash, took many by surprise this week, stating it was his personal belief that there's no systemic racism in the New Zealand Police. Minister Nash's statement appears to fly in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, including a recent study which found police are almost twice as likely to send a first-time Maori offender to court than they are a Pakeha offender. Among those who disagree with the police minister's comments is his colleague Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis. The police minister, Stuart Nash, says there's no institutional racism in the police. Do you agree? Look, there's racism throughout New Zealand, and I think all of us would be naive to claim that there isn't, regardless of what agency or what business might just think that. Racism exists, and we've got to do our best to stamp out racism at all levels. Is it a concern, though, that the police minister doesn't think that there's any institutional racism in the police force? Look, uh, 'unconscious bias' is what the commissioner of police said a couple of years ago, and I would agree with that perspective. But shall we call it what it is? It's racism. Well, I also did say when he said it that if it isn't unconscious, then it is conscious, and that is racism. So, because you're the minister of Crown-Maori ` he's your colleague ` I mean, is this an opportunity for you to have a chat and inform him? Oh, we discuss a lot of things on a lot of occasions, so I'm happy to have a conversation with all my colleagues. We asked Nash's office for the opportunity to sit down with the minister to discuss why he believes there is no systemic racism in the New Zealand Police, but they declined. So I headed to Parliament to see if I could speak with him. Yesterday, you talked about no structural racism within the police. When you consider that Maori women are twice as likely as Pakeha women to be arrested and then come before a judge, how do you make sense of that? All I would say is that there is absolutely no place for racism in the New Zealand Police service. I think they've been clear on that. I've been very clear on that. If it is found within the police force, I expect it to be weeded out immediately. No, I guess the thing is for Maori, it's really serious when the minister of police says that there is no institutional racism within the New Zealand Police. How did you come` How did you arrive at that? Well, I'll be very clear, and I've always been very clear on this. There is no place for racism in the New Zealand Police service. As I said yesterday, the previous commissioner did acknowledge the fact there was probably, um, unconscious bias, and he was working very had to, sorta, address that issue. But there is no place` And this is the final thing I'll say on this. There is no place for racism in the New Zealand Police service, and if it is found or anyone displays any racist tendencies, I would expect that to be weeded out. But you're the minister of police, so the question was asked, 'Is there institutional racism within the police?' and you said no. But how can you arrive at that when you can look at`? It's factual. The statistics show that Maori are charged, they're convicted, and they receive tougher sentences than any other group of people in this country, so what is that? Well, one thing I would say is the police have no say over who is convicted or who ends up in jail. They press the charges. But there is also a lot of work being done under this government ` led by Andrew Little but of course participated by myself and Kelvin Davis ` to deal with a lot of the issues we are finding in the justice system. And police are playing a very solid role in this. If you have a look at one of the police's core objectives, it is to reduce Maori offending, and they are staunch on this. Wally Haumaha is... You know, this is one of his missions. He drives this very clearly. And he has made it clear. Andy Coster, the new commissioner, has made it clear, and everyone in the exec has made it clear ` there is no place for racism in the New Zealand Police service. I back that 100%. So is there any? Uh, well, if there is, I expect it to be weeded out. But I do not think there is systemic racism in the service. And if there is, if the commissioner finds instances where there is racism, then I expect that to be dealt with swiftly and clearly. So how do you explain the over-representation of Maori who are dealt with by the police? Well, as I said, we are dealing with that at the moment. There is a justice sector group of ministers ` myself, Kelvin Davis, Andrew Little. Andrew set up a panel under his jurisdiction to deal with the issues we are finding` we've found right across the justice sector. Uh, and it is... We are working really hard to address these issues. But you can't say this is a result of racism. I do not believe that there is systemic racism in the New Zealand Police service. Minister Davis says you're wrong. How do you respond to that? Well, as I say, Minister Davis, Minister Little and myself are working very closely together to address the issues we inherited in the justice sector, and I think we have a very good working relationship. We realise this needs to be addressed, and we are addressing it. But the one thing that I have made very clear to Commissioner Coster ` Mike Bush, the previous commissioner, was very clear on this ` if racism is found in the New Zealand Police service, it will be weeded out. There is no place for it. But it has been found. It's found every day. There is no place... for racism... in the New Zealand Police service, and I'll leave it at that. 66% of Maori shot and killed by police; uh, Maori, 15% of the population. What do you put that down to? Well, look, Mihi, I will be very clear. I do not think I can be clearer than I have been. There is no place for racism. Let me say one thing. Dame Margaret Bazley did a report ` it'd be about 12 years ago now ` and it talked about a pretty rotten culture in the New Zealand Police service. 10 years later, she did another report looking back on the recommendations and how they'd been implemented. And she basically said successive commissioners ` and Mike Bush was the commissioner for the last six years ` have turned around that culture in the police service. Now, I'm not saying there wasn't in the past, but I think the culture that successive commissioners have, sorta... have instigated in the New Zealand Police service means that racism will absolutely not be tolerated in any way, shape or form. Kia mau tonu mai ra te titiro. After the break, we meet the speech therapists giving voice to the next generation of Maori. Auraki mai ano ki Te Hui. The first 1000 days of life are key to a child's development. No one understands this more than Maori speech therapist Hana Tuwhare, who helps tamariki to develop communication skills. She's part of a new whanau-led approach that nurtures early learning skills, and it's not only helping tamariki but transforming their whanau too. JOHN BOYNTON: 80% of brain development for a pepi happens in the first 1000 days of life. We think that baby's not really learning language till later, when, in fact, pepi is learning in utero those small building blocks of being able to korero. We meet a young Maori speech therapist embracing her love of culture and language... We can give our tamariki and our pepi that rich oral language, sense of identity and place in the world when they're so young. ...and find out how whanau are walking the talk when it comes to helping their tamariki to find their voice. Aw. Hello, Hawaiki. (SERENE MUSIC) Tree, let your arms fall. Raise them not sharply in supplication to the bright, enhaloed cloud. Let your arms lack toughness and resilience, for this is no mere axe to blunt, nor fire to smother. Your sap shall not rise again to the moon's pull. Your magic emanations shall not make pure again these polluted skies, for this is no ordinary sun. As the granddaughter of renowned Ngapuhi poet Hone Tuwhare, Hana Tuwhare knows the legacy language can create. Hone died in 2008, but the words to his most famous poem, No Ordinary Sun, capture his flair for storytelling. Hone didn't get to school very much, but he would lay in bed at night, and he would listen to his father. Sharing pu rakau with his friends, and they would share all these ghost stories, and it was always trying to one-up on the other person, and they were honing their storytelling skills, their oral language skills. Hana Tuwhare is following in his footsteps, using spoken language to inspire a new generation. Putu. She's a speech therapist helping pepi up to the age of 3 to develop communication skills. Sometimes we have difficulties with speech, which is our muscles moving in the right way to make the right sounds we want. And sometimes it's language ` so, getting the right words out in the right order. Wanna put it back in the bottle? But Hana doesn't only work to improve physical speech issues; she also focuses on helping to develop early learning skills in pepi. Oh, kia ora. He taraka tera. Hana works closely with her colleague Tampy Bernard and his son Hawaiki Soul using the programme Talking Matters. Ka pai, son. Ka pai. The first 1000 days of... of your life is the most important window to learn, for your brain connections that are building. Just so much` The science blew me away. Kao. (BABBLES) Ka pai. Tampy and his wife, Te Waka Huia, say the programme is transforming their whanau. (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) He's been the catalyst for our family to start really revitalising te reo on my wife's side... and myself to... speak more Samoan to him. I think the biggest benefit for me as a parent with my reo Maori is when I speak to him, and he actually understands. Now, he might not be saying the words completely, but he's understanding. Tampy will share what he's learnt with other whanau in his new role alongside Hana. Do you wanna put 'em in the triangle? He's seeing the impacts poor speech development is having on children. At the moment, there are children starting at 5 going to school who can't string a sentence. They can't ask to go to the toilet. They can't communicate with other kids. And that's pretty tough. By year four in primary school, Maori students are half a curriculum level behind Pakeha students. Hana believes speech therapy can be an important tool to help improve this. Speech therapy can support in decreasing those disparities, but we also really need to be looking at the way that we're working. And is it working in a way that makes whanau feel comfortable, that makes them feel heard, supported, listened to? Hana says traditionally Maori placed a strong emphasis on developing oral skills for pepi. This would be often done through singing waiata called oriori. Oriori was a type of waiata that just included so much rich knowledge and history about that pepi. It would often be sung into the fontanelle. Our tupuna already knew` have always known that our pepi were capable of quite rich and dense learning from such a young age. (SPEAKS MAORI) Te Waka Huia is seeing the benefits of encouraging Hawaiki Soul to korero and use his voice. She's excited to see him carry on the oral traditions of his tupuna. To be able to stand up on the marae and deliver a whaikorero with ease ` that's my goal. Just want him to be confident and educated and be able to tell stories, share stories. And Hana knows the impact a world full of rich oral language can have on a child ` the same way it did for her koro. When you see a young tamariki being confident in who they are, being able to communicate what they want, being cheeky, sharing karakia, sharing waiata, yeah, it's beautiful. Piwari. Na John Boynton tera korero. Hei tera wiki he kaupapa motuhake. I'm 29 years old, and I'm suffering from... cervical cancer. And what stage are you in now? The last stage. Rezz Delamere is exhausted, but she won't let go yet. Oh, her greatest concern's her children. Also the love for her husband, their marriage. Rezz's husband is due to be released from prison. She wants him home so she can die in his arms, surrounded by their children. I really, really need him out here with me. Rezz is pleading with Corrections for his early release. He has just two weeks left to serve. What are your biggest concerns? My babies. Mm. Tell me about your babies. They mean everything to me. But will her pleas for compassion be answered? We look at one whanau's struggle with private prison operator Serco. Kua hikina Te Hui mo tenei ra. We leave you this morning with images from the Black Lives Matter demonstration held in Tamaki Makaurau. Kei te iwi mangumangu o Amerika, tenei matou nga iwi taketake o Aotearoa, e tu tapatahi nei hei hapai ake i a koutou. Kia kaha ra tatou katoa. (GENTLE ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC) (GENTLE ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC CONTINUES) Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020 ALL: He mea tautoko na Te Mangai Paho. The Hui is made with support from NZ On Air.