The Minister for MÃÂori Development is the minister in the New Zealand Government with broad responsibility for government policy towards MÃÂori, the first inhabitants of New Zealand. The Minister heads Te Puni KÃ Âkiri (TPK, or the Ministry of MÃÂori Development). Between 1947 and 2014 the position was called Minister of MÃÂori Affairs; before that it was known as Minister of Native Affairs. The current Minister for MÃÂori Development is Tama Potaka.
The role of the Minister for MÃÂori Development differs from those of other ministers. While the Minister for MÃÂori Development does have a government department to supervise (Te Puni KÃ Âkiri, TPK for short, or the Ministry of MÃÂori Development), he or she also has input into other portfolios to the extent that they affect MÃÂori. For example, the Minister for MÃÂori Development would expect to be involved in the development of MÃÂori language policy in the education portfolio, even though education is normally the sole responsibility of the Minister of Education.
The office was originally called Minister of Native Affairs, or simply Native Minister. Most early Ministers of Native Affairs were not MÃÂori, although a convention existed that there should be MÃÂori in Cabinet (albeit without portfolio). Prior to the implementation of responsible government, MÃÂori affairs (specifically the purchase of land from MÃÂori by the Crown) had been handled by the Governor.
Attitudes of early Ministers were varied. The first Minister, William Richmond, considered MÃÂori to be savages, and believed that his task was to "reform" MÃÂori by making them more like Europeans. He was particularly hostile to MÃÂori tradition of shared land ownership, considering it "beastly communism". Other Ministers were more friendly to MÃÂori interests — James FitzGerald, the sixth Minister, believed that peaceful co-existence with MÃÂori was vital, and considered the confiscation of MÃÂori land to be an "enormous crime". Other Ministers have varied between these positions.
The first Minister of Native Affairs to be ethnically MÃÂori was James Carroll, appointed by the Liberal Party in the late 19th century. Another prominent Minister of Native Affairs was ÃÂpirana Ngata, also of the Liberals. For the most part, however, early Ministers were PÃÂkehÃÂ, although were frequently advised by MÃÂori colleagues. Maui Pomare of the Reform Party and Eruera Tirikatene of the Labour Party were examples of politicians who played a major role in the portfolio without actually holding office. After Carroll and Ngata, it was not until Matiu Rata (1972âÂÂ1975) that there was another ethnically MÃÂori Minister of MÃÂori Affairs.
Under the Maori Purposes Act 1947, the Ministerial title and all other government usage was changed from 'Native' to 'Maori'.
Matiu Rata, appointed as the Minister of MÃÂori Affairs in 1972, the first Maori since Ngata was Minister of Native Affairs in 1928.
After the 2014 general election cabinet reshuffle, the title was changed from Minister of MÃÂori Affairs to Minister for MÃÂori Development. While Prime Minister John Key said that there was not really any difference in what the portfolio would involve, "it gives you a sense of where the minister [Flavell] will want to shape the portfolio". During the 2014âÂÂ2017 term of the Fifth National Government, Te Ururoa Flavell served as the Minister for MÃÂori Development.
Following the formation of the Sixth Labour Government, Nanaia Mahuta was appointed as Minister for MÃÂori Development.
The table below lists ministers who have held responsibility for MÃÂori issues. Initially, the title used was Minister of Native Affairs, but the title was changed to Minister of Maori Affairs on 17 December 1947 and then to Minister of MÃÂori Affairs with the insertion of the macron in modern orthography under the MÃÂori Language Commission. In 2014, the title was changed for a fourth time to Minister for MÃÂori Development.