Left to right: Andy Rodger, Director Stakeholder Relations, Craig Thomas, Manager, Engagement Māori and Diverse Communities, Marcia Puru, PSA National Delegate and Maori Enterprise Delegate and Dairne Grant, Organiser PSA.
Ka tangi te tītī, Ka tangi te kākā, Ka tangi hoki ko te manu taupua.
The PSA’s Inland Revenue Rūnanga (Ngā Māngai Whakatōpū) and Inland Revenue’s Responsiveness to Māori area recently signed an engagement agreement, Te Manu Taupua. This is one of the outcomes of bargaining, and as far as we know, this is the first agreement of its sort in the public sector.
“The agreement empowers us to communicate on areas that affect Māori in IR and gives us a practical vehicle to do this,” said Marcia Puru PSA National Delegate and Māori Enterprise Delegate at the signing of the agreement.
Areas of common interest include things like recruitment and retention of Māori staff, advancing the Treaty of Waitangi principles, recognition of cultural skills, and tikanga processes in IR.
Craig Thomas, Manager, Engagement, Māori and Diverse Communities, and one of the signatories of the agreement, acknowledged the hard work of the Rūnanga in getting the agreement in place.
“We have worked in the past with the Rūnanga on issues such as Tangihanga leave but this agreement takes our relationship to a new level,” said Craig.
Craig said the name Te Manu Taupua came from Wiremu Panapa, one of his team members, and refers to a sentry bird.
“If you think of a flock of birds feeding, there will always be some keeping an eye out for rest of the flock. From our perspective as particular issues come up and we get awareness of them, we can then bring them to the IR’s attention.”
