The Government’s Pacific Policy Under Fire: A Budget Cut Concerns the Community

The Ministry for Pacific Peoples has been hit hard by budget cuts, leaving the community feeling left out and struggling to access essential services.

**Trimming the Edges**

Pacific policy adviser David Vaeafe says that marginalised communities are suffering in the name of a balanced budget. “It’s like throwing a stone in a pond, you’re going to get ripples; and those ripples are going to chug along and get bigger and bigger and bigger, until such time as someone can calm the waters,” he said.

Vaeafe believes that funding should be put back where it’s needed. “For the most vulnerable, first and foremost, in our community, because they are still slipping through the cracks,” he said.

Pakilau Manase Lua, a Pasifika community leader based in Auckland, agrees that things are going to get worse before they get better. “Our communities are in distress because of the budget cuts. Health disability services have had major cuts,” Pakilau said.

**Where is the Government Getting Advice From?**

The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is expected to consult with communities on how the budget cuts will impact them, but Lua believes that this will not be effective if there are not enough people on the ground to engage and report back to the government. “They’re not coming down into our communities to talk about what we need. And usually, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples hold forums,” Pakilau said.

David Vaeafe, the new chairman of the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), is also concerned about the impact of budget cuts on Pacific communities. “You have to have a good team on the ground to do this kind of work, and if you don’t have that team, it’s not going to be effective,” he said.

**The Budget Balance**

The government’s decision to slash funding for Pacific Peoples has left many in the community feeling frustrated and disappointed. Pakilau Manase Lua believes that the budget balance should take a backseat to the needs of Pacific communities. “We need to put our priorities straight, and we need to be able to look after our own people,” he said.

**Trimming Staff**

The Ministry for Pacific Peoples has already lost staff in recent years, and Lua fears that there may be more job losses on the horizon. “The answer I got indicated that there is a very high potential for there to be more job losses at the Ministry of Pacific peoples,” Sepuloni said.

Sepuloni is “nervous” about the impact that further staffing cuts will have on the community. “If it’s diminished any more than what it already is, ‘it will be completely ineffective and unable to do the job that our Pacific community needed [it] to do’,” she said.

**Conclusion**

The government’s decision to slash funding for Pacific Peoples has left many in the community feeling frustrated and disappointed. The Ministry for Pacific Peoples needs to take a more proactive approach to engaging with communities and addressing their concerns. Until then, the community will continue to suffer the consequences of budget cuts.