Crawford, R.
Culture Economic Society
Treasury Working Paper, ,
2001
In this Treasury working paper, Crawford provides a comprehensive analysis of the convergence in demographic, social, and economic outcomes between the Māori and non-Māori populations in New Zealand over the past fifty years.
It forms part of a series of working papers prepared for the Treasury’s “Inclusive Economy” key priority, exploring various facets of social and economic inclusion within New Zealand. The report attributes this convergence to increased geographic and social proximity between these groups and notes similar trends among Pacific migrant populations. Crawford acknowledges that while many Māori and Pacific people outperform the median population, these groups are still overrepresented among those with below-median outcomes. The primary focus of the report is on identifying and prioritising actions to improve outcomes for Māori and Pacific people who fall below the median.. The author proposes a preliminary framework to guide policy and spending decisions aimed at reducing disparities, drawing on both New Zealand and international evidence to understand the mechanisms driving these disparities and to pinpoint effective policy interventions. The report emphasises the importance of improving literacy and numeracy skills among Māori and Pacific students at the primary school level. It also recommends supporting programmes in health, employment, and housing to bolster these educational efforts. The approach suggested is to concentrate policy efforts on improving outcomes for Māori and Pacific people below the median, while also assisting others with similar poor outcomes.
