An action plan has been set in motion for the failing Office of Ethnic Communities, after the minister called a ‘please explain’ meeting. Laura Walters reports.
Ethnic Communities Minister Jenny Salesa has convened a meeting with the head of the Department of Internal Affairs and community leaders after multicultural community members spoke up about their frustrations with the Office of Ethnic Communities.
Earlier this month, Newsroom revealed a raft of failings at the office, which sits as a third-tier report within the Department of Internal Affairs.
Multicultural communities told Newsroom they’d lost faith in the office, which has been plagued with high turnover – especially in the director’s role – a lack of leadership and direction, and allegations of bullying and discrimination.
They described the office as “ineffectual” and “irrelevant”, and lacking status.
The minister also confirmed she had decided not to elevate the office to ministry status, as promised by Labour ahead of the 2017 election, after considering the change last year.
This was another blow to communities who felt they had been passed over, and the rhetoric following the March 15 terror attacks was not being borne out by the Government’s actions.
Meeting to address concerns
Following the reports, Salesa called a meeting in Auckland with DIA chief executive Paul James, acting director of the Office of Ethnic Communities Anita Balakrishnan, and about 15 leaders of various community groups and organisations.
The group of about 20 met in Auckland on July 13, where James acknowledged and recognised the office’s under-performance of the past few years, and said he was committed to addressing the concerns community members had raised.
“I was upfront with you that I recognise for too long the Office has not had stable leadership, direction or a work programme.”
In an email sent to those who attended the meeting, James said the meeting was “useful and constructive” and he appreciated the “candour and cooperation” of those leaders who attended.
“I was upfront with you that I recognise for too long the Office has not had stable leadership, direction or a work programme,” he said.
“I heard your concerns that the performance and visibility of OEC has diminished, and your concerns about the place the Director role has within DIA at third and not second tier.”
James said he was actively considering how to address the issues and accepted the suggestion that the new director of the Office of Ethnic Communities would have experience in both the public sector and in ethnic community engagement – something that had been a point of tension in the past. He also agreed to seek community input in selecting the new permanent director.
“The Office of Ethnic Communities has a lot of potential and the timing is right to ensure we strengthen and enable it to support the Government in ensuring a welcoming multicultural society that is socially inclusive.”
He reiterated any decision to upgrade the office to ministry lay with the Government, and said Salesa continued to advocate for a ministry, “But this is more likely to be a medium-term development”.
In a written statement to Newsroom, James said the meeting was an opportunity for him and Salesa to listen to community leaders, and agree on steps they could all take to ensure communities felt the office is supporting them well.
“The Office of Ethnic Communities has faced stretched resources and competing demands in recent years, as the funding and staff numbers did not keep pace with increasing needs and growth in ethnic communities,” he said.
“The office now is a very different place. We are making tangible improvements in how we serve New Zealand’s ethnic communities, including increasing the number of staff and developing regional and national work programmes.”
James committed to regular meetings with community leaders in the hope of strengthening the role and performance of the office. The first meeting will take place in late-October or early November.
Salesa said the meeting was called so she and James could hear directly from key community leaders.
“The Office of Ethnic Communities has a lot of potential and the timing is right to ensure we strengthen and enable it to support the Government in ensuring a welcoming multicultural society that is socially inclusive.”
The current priority for the office was to support communities in the wake of the March 15 terror attacks.
“I am open to future options on the Office of Ethnic Communities though and have not ruled out any options yet,” she said.
What is the Office of Ethnic Communities?
Currently the office is a ‘third-tier report’ within the Department of Internal Affairs, where the director of ethnic communities reports to the deputy chief executive of policy, regulation and communities, who reports to the chief executive, who then reports to the minister.
When the office was created, about 200,000 people belonged to New Zealand’s minority communities. This number rose to about 800,000 by 2018.
With this massive growth comes hyper-diverse communities, like Auckland. And it has brought significant economic opportunities in terms of trade, travel and the international education market.
But there are also challenges, such as a lack of inclusion, and racism and xenophobia. Complex issues such as terrorism and China’s rise in the region are also brought to the fore. Meanwhile, social issues like family violence and elder abuse also have significant impacts on ethnic communities.
Budget 2019 included $9.4 million over four years to respond to the impacts of the terrorist attack, and increase staffing and capability at the office. (Salesa’s Budget bid was for $45.9m.)
The funding will lift the number of staff from 24 to 42 over the coming year. That will include 15 extra community-facing officers spread across the three main centres, and a further eight staff in Christchurch.
A further $1.8m was made available immediately following the Christchurch attack, including $1m for ethnic community groups to access through the Ethnic Communities Development Fund.
