Our why - Kōrero with Russell Spratt, Te Kaitūhura Tau Mai

Kia ora.

He uri no Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangatira me Ngā Raukawa ki te Tonga.

So my whakapapa, my being, and its connection to my mahi are inextricably linked together and they are so because I have a responsibility to nurture and honour my whakapapa.

And finding a job, finding an organisation and a group of people who I can give expression to that manaaki, that whakawhanaungatanga of others as it relates to their mahi, and to be involved in tupuranga mahi Māori, rising Māori employment, is for me a natural extension of Māori values.

And what I have noticed, and I'm not alone in this, is that there are so many gaps in relation to inequities in this country, and unfortunately many of those impact our Māori population.

And oftentimes that is given expression by lack of meaningful, substantive work.

And it's why I've centred my career in and around assisting, helping, supporting and nurturing others in their employment endeavours.

And Tau Mai is an opportunity to do that.

And so when I look at it and I look at me and I look at everything in total and I see how it all joins together, it's just a very logical connection of all the component parts of who I am.