Queen’s Birthday Honours 2015: Sir Pita Sharples
One of National's key governing partners is made a Knight Commander of the Order of New Zealand.
Former Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples has been knighted in the Queen's Birthday honours list.
Sir Pita, who stood down from Parliament at the 2014 election, has been made a Knight Commander of the Order of New Zealand. The award is for services to Maori.
He was one of the founder members of the Maori Party in 2004 and was elected as MP for Tamaki Makaurau in the 2005 general election. That cliffhanger result – against Labour MP John Tamihere – was not replicated: he held it safely in 2008 and 2011 before retiring last year.
He served as Minister for Maori Affairs as well as Associate Minister for Education and Corrections from 2008. The citation states in those roles he was “instrumental in securing millions of dollars for Māori initiatives across the sectors of health, education, housing, corrections, Treaty of Waitangi settlement claims, and social issues such as domestic violence and gangs.”
He also established the Māori Economic Taskforce to explore opportunities for Māori business growth, was involved in driving the establishment of a Māori Youth Council and as well as Te Paepae Motuhake, the Māori Language Review Panel. Dr Sharples established two units of kaupapa attached to prisons to assist prisoners repatriate to their whanau and communities.
Rob Hosking
Mon, 01 Jun 2015
Mon, 01 Jun 2015
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Queen’s Birthday Honours 2015: Sir Pita Sharples
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