Writing in the Dominion Post in 2006, New Zealand Business Roundtable chairman Rob McLeod (Ngati Porou) reminded us that when the general unemployment rate had been over 8 percent there was widespread anxiety, yet Maori unemployment was still that high and was attracting little comment.

1 At that time, 88,500 or 29 percent of working-age Maori (18-64 years) were receiving a benefit.

2 More positively, 71 percent of Maori were not receiving a benefit.

Unfortunately, however, Maori statistics paint a regrettable picture, not only because of current over-representation in most negative social indicators, but also because the disproportion was less pronounced in the past. Maori were not always over-represented in dole queues, prisons, and the courts, in high rates of gambling and alcohol addiction, youth suicide, substance abuse and smoking.