Wednesday 6 May 2020

Mr. Peter Chrisp
Chief Executive Officer
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
Wellington
New Zealand

SUBJECT: TE TAUMATA AND NEW ZEALAND TRADE & ENTERPRISE

Tena koe Peter

Thank you for taking the time to meet with Te Taru White and I yesterday to discuss and understand each other’s kaupapa and direction of travel. 

We agreed that COVID-19 has changed everything and especially international trade, markets, distribution channels and supply chains. This is having massive impacts on our Maori business exporters. It is likely these changes will be long-lasting (years and not months) and there won’t be any quick fix.

We discussed our Te Taumata Letter to Ministers that argues 1) COVID-19 has highlighted the fragility and unsustainability of BAU, and 2) the alternate values-based framework of Maori is a much more resilient business model for New Zealand post COVID19. The response we had from Ministers so far supports this view.

I was encouraged to hear the strength of your conviction Peter that ‘the Maori story is the only story for New Zealand’. You are right! NZTE in concert with the MFAT Trade negotiators are the key delivery arm of Government on the trade objectives and aspirations of our Maori whanau and business exporters.

It is vital, as we are doing with Vangelis and his Trade team, that we work closely with you and your team on designing and delivering (retooling) business support to our Maori business exporters through and post COVID-19 lockdown. Your attendance at our next regional trade hui in Te Tairawhiti is important, alongside Vangelis and Simon at AsiaNZ Foundation, to present a joined-up view on trade to our whanau and exporters.

We have the most comprehensive database of Maori business, community and whanau leaders across the country and growing fast enabling rapid and highly targeted engagement and feedback with and from our whanau and businesses at a time (COVID-19) when support is desperately needed towards refreshing and reconnecting global trade links.

I am committed to working with you and your team towards these shared objectives, where I am clear the task of embedding a new and more resilient values-based framework post COVID-19 won’t be easy.

Kia ora and kindest regards,

Chris Karamea Insley
Tiamana
Te Taumata
Phone +64 21 972 782