Māori as a 'net national opportunity' (not a net national burden)
I started using the phrase 'Māori as a net national opportunity' during my time (2003-2005) at the then Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (and while writing Vision Mātauranga ). I don't know if I was the first to use this phrase; however, I know that I began to use this phrase after reading the 2003 report by the New Zealand Institute for Economic Research entitled ' Māori Economic Development: Te Ōhanga Whanaketanga Māori '. On pages 11 to 13 of this report, the writers describe three broad conclusions that they had drawn from their analysis of the 'Māori economy. And it was while reading these three conclusions that the idea of 'Māori as a net national opportunity' came to my mind. The first conclusion (on page 11) reads as follows: The first is the striking conclusion that the Māori economy has a higher savings rate than the New Zealand economy... The second conclusion, on page 12, reads: The second, perhaps unexpected, result is that, in a