— $20.8 million (over four years) for Maori economic and organisational development "to improve the capacity and capability of Maori organisations, assist with Maori land development and develop local partnerships that will create local employment opportunities".

— $14.1 million (over four years) for Maori women's development "to assist Maori women to enter into, remain in or expand their businesses, and to promote the development of Maori women leaders in their community and provide enterprise and leadership training."

— $7.1 million (over four years) for Pacific People's organisational development "to provide assistance with administrative skills, leadership training, IT and infrastructure development for Pacific community organisations."

— $3 million (over three years) for investing in Maori communities "to assist whanau, hapu, iwi and Maori communities to identify their needs and support their development".

— $3.1 million (over four years) for a Pacific People's Provider Development Fund "to develop social services that are more responsive to the needs of Pacific families."

— $14 million (over four years) for Iwi/Maori Provider and Workforce Development (including iwi social services) "to further develop the capability of iwi social service providers, so increasing the numbers of Maori children and young people cared for by their iwi, hapu or whanau."

— $10 million (over four years) for a Maori Youth Contestable Fund "to fund initiatives developed by Maori communities which aim to reduce Maori youth offending."

— $19.9 million (over four years) to strengthen the quality of Maori language education.

— $12.9 million (over four years) to improve Maori teacher supply both in mainstream and kura kaupapa schools.

— $11.2 million (over four years) on programmes like mentoring schemes to help young Maori participate more fully in the school system.

— $10.4 million (over four years) for "Maori responsiveness initiatives" including expanding the number of iwi education schooling improvement projects and piloting new approaches for professional development for teachers working with Maori students.

Sources Budget 2000 Press Releases 15 June 2000 "Creating New Jobs Opportunities" Steve Maharey and Parekura Horomia; "Closing the Gaps: Social Services and Employment" Steve Maharey, Tariana Turia and Parekura Horomia; National Business Review 16 June 2000 "Labour takes political risks as it tries to close gaps" by Jeff Gamlin

Voices: On Closing the Gaps

" In our country growth in inequality has had a unique and unfortunate dimension. There has been a growing disparity between the life chances of Maori and other New Zealanders, and Pacific peoples and other New Zealanders. It is simply not tolerable to this government to see tangata whenua consigned permanently to the status of disadvantaged citizens in their own land. It is not acceptable."
— Helen Clark, Prime Minister

" The Government is creating more gaps than it's closing with this Budget. It takes a scattergun approach spraying money around in a muddled way for initiatives for Maori and Pacific Islanders. There is nothing for other low income New Zealanders who have similar gaps that need to be bridged. They will be asking themselves why they missed out..."
— Wyatt Creech, National deputy leader

" 'Closing the Gaps' is a PR term for Labour re-paying Maori support at the ballot box. There is nothing in the Budget to stop welfare dependency amongst Maori. Welfare is an addiction that this government is feeding by constantly telling Maori `not to worry, we are not going to make you work'. `If you commit crime, we are not going to make you pay'. `If you goof off on the job, we will make sure you don't lose your job'. This attitude where government nursemaids Maori will continue to cripple families and individuals and strip them of their mana, dignity and ability to contribute ..."
— Donna Awatere Huata, Act's Maori Affairs Spokesperson

" The `Closing the Gaps' programme will create serious racial divisions it is social apartheid. It is a policy that could have come from George Speight's policy advisers in Fiji. Programmes should be based on human needs not racial differences. The inevitable result will be separatism and divisiveness within communities throughout the country.
" The first Labour Government of Michael Joseph Savage concentrated on human needs not racial needs. In social policy the fifth Labour Government has forgotten that it represents ALL New Zealanders. Every New Zealander is entitled to good food, good shelter, good health and good education. These are basic human rights, not racial needs..."
— Winston Peters, NZ First leader

" For the first time this year's Budget has clearly defined poverty on an ethnic basis. The Budget also points the way to a radical shake-up of the methods the welfare state is delivered to Maori and Pacific Islanders as it makes a significant nod in the direction of Tino Rangatiratanga with its emphasis on Maori delivery of services to Maori.
" This offers up the irony of a Labour-Alliance coalition generally opposing the outsourcing of social services and privatisation within the welfare sector ... while it devolves social services delivery to Maori."
— Richard Harman, National Business Review

" In the end the gaps will be closed most emphatically by Maori or Pacific Island parents making determined efforts to lift their lot and that of their children. Some of that resolve would flow from a prosperous economy, and the jobs provided by it. The $20 million to be given to iwi groups over the next four years to create employment opportunities is no substitute for the bigger economic picture..."
— editorial, New Zealand Herald

" Because the same policies that benefit non-Maori poor probably apply just as effectively to Maori, the smart way to close the gaps is to provide more jobs. Rather than put this to the test, however, big bucks are being spent on programmes giving the appearance of achieving something for Maori and Pacific Islanders. Whether the money spent will help poorer Maori and Pacific Islanders is a moot point."
— editorial, The Independent