Statement from Jo McLean

E ngā mana. E ngā reo . E ngā rau rangatira mā o Ngai Tahu Whanui, tēnā koutou katoa.

Nei ra au he tamaiti o Waihao. Ko Te Huruhuru, e mihi ana ki a koutou ki tenei wā. Kei raro rā i te karanga o te kimihana ki tetahi kaiwhakahaere rua o tenei waka o Ngai Tahu.

No reira ahakoa he it noa ko au he toki pounamu kia awhi ai te Whanau Whānui a Tahu.

After much consideration and with the support of Waihao Papatipu Rūnanga, I have put forward my nomination for the role of Deputy Kaiwhakahaere.

I am mama to 6 Children and taua to one. I attended University as an older student and graduated with a BA, MA and LLB. I sit as a member of the Waihao Rūnanga Board. It was as a Committee member at Waihao that I began to build an interest in the area of Governance.

I am in my third term as a Representative and over that time have gained knowledge and experience as a Governor of Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu. I acknowledge this role to be one of great privilege to represent the Iwi. I come from a position of respect and integrity in all that I do, but do not resile from the hard conversations or decisions to be made.

I have sat at the Table through both stable and turbulent periods and understand the need to ensure that the Board continues to operate from a position of trust and confidence, not just from within the Board itself, but of our Whānau first and foremost.

Now 25 years post settlement it is timely to reflect on our structure and future aspirations, to continue to review our performance and strategies ensuring we are flexible enough to pivot where needed, continuing to draw on the knowledge and expertise of Iwi leaders not losing sight of the historical context that has got us to where we are today.

The role of Deputy Kaiwhakahaere is an important role in our current structure. I believe that I am well placed to support the Kaiwhakahaere and step into any spaces where that might be needed. I am an experienced Chair, am confident and professional in building relationships to further the interests of Nga Tahu but will also provide an honest point of view to ensure that these two roles are well balanced.