It's insulting to suggest that a proposal by the board of the AIDS Foundation to introduce a 50% quota for Maori board members could lead to problems in recruiting enough skilled applicants for the positions in the future, says NZAF deputy chairman Simon Robb. The proposed change in governance structure would ensure that no less than four of the Foundation's eight board members are Maori at all times, in recognition of Treaty of Waitangi commitments written into the NZAF Constitution three years ago. Just under 15% of New Zealand's population identified as Maori at the last Census, but Simon Robb feels the Board's proposal will not lead to underskilled appointments for the sake of fulfilling a racial quota. “We currently have four people who identify as being Maori on the board, none of them were recruited on the basis of a quota,” he told GayNZ.com. “I think it does a disservice to Maori to suggest that there aren't Maori doctors, clinicians, governance, and legal experts. We have no trouble.” “The concern out there that we're unable to recruit from Maori is more of a reflection that people do not believe that our Maori people have the requisite skills, and in many respects I think that's insulting.” Robb says the proposals are a sign that the Foundation “is continuing to evolve and mature, and as we are getting stronger governance mechanisms in place, we are now turning our mind to continually improve what we currently have in place.” Also proposed is a change to ensure no less than two board members are HIV+. “We wanted to reassure our communities that this decision to change the constitution, and the way we're proposing to do it, is by no means about losing sight of the fact that we are there to serve the community who are most affected by HIV/AIDS,” says Robb. The NZAF board last week announced the appointment of its first Maori chairman, Dr Clive Aspin, who is currently out of the country; but Robb says the simultaneous announcement about changes to the governance structure are purely coincidental, as board discussions on the topic have been going on for over a year. Robb stresses that the proposals are not a done deal, and a public consultation process will be undertaken over the next few months before any changes are made. “We will consult with an open mind,” he says. “If we go out on consultation with our affected communities and they think it's a farce, then the credibility of the organisation is at stake." “If we receive concerns around people living with HIV/AIDS who may not have the skill set, and we consider that those concerns have merit, then we will go back as a board and do justice to those concerns."