Horomia Parekura: General Debates 
Horomia Parekura: General Debates 
[Volume:606;Page:3794] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 I remind Simon Power of the very salient points that the Minister of Finance made about the $3 billion surplus and the increase. I wish to add some addenda to it—like the best rural upturn that has happened in this country in the last 17 years and the projection out for 4 or 5 years. It does come back to land usage and so on and so forth. I remind the member of that. 
It is quite fascinating that there is continued scratching by the Leader of the Opposition to upset people and incite differences between the peoples of this nation. He need not worry about the leader on this side of the House. We are very clear as to who the leader is. He needs to worry about who the leader is on his side of the House. I want to tell that member about the Treaty of Waitangi the document that gave those members the right to come here. I do not necessarily have to worry about the treaty because my ancestors were already living here as the tangata whenua. It is outrageous that we have these phantom work-ups by the Leader of the Opposition suggesting that there was a clear fourth article in the treaty. It shows how much he knows. I am really encouraged that some people have learnt “Ka Mate! Ka Mate!” they know that haka and it inspires them. Certainly the leader of those members has done that. 
But I want to tell members quite clearly that the Treaty of Waitangi is a joint licence to progress this country and the partnership between the two peoples. Why is the Opposition so determined to bog it down in phantom clauses? The reason is quite clear. It is as the Deputy Prime Minister said to incite middle-class Pakeha in this country. If we determine the point of ceding it is important to focus on that. Who ceded what why did they cede it and what was the general agreement between those people from England and the tangata whenua who already belonged here? The problem is that we have a Leader of the Opposition who tries to incite racism and turn the ceding into seeding of racist connotations and beliefs that Maori do not have a place in this country. 
Let me put people’s minds at rest about this supposed article 4 of the treaty. Let me be quite clear about the jumble happening at that time. It was about religious incitement. It was about differences. [ 
Interruption 
] I say to the member opposite who is ranting that at that time there was difference between the religious fraternity. What Bishop Pompallier did what he wanted was to straighten out the tensions that were happening between those great people who are Catholics and other people. He was fearful because at the time of the design and development of the treaty the French were hovering. They wanted part of the action too. So there was a clear determination between the British Government and the Maori people here. They reached a clear agreement that religious practice was to be a free choice of the tangata whenua and the people from England. It was nothing to do with a fourth article in the treaty. It was a jumble of bureaucrats of the time who wanted to make sure they stabilised their religious beliefs. 
In the sense of the translation differentiation between the English version and the Maori version of the treaty we talk about Himiona Hiko Hiko. Who was Himiona Hiko Hiko? You are quite clear on determining the Maori version of the Treaty of Waitangi. The gentleman opposite Simon Power— 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. This Minister has been in Parliament for some time. He keeps bringing the Chair into the debate by saying “you”. I think you should ask him to change the way he is speaking. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member will not bring the Chair into the speech. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I apologise Madam Chair. I come from a tribe that recognises our female ancestors who generally talk for generations on the paepae and we are led by them. We have no shame in this party in understanding that. 
Whose treaty is it? “Wiremu Pakeha” determined that he would do the haka. He determined that he would invent this phantom suggestion. Phantom had a horse called Hero. He had a short indigenous character who used to run around with him. They had an agreement about being fair to the nation and the apes the lions and the people in the forest. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: This Minister has been reading too many comics. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: That is what the Phantom is about. Maoridom have moved on from comics to CDs.