Flavell Te Ururoa: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:665;Page:12729] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
:  
Kia ora. Kia ora Mr Chairman ka nui te mihi ki a koe. Ko taku he korero i te reo Maori me te mihi ra ki te Whare i tenei ra ka mutu he whakanui i te ahuatanga o te Reo Maori hei reo mo te motu. I tenei wa i tera wiki i whakarite a Ngapuhi i a ia ano ki te korero ki te tangata nei a Ahorangi James Anaya me ki i te reo Pakeha the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples. Koinei te wa ka hara mai tetahi mai i tawahi no te Kaunihera Matua o te Ao ki te— 
[ 
Thank you Mr Chairman. I greatly appreciate your giving me the call in that manner. My address will be in Maori. I commend the House this evening for celebrating Maori Language Week for the nation. This time last week the people of Ngapuhi readied themselves to meet with Professor James Anaya the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples. This was an opportunity for someone from overseas from the United Nations Human Rights Council to come— 
] 
I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. Me korero i te reo Maori. He inoi noa ake taku ki te Whare kia ngawari mai ai ta ratau korero ki a ratau ano he ahua uaua te whakaputa i tenei korero i te wa e korero ana etahi o te Whare ka mutu ko etahi i runga ake nei. Ara kei runga ake nei he inoi taku kia ngawari mai te korero a tetahi ki tetahi. 
[ 
I will speak in Maori. This is a simple request to the Committee that members moderate and lower the tone of their conversations to each other because it is very difficult to address the Committee while some are speaking in the House and above in the gallery as well. I make this plea to those conversing in the Chamber and in the gallery above as well 
.] 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I thank the member for those comments. I ask everybody—including those in the gallery where people should have a passive role and those down here in the Chamber—to give respect to the member who is speaking. The level of noise is extremely high. Kei a Te Ururoa Flavell te karanga. 
TE URUROA FLAVELL 
: Kia ora Mr Chairman. Penei taku korero koinei te wa ka hara mai tetahi i tawahi ki te ata titiro ki te noho a-tangata whenua nei kaua ko ta te Kawanatanga titiro ki a ia ano i tona kotahi engari he mea whakaoho nei ano hoki i a ngai Maori i te iwi Maori. Anei tetahi korero o tana purongo: 
[ 
Thank you Mr Chairman. I was talking about someone from overseas coming to assess the situation not by just sitting alongside the Government but also by raising awareness among the Maori people with Maori themselves. Here is an extract from his report: 
] 
“I cannot help but note the extreme disadvantage in the social and economic conditions of Maori people which are dramatically manifested in the continued and persistent high levels of incarceration of Maori individuals.” 
Na ehara i te mea me korero tatau i tenei po i tenei poti mo te ahuatanga o tenei ao e kitea ai ko nga Maori e hia ke nei e mauheretia ana engari e tika ano kia korero tatau mo te hauora o te Maori i roto i nga pakitara o nga whare herehere. Hoi ano i roto i nga wharangi ruarua nei mo nga whare herehere ko te take e korerohia ana ko te ora o nga apiha kaua ko te hauora o nga mauhere. Kare kau he korero mo nga uauatanga o te moenga rua ara mo te double-bunking o te noho roa a-here te kore puta moata o te ruma here a-pouaka me te hinga toru me ki ara ko te “three strikes” 
. 
 Kati me hangai tonu taku korero me taku titiro ki tenei mea mo te moenga rua ara mo te double-bunking 
.  
E hia ke nga raruraru ka puta i tenei momo noho ki taku mohio. Ehara naku tenei korero engari na te tohunga nei na Takuta Greg Newbold. Hei tana mena ka whai atu tatau i tera huarahi koina te mutunga mai o te tari herehere i te motu. Hei tana ko tona hua mena he hua kei reira he tukino tetahi ki tetahi ko te whawhai tetahi ki tetahi a ko te mahi pawhera ko te mahi whakaweti ko te pakanga. E maharahara ana ahau koinei te huarahi ki tera wahi rongonui me ki ki etahi ki te D Block 
. 
 I te pera ano hoki te Corrections Association. Kare ratau i whakaae atu ki te moenga rua ara i heria ta ratau take ki te Koti Mahi i te Hakihea o te tau kua hipa ake. 
Ko te awangawanga tino nui ki a au ko te mea whakamataku i a au ko te moenga-rua ara ko tera e pa ana ki nga mate pekepeke nei ara infectious diseases communicable diseases ara ko nga mate e ngau nei i te mauhere ko nga kaimahi tae atu ki te hapori. Kei reira te raruraru me ki ake au me noho watea te mauhere ko te kaimahi i enei momo mauiui. Na kua whakaarahia ake tenei take na taku ohorere kaore te komiti whaiti ara ko te komiti law and order 
i ata wananga i tenei take. Kaore tetahi i whakaaro ake mo te hauroa o te hunga kai roto i o tatau whare herehere. Hei ta te purongo  
Health in Justice 
 na te komiti hauora o te motu ma te Poari a-Motu e tuku e whakahaere nga ahuatanga i roto i nga whare herehere. Ko ta te Pati Maori koinei te wa pai ki te wananga i tenei take. Tera pea kia riro ma tetahi ke atu i waho ake o te Kawanatanga ma nga rata ranei e whakahaere i te hauora ki nga mauhere kia eke ki te taumata penei i te hapori whanui tonu. 
Hei kupu whakamutunga me mihi ka tika ki te tari mo tona hiahia ki te mahitahi me te Maori kaua mo te mauhere Maori. Me mihi hoki ki te Minita me mihi hoki ki a Takuta Pita Sharples mo tana kaupapa Whare Oranga Ake nana tonu tera i kokiri. Na tenei huarahi ka riro ma te kaupapa Maori nga mauhere e awhina kia hoki ki waenganui i te hapori a ko te tumanako ka whai putea te kaupapa nei hei whakatinana i te moemoea. Mo te Whare Oranga Ake me noho watea te mauhere i nga taru kino i nga mahi tukino hoki. Koinei tetahi o nga huarahi pai hei whainga. Kei reira tonu te raru. I te noho here te mauhere i te tarutaru me tona ao kino a ka tangata whenua ia ki te whare herehere. 
[ 
It is not as though we should debate this vote tonight in respect of the disproportionate number of Maori seen in prison but most certainly in respect of the safety of Maori within prison walls. However in the few pages allocated to prisons in Vote Corrections the concept of safety refers only to the health of staff and not at all to prisoner health. There is no mention of difficulties relating to sleeping arrangements as far as double-bunking is concerned longer sentences early release container cells and “three strikes”. However I will focus my address on the matter of double-bunking. 
From what I have found out very many difficulties have emerged from this method of sleeping arrangement. Comments about this are not mine but are those by criminologist Dr Greg Newbold. According to him going down that track would be the beginning of the decline of the Department of Corrections in this country. In his view the outcome of double-bunking if there is any would be outbreaks of abuse and fighting amongst inmates rape bullying and violence. My concern is that such acts would lead only to that place of ill-fame widely known by some as D Block. Even the Corrections Association was concerned. It also opposed double-bunking and took the case to the Employment Court last December.  
My greatest concern about double-bunking and the one that scares me relates to infectious and communicable diseases—those that affect not only inmates and staff but the wider community. That is where the problem is. I urge that inmates and staff must be guarded against those types of ailments. I raised this issue because I was surprised that the Law and Order Committee did not debate it in detail. The report Health in Justice from the National Health Committee recommends that the National Health Board deliver health services in prisons. The Maori Party thinks that this is the right time to debate whether health service organisations or general practitioners outside of the Government should provide such a service to inmates to the same level expected in the broader community.  
In conclusion I commend the department on its desire to work together with the Maori people and not just with Maori inmates. I acknowledge the Minister as well the Hon Dr Pita Sharples for his Whare Oranga Ake initiative which he engineered. A Maori approach through this initiative helps prisoners reintegrate into society and I hope it receives the funding required to manifest the dream. In respect of Whare Oranga Ake inmates must remain drug-free and violence-free as well. This is one of the ideal pathways to pursue. However the problem is still there. An inmate who chooses to remain addicted to drugs and live in a world of evil will become a long-time resident in prison. 
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