Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:619;Page:14604] 
6.  
GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori Affairs 
: Does he have confidence in the board of the Maori Language Commission; if not why not? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 At this point yes I am confident that the board is dealing with the issues in front of it. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I am almost tempted to ask for its order paper. Is the Minister aware that Dr Patu Hohepa was filmed chanting: “Two four six eight don’t you bloody confiscate.” at the recent hikoi; if so how can he have confidence that the board of the Maori Language Commission will deal impartially with Haami Piripi who put similar protests on paper? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I am surprised to learn that. I myself marched against the Springbok tour. That was the last time the National Party divided this country on racial lines. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You may consider that Mr Horomia addressed the question but he most certainly did not answer it. Some sort of historical reference to a time in the past when he marched in a protest has no relevance here. I assume he was not at the time a Government Minister and therefore he was not marching against the policy of his Government. In this case we have a very serious matter that the public are interested in. The chairman of the Maori Language Commission— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Please come to the point of order. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: —clearly has a position. Does the Minister believe that even with that person’s very publicly stated position he can deal impartially with the issue? We should have an answer—a simple “Yes” or “No”. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister did answer the question at the start. He then added an irrelevance. 
Dave Hereora 
: What has the Maori Language Commission had to say on the matter? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: As the chairman said earlier today the commission acknowledges that the chief executive’s actions timing and comments have had inappropriate and unfavourable unintended consequences that the board must consider when it meets next week. 
Rodney Hide 
: Has Haami Piripi broken any laws codes of conduct or contractual obligations; if so what are they? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: That is a matter for the board and I look forward to the time that it reports back. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister cannot be asked for a legal opinion and that question was almost doing that. The Minister did address the question. His answer might not have satisfied the member but the Minister cannot be asked for a legal opinion. I tell the member to read the Standing Orders. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Would the question be acceptable if I left out the word “laws”? But I can certainly include “codes of conduct”. I say to you Mr Speaker that the Minister is directly responsible for the Maori Language Commission. There has been a great deal of discussion about Mr Piripi’s behaviour and I am happy to change the question—[ 
Interruption 
] Well if the member wants to call out during a point of order the member will not be staying here very long I would have thought. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I did not see who interjected then but had I done so that person would have left. I am warning members seated behind Mr Hide that that is not on. 
Rodney Hide 
: I would have thought that the Minister as the Minister responsible for the Maori Language Commission would have some obligation to report about whether that gentleman is in breach of any code of conduct or contractual obligation—particularly given the Prime Minister’s comments yesterday. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No. The Minister did answer the question. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Does the Minister agree with the Maori Language Commission’s chairman who says Mr Piripi has a right to make a submission to a select committee as a private citizen; and is that position consistent with the Prime Minister’s views on this matter? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I understand that the chairman said that but he has also made a lengthy statement in respect of what he intends to do next week and I look forward to the report back. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: With regard to the head of the Maori Language Commission what on earth was he doing shouting: “Two four six eight don’t you confiscate.” in English; why was he not saying it in Maori? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Because he is internationally renowned for being a top linguistic. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sure the Minister means “linguist”. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am sure he does too. If I pulled up every member for mispronunciation I would be doing it on a regular basis—but not often for the member raising the point of order I concede. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: When the Minister said this morning that issues to do with Mr Haami Piripi’s employment are matters for the board of the Maori Language Commission not the Government was he indicating that he will sack the board if it fails to require Mr Piripi’s resignation next week; and failing that action does he think failure to sack the board will continue the clear impression that this Government has a different standard of requirements for different New Zealanders based on race? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Most certainly not. That member along with other senior State servants should consider that rather than heartfelt emotion and supposedly staunch korero or talk being recklessly expressed one should ensure that the brain is engaged before the mouth is opened. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Quite clearly—because the Minister did not mention my name—the House should assume that he has just sent a message to Mr Haami Piripi and Dr Patu Hohepa that they should have their brains engaged before their mouths but it does not answer the question of whether he will he sack them. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister started out by saying: “Most certainly not.” I do not see how anybody could be more specific than that. 
Rodney Hide 
: In light of the concerns that the Minister and the Prime Minister have had over the Maori Language Commission and its behaviour has he any similar concerns that the taxpayer-provided Maori Television Service and Iwi radio network are campaigning hard for the Maori Party and against the Government’s Foreshore and Seabed Bill; if not why not? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I do not have those concerns. I see it on mainstream television most nights. 
Donna Awatere Huata 
: Is it the Minister’s intention to breach Standing Order 395(u) which states that it is a contempt to threaten or disadvantage a person on account of evidence given by that person to a committee; if not why is his Government not standing up for Mr Piripi’s right to make a submission on behalf of his hapu—given the independence of the Maori Language Commission—rather than rolling over to the lynch mob mentality of a few of those Pakeha calling for his resignation? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: As that member knows it is a matter of privilege and it should be raised with the Speaker.