Horomia Parekura: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Horomia Parekura: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:640;Page:10447] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 E tikaakeanoi te mihi akeano ki nga kanohi Maoriikonei e noho akeanoi roto i te mahanatanga o te Whare nei. Ahakoa te pupuhi o te hau te kaha o te marangaii Te Tai Tokerau e mihi kauanai a koutou katoa. Mai raanoi te noho hoki akeanoi te ropuneii roto i te ahua o te kawanatanga e mau kaha akeanomo te mahi ngoikore me te mahi taumahamotatou o te iwi Maori. Kare e rite ki te waineineii te whai kaha akeanotatou o te ropunei e mauakeanoi te korowai o te kawanamo te pai o tatou o te iwi Maori. 
He whakaaroi roto iakumo te rekareka o totatou reo e putaana te korero e mohioakeanongataringa mai i te motumotera tino tuku e tuku akeanongatupuna ki a tatou. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
It is apt once again to acknowledge the Maori faces in the warmth of this House despite the stormy conditions in the north; my greetings to you all. Ever since this party has been in Government it has worked hard to provide for our deficiencies in Maoridom. What we of this party have done today to progress the work of government to better us as Maori cannot be compared. 
I have a view about how really wonderful our language is; it is expressive and those who hear it throughout the land know just how great a treasure it is that the ancestors handed down to us. 
] 
Quite certainly with regard to the “NDO” fund—the non-departmental output expenses—and the putea that the member who was sitting over here raised that member who is now trying to re-coalition with the Maori Party misunderstood matters. The figures are quite simple. There was $2 million for Hui Taumata $1 million per annum for Maori radio and $23 million for Maori Television. The $2.5 million for Maori wardens is an investment in their future and that is what the fund has been about. It is about extrapolating and lifting the potential of our people to ensure that we not only keep up with the modern environment but at the same time take with us the strong culture that has been left to us by our ancestors. 
In relation to the Hui Taumata I want to thank New Zealand First for its effort in supporting the Government in relation to finally looking at the Maori wardens and working through matters with them as much as we have supported them since we have been in Government. We have made a strong stand and have funded and supported those people. No matter where we go around the country we see Maori wardens are always in the car-parks. When there is flooding in Tai Tokerau or rain in Hastings as there is now the Maori wardens will be there. I want to thank the police commissioner for joining up with the Maori ministry to ensure that there is a better future for them. 
That member questioned the investment I certainly see as I travel around the country. As I have said before that member had one golden rule when he was a Minister: on Thursday night he went home and told people he would never go out amongst the community. One thing we learn from being in Wellington is that unless we get out we do not know what is going on. That is what that speech was about. 
It is fundamental and simple logic at the moment that most Maori youngsters between the ages of 5 and 18 are totally digitalised. I am not a good subject to talk about obesity. I know that; I will admit that. But if I were a blockhead I would admit that too. At the end of the day obesity is something that we have to come to grips with. Some people can do that better than other people. 
But let me tell members about Tau and the gaps that he developed. When we came into Government where were Maori? They were benefit-dependent people. But that is not the case any longer as 85 percent have come off benefits since this Government has been in office. That member should listen to the music—85 percent have come off benefits. What is wrong with that? Nothing. 
I want to give that member a lesson in labour market nuances. At the end of the day when we have a tight labour market in Rangitikei up north and there are more jobs than people we certainly have to move fast in relation to skill development. There is an acceleration in the number of Maori who are taking up trade apprenticeships and in the number of those who are going into business for themselves so Pakeha do not just carry on running businesses and making Maori believe they cannot do that for themselves and so elite Maori who are on the governance boards do not forget about beneficiaries. That is what has happened in that member’s time in Government. 
Certainly I want to talk about the effort that we are putting into the language. Maori Television has become part of this country’s history. It is etched in boardrooms and it is etched in people’s sitting rooms. It has been a serious move to keep our language alive. 
It is certainly difficult to get men to go and teach. Ururoa got out and did it because he is smart and he thought he could do something for his people. The National Party today turned dog on the Maori Party after taking it down the road and promising it all sorts of things. That is what National used to do to our people. At the end of the day it was about protection for everybody else. At the end of the day the National members are squealing. Let us look at them as they squeal. 
But we can talk about Maori people being better off than they have ever been. [ 
Interruption 
] The emotive entanglement in the past and the staunch extremes are over I say to Mr Henare—and he knows that. Our people are committed to competing in this contemporary time. I say that 84-plus percent of previously unemployed Maori have come off the unemployment benefit. The minimum wage has gone up eight times under this Government. How much did that member take it up by in his time in Government in 9 years? The increases did not even go over a dollar. You took it up by 92c you miserable sods! And you want to say— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Clem Simich) 
: The member must not say “you”. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: —and the National members want to say that we have not done much. 
Maori are in the best position they have been in for a long time. The Treaty settlements are going well. Do those members want to talk about health? Doctors’ fees have been halved— 
Hon Member 
: Rubbish! 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
:—yes they have—and prescriptions are $3. What is bad about that? It is all right for the well-off people over there on the Opposition benches. It is a shame. 
Working for Families and KiwiSaver have been two of the best policies that this country has ever seen. Why? Because it was not in the Maori psyche to save. Maori could not save because they were generally kept poverty-stricken by the sorts of people currently on the Opposition benches who did not care about families. What is Working for Families about? It is about giving parents a hand up so that they can keep their kids in early childcare. I want to tell the member Tau Henare that 55 percent of the kohanga reo will take up the free early childhood education at the end of the day. That means a general saving overall of $56 a week. What is wrong with that? The issue is that a lot of our parents are working. Te PuniKokiri did go to the committee to talk about those things. 
I will now turn to the immunisation programme which has effects on all New Zealanders but especially on Maori. I can tell members that one of the biggest injections of funds millions of dollars has been put into immunisation in this country. Some people said that immunisation was no good. Some people said that it was no good and that they would rather focus on witchcraft and on the tops of twigs that are picked and pickled and are made out to be great medicine. Rongoa—that is what that member talked about. That is what the National members’ colleague was supportive of—witchcraft. That is right; he knows that—horihori. 
In relation to supporting teachers in the Maori language the Government has offered $10000 and we cannot find them. Do members know why? It is because most Maori are working. What a great treat it is! That is why it is hard to attract such teachers and we are proud of that—that they can clothe their kids better and that they are the enterprise deliverers. 
Woe betide those who do not understand that the assets are turning up that we are the single-biggest exporter of meat in this country that we are the single-biggest fish owner and that at the end of the day we are heading towards managing the forestry. What some leaders have to understand is that it has to be about the beneficiaries and at the end of the day I can tell members that this is one of the best phases in this transition. If we have had international experience in relation to indigenous transition then we know that this time happens. If it has good governance governance by the people and governance by the Crown then Maori can only go forward not backwards and will not be left stranded in make-believe cuckoo lands and trying to make weak coalitions as that member opposite is. 
I say that I am proud to be the Minister of Maori Affairs. The Maori people have done very well under me dare I say it. I saw the banners that stated: “Iwi versus Kiwi”—shame on those members opposite! I would say: “Maori All Blacks versus the All Blacks” given the way things are going but that is what happens. That member is trying to stretch things and to make believe that nothing is happening for Maori. Maori are in a great position. They want to be teachers as I said. In 1966 there were only 16 Maori PhDs. I had the privilege of giving out 61 this year. I tell members that there are 492 in play right now. That makes a difference for our people. Most of our people are in work. They are not on the dole and going down to the Work and Income centre. 
Vote agreed to.