Peters Winston: Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePeters Winston: Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 24 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19539. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (NZ First):First of all I want to apologise to Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia for not being able to hear later on their valedictory speeches. As a matter of respect I would have liked to be here but unfortunately we got caught up in a double-booking for a charitable fund-raiser and cannot get out of it so our apologies.On this bill the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill let me say that over a long period I have watched the growth of Māori language education. I can recall when Rob Muldoon was in a meeting with a group of Māori men. They were too scared to confront him and got Whina Cooper later on Dame Whina Cooper to head the delegation to go and ask him for $1 million to support the launch of kōhanga reo financially. They got in the room and had hardly got going when Muldoon said to them: “Yes.” It was a big shock to everybody concerned because they did not know what to do. They never expected that reaction. They left the room. Then Whina could not help herself. She put her head back in the door and said: “But Prime Minister Mr Muldoon what would you have done if I had asked you for $2 million?” to which he famously said: “But you didn’t Whina.” It just goes to show you. That is going a long way back. It was in 1980—a long time back.I just want to say that New Zealand First has serious reservations about the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill. We want to say from the outset where we stand. We support the Māori language. As other speakers have said it is a national treasure. It is not of course unique to New Zealand because its origins are in the Cook Islands. But at this particular time it is here and as I say there is a certain uniqueness to it. It is an intrinsic and vital part of our nation and our culture. It is something to be cherished and celebrated and to those who have said that second and third languages are intellectual muscle builders I say that for young children they seriously are. They have the greatest ability to be able to acquire knowledge of them and use them with great fluency.We have every wish to see the Māori language thrive. The Māori language should not be a political plaything—an excuse to grandstand and posture as some might wish to do. But we have serious reservations about this bill because it includes the following concerns. It is being rushed through without proper consultation with Te Reo experts in the dying days of this National Government.The bill gives greater control to iwi and the concern here is the dilution of expertise and the growth of difference. Most Māori live in urban areas and in that context resources should obviously be targeted towards young Māori in the cities. The bill is full of assertion but where is the evidence? It is very similar to the report on Whānau Ora which did not contain one empirical analytical fact. It was all anecdotal. If that is what we are going to predicate public policy on then the poor Māori are not going to make any advances as a consequence. There is just not the degree of rigour going into the policy making. You will recall that we have now got two flags. We have got a Māori flag which was the result of 21 hui financed by the taxpayer to which fewer than 1000 Māori turned up nationwide. And now we have got a second flag—just like that. The party I lead does not like that sort of policy.We are as pro the long-term interests of Māori and the fundamental things as any other party. That is why we stay on housing health education and First World jobs and wages. That is what Māori want. But this bill is full of self-assertion and little evidence and accountability for spending needs to be strengthened not weakened. Revitalisation of Te Reo needs to be wider than just from iwi.There are those who take the view that some iwi have to an extent allowed Te Reo to decline. There are many respected Māori who believe that had iwi done more to retain the language it would not be faced with the situation it is in now in terms of the number of speakers. Revitalisation of Te Reo does not stop and start with iwi. Many Māori who are well-versed in Te Reo have great reservations about this bill. They believe it will be a backward—not a forward—step. I am saying to young Māori out there that if you hear that somebody is not supporting the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill it is because they prefer as an alternative what is in place already rather than what we seem to perceive is serious experimentation.The question has to be asked: what is the real agenda of the Minister of Māori Affairs? Do I expect to see him shortly heading up Te Mātāwai? It is quite possible. It is quite possible. [Interruption] Oh yes—no no I am not casting aspersions here. But you know you have to be concerned because I know this for a fact: Tariana Turia his fellow former leader is taking up a position as a trustee on her retirement. That is in Te Pou Matakana. The Minister will know what that trust is. It has just got a $1.3 million administration fee a trust grant—the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment used to do that with amounts between $200000 to $600000—just like that. I would like the media to ask if that is the fact.In addition her Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment private secretary cum political adviser has been approached to work at the trust as well. And what are people saying as to this question? Did this go to tender? They are told: “Get on board. It is a done deal. Don’t question it. You’d better support it.” This is a fair series of questions to ask. When I see policies coming out of thin air I would like to know who is behind them and where the level of accountability is. Perhaps Mr Sharples can tell me. Is he heading out to be heading up Te Mātāwai?Hon Dr Pita Sharples: I head it now.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: He heads it now; that is right. But he heads it under a different establishment. And if he looks at the Ministry of Maori Development Act 1991 every department is charged including the Māori affairs department with ensuring that the issues of Māori be they health or language or education or employment have to be responded to. For example when you get an assurance that says “Oh we are not affecting the Māori Language Commission or the Māori Broadcasting Funding Agency” well then why are those two agencies coming out of schedule 1 of Part 2 of the Crown Entities Act? That would cause me to think they are not going to be there in the future if they are no longer included in the schedule of funding. It is axiomatic that something is dramatically changing here. I would like to know what it is. What is going on? Who actually stands to benefit—the Māori language or certain sectional interests?Everyone acknowledges that there are real issues facing the Māori language as there are for many indigenous languages in our rapidly changing world. The language as you know is either growing or it is declining. There is no cause for complacency. But whatever problems face Māori and the future of the Māori language the question is whether this bill really addresses them and whether it has brought a greater actual—in terms of sound policy—chance of working than that which is there now. If you look at the education department right now—well in fact there is only one political party that is saying that it will support teacher education and will resource teachers of Māori. Only one political party is saying that. Have a look at all the manifestos right now. So if people are paying serious attention and were genuine about this issue why is that not one of the primary objectives to be looked at?Whatever the problems are we have concerns about this bill. We think it may be seriously counter-productive. It will not in our view lead to the revitalisation of Te Reo. I thought when I listened to the Labour members’ speeches that they were not too far away from thinking that as well. That is why they have come up with another idea; that is let us go to the Waitangi Tribunal. Well with respect to them educationists are the best people to ask this of and those in the Māori world in particular. That is why we have serious reservations about this bill. Therefore we cannot support it. Kia ora tātou.