Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:607;Page:4283] 
7.  
KATHERINE RICH (NZ National) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori Affairs 
: What information has he received regarding allegations that Slightly Offbeat Productions a company which has received $400000 from Te Mangai Paho to dub Canadian cartoons into Maori has unpaid bills of between $70000 and $80000 and what assurances can he give this House that Te Mangai Paho is effectively monitoring the expenditure of taxpayers’ money? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 I have been advised by Te Mangai Paho that it is currently reviewing this matter. I have also been advised by my officials that Te Mangai Paho’s funding agreements specifically for the production of radio and television programmes contain terms and conditions for monitoring and evaluating expenditure on agreed contractual outputs. 
Katherine Rich 
: Is the Minister aware that a number of people involved in the production of the TV programme  
Te Wero 
 produced by Dreamtime Entertainment for the Maori Television Service are still waiting for payment for services 4 months after they finished work on production; and given that this is another example of a company receiving Te Mangai Paho funding that has not paid all its bills will the Minister be investigating just what is going on with accountability? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Yes most certainly. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: What weight can we give to the Minister’s assurances that Te Mangai Paho is effectively monitoring the expenditure of taxpayers’ money in the light of a string of disasters like the John Davy affair the “stop the Maori party” Derek Fox appointment the convicted fraudster sportscaster scandal and now the spending of hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on converting Canadian cartoons into Maori? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I think this very exciting innovative progress is something that member should learn about. Certainly I can assure the member that accountabilities are being pushed. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Given the thousands of Maori who suffer from ill health and bad housing does he think it is a sensible use of taxpayers’ money to have $400000 and sums like that spent on converting cartoons when there is so much real need out in the Maori world; and why does he not do something about that? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The first two questions can be answered. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I assure the member that I want to do something about it. I also remind him that 40 percent of our people are under the age of 15 and 70 percent are under the age of 25 years. He never cared about those people when he was in Government for 9 years. I can assure the House that this Government is doing a good job about caring about Maori people. 
Katherine Rich 
: After a week when we have heard about the employment and resignation of a convicted fraudster staff kickbacks training money that was spent on flash dinners where the only capacity building seemed to be to Minister’s waistlines— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No that question will not be allowed. The member has gone too far. I am ruling out that question. It is a personal reflection on members. 
Hon Dover Samuels 
: I seek leave to re-table a statement made by the director of Maori Sportscasting International in which he states that no donations whatsoever were received from MPs—myself or the Hon John Tamihere—in relation to that function. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Katherine Rich 
: I seek leave to put my question again. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member is perfectly entitled to seek leave. Is there any objection? There is. 
Rodney Hide 
: I seek leave to table a series of pictures of the drinks and other things enjoyed by Mr Dover Samuels and Mr John Tamihere on 6 July 2002. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table. Is there any objection? There is. 
Katherine Rich 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek your guidance. It is not usual that questions I have delivered in this House are ruled out of order. May I seek another call? I will certainly rephrase the question in a way that is parliamentary. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will have an opportunity on another day. I agree that the member is very rarely out of order in this regard but on this occasion I had given a warning the member was out of order and I ruled accordingly. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I draw to your attention that the National Party did not seek a call on question No. 1. Therefore we have not used the allocation. According to your own approach to allocating questions Katherine Rich could take a call. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member has raised an interesting point. I have consulted my chart and he is correct. Therefore the question can proceed as another supplementary question but it is the third one on this question and that of course means that there will be only one supplementary question on the other questions. 
Katherine Rich 
: After a week when we have heard about the employment and resignation of a convicted fraudster staff kickbacks training money being spent on flash dinners and Te Mangai Paho – funded companies not paying their bills does the Minister still have confidence in the chief executive of Te Mangai Paho; if so why? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: At this stage yes and everything is under review.