Sharples Pita:  Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Sharples Pita:  Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:640;Page:10013] 
1. Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori Affairs 
: He aha tona whakautu ki te reta a Tiati Carrie Wainwright i ki ra “ko te mutunga mai o te he nga mahi kua kitea e te Taraipiunara” ara “i te ahua o nga whakariterite i waenganui i te Tari Whakatau Take e pa ana ki te Tiriti o Waitangi me Ngati Whatua ki Orakei a ko te mutunga e he ke atu ana nga mahi me nga kaupapa here a te Karauna mo te hatepe me te putanga?” 
[ 
How does he respond to the letter he received from Judge Carrie Wainwright that in the process followed by the Office of Treaty Settlements with Ngati Whatua ki Orakei a process “more flawed than any the Tribunal has inquired into” that “the Crown’s policy and practice has been unfair both as to process and outcome”? 
] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
:  
Kei te ata whakaaro matou nga Minita i nga korero me nga tuhinga i roto i tenei ripoata. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
The statements recorded in this report are being considered by myself and fellow Ministers. 
] 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: A ki te Minita he aha kei a ia hei whakatika i tera kua kitea e te taraipiunara ara “Ko nga tikanga hei whakatau tono kei te whakawehe kei te tino tukino i a ngai Maori. He tino he tenei mahi tukino whanaungatanga tukino taura tangata ka pa hohonu ki te whatumanawa o Te Ao Maori.”? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
What remedies are in place to respond to the finding from the tribunal that “The process for settling now being followed is creating division within Maori society that is very damaging to relationships and connections and affects the very core of Maoridom.”? 
] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: E mohio ake ano tatou mai ra ano te ahua o te wehewehe penei tonu. E tautokotia ake ano nga nawe e korero ake ano te takuta nei. Engari kare e tika e waiho ake ano ki a ratou o rawaho te whakatika a tenei take. Engari kei te whai kaha ake ano te Minita Maori me tenei kawanatanga ki te whakatikatika nga take e korerotia ake ano e te takuta nei. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
We are well aware that divisions such as this one are longstanding. The concerns raised by the member are endorsed. However it is not appropriate for those from outside to seek a remedy for this matter. But I as Minister of Maori Affairs and this Government are working very hard to rectify the concerns raised by the member. 
] 
Russell Fairbrother 
: What has the Government achieved in Treaty settlements since 1999? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Mai i te tau 1999 matou i whakatau enei take tekau; Te Uri o Hau Ngati Ruanui Ngati Tama Nga Rauru Kitahi Ngati Awa Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau Ngati Mutunga Te Roroa Te Arawa Kaihautu Te Arawa Nga Roto o Te Arawa. Kaore ake noa ratou e mohio ake noa no te reka o te reo Maori  a porohewa i reira.  
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Madam Speaker since 1999 this Government has resolved the following claims: Te Uri o Hau Ngati Ruanui Ngati Tama Nga Rauru Kitahi Ngati Awa Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau Ngati Mutunga Te Roroa Te Arawa Kaihautu Te Arawa and Nga Roto o Te Arawa. They have not experienced the sweetness of the Maori language even to the stage of losing their hair. 
] 
Christopher Finlayson 
: Is not the Government’s go-slow approach to Treaty settlements exposed by the fact that of the 19 settlements reached to date 10 were started and completed by National in the 1990s a further eight were started by National and the Labour Government has taken just one claim from initial negotiation through to final settlement in 7½ years? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: That point is well taken but it is very very interesting. It is very interesting because this Government has been about expediency and trying to ensure that we can define what finality is not rabbiting on and hoping these settlements take another 20 years. What a load of rubbish! 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Has the Minister received any reports particularly those related to the last questioner’s claims that National effected all those settlements with the Maori people and can he explain how he reconciles that claim with the billboard campaign mounted by Don Brash and his colleagues over there at the last election—it is called hypocrisy of the highest sort? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: As always those people we care about— 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Please be seated. I think I can anticipate that this is not within the ministerial responsibility— 
Gerry Brownlee 
: No. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not your point of order? 
Gerry Brownlee 
: It is about the hypocrisy statement. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Would the member mind recasting his question without making such comments while also making sure that the question is in fact within the Minister’s ministerial responsibility. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Has the Minister received any reports particularly relating to the last questioner and the substance of his question which in effect claimed all sorts of settlements by the National Party with the Maori people; do those reports reconcile with the “Kiwi not iwi” campaign and all the other billboards that were up at the last election and is there a word for that that starts with the letter “h”? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That last comment was inappropriate but would the Minister please respond. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I definitely agree with the points that the member has just made. 
Metiria Turei 
: Who will be held accountable and what will happen to those responsible for the officials’ process failure to interact with cross-claimants as they promised; failure to provide accurate information about their status in the negotiations; failure to involve cross-claimants in the deliberations of officials; failure to respond to cross-claimants unless they had persistent lawyers; and finally for the provision of misleading information to the Ngati Whatua o Orakei tribunal hearing? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I have no responsibility for the Office of Treaty Settlements but certainly my colleague Minister Burton and I have been discussing those issues and that supportive role will continue from the Maori ministry. I certainly have an interest in the cost of all of these settlements and how it keeps the great legal fraternity going in this country. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Tena koe Madam Speaker. Ki te Minita he aha tona whakautu ki ta te Taraipiunara panui i tera Mane ara i kite nei ratou i etahi “tino ngoikoretanga i te ahua o nga uiuinga i waenganui i a ratou me era ropu o Te Arawa kaore i te whakatau tono” a i te mutunga ake i “awangawanga te Taraipiunara ka waimeha nga tikanga a Te Arawa a nga ra kei mua i te aroaro? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
What response does the Minister have to the finding released on Monday that the Waitangi Tribunal found “serious flaws in the way the Crown consulted with non-settling Te Arawa groups” concluding that the tribunal was left “fearing for the customary future of the Te Arawa waka”? 
] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Kei te korero tahi ake ano a Te Arawa kei a ratou tera. E mohio ake ano te tangata e patai ake ano i tera patai i reira ke ratou i te ra i tuhia wetahi o Te Arawa e kore e tuhia. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Tena koe Madam Speaker. Kia huri ki te reo tuarua nei. The point of order is in respect of the question which was about his response as opposed to what Te Arawa did or did not believe. I ask the Minister to reconsider his response. The question was about his response not that of Te Arawa. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I think we will have the interpretation then we will make a judgment on that. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Te Arawa are indeed talking amongst themselves. They are dealing with that. The member who asked that question is fully aware that they were indeed there on the day; some of Te Arawa signed and some did not. 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I think that answer did address the question. 
Pita Paraone 
: Tena koe Madam Speaker. Does the Minister consider that the recent reports from the Waitangi Tribunal on the Ngati Whatua ki Orakei claim and that of Te Arawa will impact on the timeliness of these and other settlements; if not why not? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: It may do so but certainly it is interesting that these two reports are the two that never went through the tribunal process. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Ki te whakaae koe ki ta te Taraipiunara i ki ko ta te Karauna he tuku whakaatu ki te katoa o nga patapatai a mena kei te whakaae he aha ai i taka roa kare hoki i wawe te tuku korero a kaititiro i te wa o nga tono i Tamaki-makau-rau a he aha hoki nga mahi i mahia e Te Puni Kokiri i tenei wa i runga i tona mana whakahaere mo te ahuatanga whakatutuki whanaungatanga i waenganui i te Karauna raua ko te Maori? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Does the Minister agree with the tribunal that it is the Crown’s job to provide evidence on all issues in the inquiry; if so why was the documentary evidence in the Tamaki-makau-rau settlement provided late reluctantly and piecemeal and what part did Te Puni Kokiri play in this role given its responsibilities in the output class Crown-Maori relationships? 
] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Kei te whai kaha ake noa te Tari o Te Puni Kokiri i te tautokotia ake noa nga take nei mai ra ano na te mea e puta ake noa taku korero ki te Kaiwhakahaere a Leith Comer hei whakatere tae i te tu ake noa nga kanohi e mau mohio e mau matatau ki nga take katoa i roto i a tatou o te iwi Maori. Kei te mahi awhi ake noa a Te Puni Kokiri. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
The Ministry of Maori Development has been working vigorously for a long time in supporting these matters. I have been in consultation with Leith Comer the chief executive seeking to hasten the process of bringing aboard staff who are experts in all matters pertaining to our Maori people. Te Puni Kokiri will continue to play a supportive role. 
]