Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Question No. 6 to Minister 
Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Question No. 6 to Minister 
[Volume:628;Page:530] 
7.  
Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori Affairs 
: He aha te tana whakautu ki te korero a te kairipoata mo te Roopu Whakakotahi tangata o te Ao ara a Rodolfo Stavenhagen “Kei te tino awangawanga kei te tipu ake te ahua o te rawa kore i waenganui i te Maori me etahi atu a kei muri te Maori a haere ana.”?  
[ 
What is his response to the following statement from Professor Stavenhagen the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples that: “There is also widespread concern that the gap in social and economic conditions is actually growing larger and that an increasing proportion of Maori are being left behind.”? 
] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
He maha nga korero a te professor i roto i ana korero ki nga nupepa mo tana haere mai ki konei. Ko etahi o ana korero e pa ana ki nga whanaketanga o te iwi Maori e whakaatu mai ana ahakoa e kitea ana te ahu whakamua a te iwi Maori. He nui tonu nga mahi hei mahi. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Professor Stavenhagen made a number of observations in his press release about his visit here. Some of his observations about Maori development indicate that while Maori have made positive progress there is still work to be done. 
] 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: How does the Minister reconcile the fact that the Government’s own figures reveal that the unemployment rate for Maori has steadily increased over the last year from 8.3 percent in September 2004 to 9.1 percent in September 2005 with the fact that the unemployment rate for Pakeha has steadily decreased over the same period; and given that the gap looks to be increasing how can the Minister say that it is actually closing? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I te wa i whakamanatia ai tenei Kawanatanga 20 pai heneti te maha o nga tangata kaore i te whiwhi mahi. I tenei wa kua taka mai tenei maha mo tauiwi ki te 3 pai heneti a mo te Maori 9 pai heneti a kei te heke haere tonu. He tino rereketanga tenei. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
When this Government came into power the unemployment rate was at about 20 percent. The general rate is now at 3 percent and the Maori rate is at 9 percent and decreasing. This is a huge difference. 
] 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Could the Minister identify where inequalities have been reduced in Maori health specifically life expectancy; in Maori education specifically school-leaver qualifications; and Maori household ownership rates? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: He nui ake ano nga take i roto i nga take pera i a te hauora me nga take katoa. He maha tonu nga paetae kua taea e te iwi Maori i roto i nga ono tau kua hipa ki muri. Hei tauira: te rekota mo te tino maha o nga Maori kei te whiwhi mahi; te whiwhi i nga tino rawa me nga taonga i roto i nga wahanga e pa ana ki nga ngahere nga haonga ika me era atu e riro ana ma te Maori e whakahaere. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
There are really many aspects in matters such as health and others. There have been a number of important achievements for Maori over the last 6 years: for example the highest employment for Maori on record; and key commercial assets in the primary production sector are now being managed by Maori with the fisheries allocation process under way. 
] 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. That was a very long answer that the Minister of Maori Affairs gave and I am assured by my colleagues to my left that it was a very good answer. Unfortunately I think the translation into English was somewhat truncated and those of us who are still struggling with te reo would maybe like a fuller translation. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I am pleased to assist my colleague over there who is searching keenly to understand our language. What I said was that I agreed with my colleague Te Ururoa Flavell about all those aspects pertaining to health and education—that there were a lot of things to be done. I also was quite explicit that this Government has created a record for Maori participating in the workplace. Beyond that I also said that assets such as forestry and fish are now being steered and managed by Maori governance. That is what the translation was. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. It appears that the answers that Mr Horomia is giving are somewhat out of sync with the responses coming from the interpreter. I am not sure; perhaps it is that the numbers on the pages are not corresponding because they both appear to have the answers in front of them. Maybe in future we should just publish the answers and completely do away with oral questions to the Minister of Maori Affairs. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member for his point of order. I just remind members that it is not a translation that is given; it is in fact an interpretation. It was a summary of the answer and the Minister obliged on the point of order that was given. 
Hone Harawira 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Is it appropriate if a member gets up and asks: “How long is a piece of string?” if the Minister answers: “Mary Jane”? The question that was asked was about inequalities in terms of Maori health specifically life expectancy; Maori education specifically school-leaver qualifications; and Maori household ownership rates; and the answers that were given were about forestry and fisheries. He did not actually answer the question at all. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member for his point of order. The Minister did address the question obviously not to the satisfaction or the specificity of the member but a full answer was given. 
Dave Hereora 
: E whakaae ana te Minita ki nga korero o te kaikorero mo te Whakakotahitanga o nga Iwi o te Ao? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Does the Minister agree with what was said by the representative of the United Nations? 
] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: E whakaae ana au ki te nuinga o ana korero no te mea e tautoko ana i nga mahi kua mahia e te Kawanatanga. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
I agree with the majority of what he said because it supports the work the Government has done. 
]