Katene Rahui: Appropriation (2011/12 Estimates) Bill — Third Reading Imprest Supply Debate 
Katene Rahui: Appropriation (2011/12 Estimates) Bill — Third Reading Imprest Supply Debate 
[Volume:674;Page:20503] 
RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 I found it very interesting listening to the previous speaker talking about the household economy. He said that the first rule is that one does not spend more than one earns and the second rule is that one does not borrow more than one can pay back. Does that member not realise that those are mutually exclusive? If someone is living within their means then they should not need to borrow. 
In May of this year in the first flush of post-Budget analysis Kerry McDonald chair of the Savings Working Group bemoaned the continued lack of robust strategic economic thinking in New Zealand. In his view the real extent of the problems facing the New Zealand economy are fundamental structural issues that have to be dealt with. There is no clear statement of where the Government wants to take the country and there is little attention to the structure of our economic system. Instead we seem to always be responding to symptoms and there is little appetite for long-term thinking in the national interest. Add to these the persistent concerns around our high debt level a comprehensive lack of savings and the fact that the household income for most households has not been growing and I think we start to get some sense of the dimensions of the problem. 
It is a no-brainer that we are operating within fiscal constraints so there is even more incentive for bringing a heightened level of transparency and accountability to Government expenditure. Within the Maori Party our demand for excellence pushes us even further to demand whole-of-Government effectiveness for Maori. The rights and responsibilities of tangata whenua embodied in the concept of turangawaewae bring with it the highest standards of citizenship yet in the current economy citizenship is consistently exchanged for economic access. In effect this reduces the mana of citizenship and increases the mana of economic roles. The idea that each person is equal in value is being increasingly replaced by the idea that each dollar is equal and people with more dollars are therefore deemed more important and meaningful. 
The Maori Party has great concerns about the nature of such thinking. We seek to lead the conversation for all New Zealanders that economic policies must be built upon social and cultural structures. Economic success involves more than monetary profit and consumption as solely economic factors. We believe firmly in the proposition that what is good for Maori is good for New Zealand so our interest therefore is in establishing initiatives that replace the current policy emphasis on matching external economic indices with a policy of matching or exceeding external quality-of-life indices. Such bold thinking by the Maori Party is in line with the United Nations General Assembly which just 3 weeks ago called on member States to undertake steps that give more importance to happiness and well-being and determining how to achieve and measure social and economic development. The assembly invited countries “to pursue the elaboration of additional measures that better capture the importance of the pursuit of happiness and well-being in development with a view to guiding their public policies.” It noted that “the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal”. The General Assembly resolution says that happiness is critical in advancing economic growth and social progress. The resolution called on a balanced approach to economic growth that can lead to sustainable development poverty eradication happiness and the well-being of the planet. 
The Maori Party is really pleased with the progress being promoted internationally. We see that as being very much of the same line of thinking that we have been progressing through the genuine progress indicator. Our interest in the genuine progress indicator came about in recognising that the GDP indicator was never designed to and cannot adequately reflect the happiness and well-being of people in a country. In short it brings about an approach in which unsustainable patterns of production and consumption work against sustainable development. 
I will demonstrate how we have tried to promote new ways of thinking in some of the portfolios in which Maori Party Ministers have provided leadership. In the focus on Maori economic development we expressed our support for economic systems to be aligned with or driven by social and cultural systems. The Minister of Maori Affairs has pioneered key initiatives in Maori tourism Maori productivity and export growth Maori innovation and Maori skills acquisition including cadetships and the relationship with InfraTrain. His strategy has promoted the use of whanaungatanga as a Maori-led approach to international trade commercial relationships with Maori living overseas and Maori enterprise initiatives in the domestic economy. We have seen evidence of this strategy in both the Maori Economic Taskforce from the Maori economic summit and the delegation to China. What we are doing is building on both the cultural strength and entrepreneurial acumen of Maori to also lead to social and economic outcomes. 
Another aspect of a kaupapa-driven approach to economic development comes through the development of a language strategy. In the Maori Affairs Committee report there was coverage of the revitalisation of te reo Maori. I noted with disappointment the comments around the inability of institutions to deliver the desired increase in the number of speakers and the depth of te reo comprehension. When we look at balancing the accounts we see that although we know that te reo rangatira can contribute to wealth generation both nationally and internationally the value of the language asset is not being realised if we have poor institutional commitment. 
This is a complex and fascinating process which will bring New Zealanders into close relationship with our very foundations as a nation. As a proud uri of Ngai Tahu I have to say how delighted I am that we have a distinguished statesman in Ta Tipene O’Regan leading the way along with the very impressive membership including Emeritus Professor Ranginui Walker Professor Linda Smith Dr Leonie Pihama and Hinurewa Poutu. 
The second major platform of our policy transformation is Whanau Ora. The 2011-12 Budget invested another $30 million in Whanau Ora which was a key source of interest at the select committee—and rightly so. Whanau Ora is an incredible initiative which I think has received universal support around the House and indeed around the country. It absolutely reflects the efforts we have made to model a new approach for a kaupapa-driven economy. Whanau Ora seeks to reflect the aspirations of whanau and support them in self-managing and taking responsibility for their own social cultural and economic development. 
I have been meeting with whanau around the country who have been involved in Whanau Ora already and even though they have not yet managed to access any of the funding from Whanau Ora those who are readying themselves for that transformation have made a transformation in themselves. They have realised that Whanau Ora means that they can make a difference in their own lives. 
I have to say that as the Maori Party moves on and starts to make sure that our policy is included within that of the bigger parties we are making a difference. We are making a difference and we are proud of making that difference. The Maori Party is pleased to support this Budget. We will be even more pleased when this Budget reflects the economic reality of what we need to be doing in New Zealand: a kaupapa-driven economy. Kia ora.