Hutchison Paul: Maori Television Service Bill — In Committee 
Hutchison Paul: Maori Television Service Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:607;Page:5011] 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON (NZ National—Port Waikato) 
: 
 In speaking to the title of this Maori Television Service Bill I find it somewhat astonishing that the Labour Government forgot to put a Maori title on this bill. Not only did the Labour Government forget but the Maori Affairs Committee forgot. Let us just have a look at what the main provision of the bill is supposed to do. The bill establishes the Maori Television Service and sets out its functions which include as its “principal” function to promote te reo Maori. I repeat its “principal” function is to promote te reo Maori. Just 24 hours ago we were debating the National Library bill and what did the Government have to say? It said the bill provided the Maori world with a presence within the National Library by including the existing Maori name of the National Library. Why is it that the Minister of Maori Affairs forgot to put the name in Maori and it took my colleague the Hon Georgina te Heuheu to bring an amendment in tonight to satisfy the principal function of this bill? I certainly endorse the timely and appropriate amendment that she has made. 
I might say that there is a considerable and somewhat colourful background to this bill. Indeed the title should perhaps reflect some of the other things that have gone on. Maybe it would have been appropriate to have called this bill the “Helen Clark and Dr Ross Armstrong Memorial Bill” or perhaps even the “Labour Government (Support a Canadian Fraudster) Bill”. I say that because on 15 March 2002 one Parekura Horomia said of John Davies: “He’s the best person for the job.” Speaking about applications for the job Derek Fox went on to say that there was no perfect answer but that the board had come down on the side of strong financial and management control. Derek Fox said: “I am confident the guy will deliver.” So there is another alternative— 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Please come back to the title. 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON 
: —or perhaps we could just call it the “Derek Fox Fund Bill”. Speaking strictly to the title I say that because on 26 October 2001 the chairman’s fee was set at $36000. A year later on 22 September 2002 one Derek Fox was paid $84000 as a pay cheque; $50000 in expenses. But the other and final alternative— 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I bring the member back to the title. 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON 
: —this is going to the title. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: This is a very narrow debate. 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON 
: It could be just the “Parekura Horomia (Let’s put the Maori Title in at the Last Moment) Bill” because that really is the point of it. We have had three amendments in a couple of hours about something that was so plainly obvious. This is the bill that has as its principal function the promotion of te reo Maori. It took my colleague—fortunately conscientious and studious—to remind the Committee that that vital function should actually be adhered to in the title of this bill. 
I must say I was interested to hear Dover Samuel’s somewhat shrill concern that he had forgotten to place the Maori translation to the title of this bill. He did bring up the difficulty that he was prepared to give the Ngapuhi translation but that that could possibly be different from the Tuwharetoa translation. So when the Minister gets around to talking about why he failed so miserably in the first instance to place a Maori title to this bill I am hoping that he will be able to accurately describe his title.