Hide Rodney: General Debates 
Hide Rodney: General Debates 
[Volume:607;Page:4432] 
RODNEY HIDE (ACT NZ) 
: 
 I want to spend my short 5 minutes on State-sponsored kickbacks State-sponsored graft and State-sponsored tax dodging. I also want to talk about hard-working taxpayers having to pay for a Labour Party booze-up. That is what I will be talking about. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will please be seated. We will not have that word used. I want more felicitous expression in this House. I have had quite a lot of comment from outside about that particular term. I do not like it used in this House. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am not having any points of order from Mr Brownlee or anyone else. This is a general debate. There should not be points of order. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Point of order— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member is risking leaving the House if he makes a frivolous point of order. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I perhaps need to take that risk Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Please take it now. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: We have just had the Assistant Speaker rule that it was acceptable for a Labour Party speaker to use the term “booze-up” in connection with this particular incident. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No I listened to him carefully when I was outside the Chamber and he did not say that. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: In which case I will refer to it as a taxpayer-sponsored Labour Party drinking session. We have heard questions in the House today asking what capacity building is. I have the pictures here showing capacity building in action—all paid for by a Te Puni Kokiri capacity-building grant. And they are standing around drinking Lion Red and Steinlager. They cannot pretend they did not know because I have here a picture of them on the same night standing around drinking. John Tamihere a Minister is in the background. He is enjoying the night as well—a night paid for by hard-working taxpayers. 
Not only that but this occurred on day 6 of the election campaign. Dover Samuels is shown at the party. It was held on 6 July during the election campaign. It was paid for by a capacity-building grant. The band in the background was paid for by a capacity-building grant as were the drinks. In the photograph Dover Samuels wearing his Labour Party rosette is campaigning for votes on the back of a Te Puni Kokiri capacity grant. 
Labour members cannot say they did not know about it because not only were two Ministers present but Minister Parekura Horomia’s executive assistant Ms Gail Parata was also there for the whole weekend. Do members remember Dover Samuels’ campaign manager Mr Shane Te Pou? He was at that Labour Party drinking session as was Dover Samuels’ executive assistant Daniel Phillips. 
We have heard in the last couple of weeks that over a period of 3 years Maori Sportscasting International has received $914964 before GST. It has received $1 million over 3 years. That money was overseen by a man who had been sentenced to 5 months for fraud. He has gone. The Prime Minister’s department was approached by TV3 about this man. He had resigned. No poroporoaki for him! There was no Maori farewell for him. Oh no—he was gone! He had gone to save the skin of this Minister and this Government. 
On the Saturday morning of the training wananga—paid for by a capacity-building grant—an administration finance contracts session was held. 
Simon Power 
: How did it go? 
RODNEY HIDE 
: It went very well because the sportscasters paid for by the $900000 were taught how to be paid without the authorities knowing—without having to pay tax—because it was done through their TAB accounts; out of petty cash. I ask Government members whether they agree with this. Are they undertaking an investigation? Oh no—Helen Clark says: “We act only if a scandal gets some legs; if it sticks.” Why not just sort out the scandals now because this Government is winking at them. 
I want to read out a memo but first I will show members a photograph of Mr Waaka at the party with John Tamihere. I also have a good picture of him with a smiling Mr Dover Samuels which I will table. I will read out the email which was sent by his business partner Mr Sam Rahui to one of the people who worked for Maori Sportscasting. He was asking why he has not been paid. The email dated 2 October 2002 sent at 5 minutes to 3 reads: “No. Still making amendments to the amendments to the amendments. I will hopefully have that money (wages for you) this month. We are still running on empty because Mr Waaka still has his hands in the till.” That is what this Government is funding with its capacity-building grants. Does it do anything? Not at all—because there is a war on! As Helen Clark says: “We act only if it sticks.” 
I would like to share with the House a capacity-building grant and I seek leave to table the pictures that I have shown. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table the pictures. Is there any objection? There is.