Whaitiri Meka: Budget DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWhaitiri Meka: Budget Debate[Sitting date: 20 May 2014. Volume:699;Page:18147. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MEKA WHAITIRI (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti):Tēnā koe Mr Assistant Speaker.Tēnātātou katoa. I want to take some time because this will be just the beginning to acknowledge the OK parts of this Budget—the OK parts of the Budget. The OK parts for me are Whānau Ora and the Government’s commitment to additional funding of $15 million over 3 years. I want to acknowledge the Government for that. I also want to acknowledge in all seriousness the raising the age of eligibility for free health care from under 6 year olds up to under 13 year olds. I do want to acknowledge that. But apart from that there is no joy in this Budget.This Budget is so underwhelming. I heard my deputy leader David Parker talking earlier this afternoon about how underwhelming it is. When I sat in this House and heard Bill English read that speech I too was looking for a commitment to the regions of New Zealand. I was listening for the commitment to job creation where it is needed—in the regions. I was listening for and hoping for our families to get a fair go in this country and I was listening for a much-needed injection of resources into housing for our people throughout this country and I was disappointed.I sat there and I listened and I saw that there was no vision. I saw that there was no vision and that there was clearly no obvious long-term plan for creating an inclusive progressive and innovative New Zealand where we all benefit. No no no. What we saw was the same old same old—looking after their mates and the people at the high end of town at the expense of everybody else. That is what we heard. From my point of view how disappointed I was that I could not even begin to see the benefits that this Budget would deliver to the people throughout Ikaroa-Rāwhiti and in all the other regions in the far north in the Bay of Plenty and in Waiariki who will not be jumping up for joy with this Budget.Let us look at the Budget. I heard some congratulations offered to National’s coalition partner the Māori Party for what it has been able to produce. When we leave this House when the House rises in the middle of July and we start campaigning it will all come out in the wash. There will be nowhere for anybody to hide when we stand up and try to get back into this place as members of this House.When I look at what Māori have got in this Budget it is so disappointing. Three initiatives were announced around the Māori Economic Development Strategy and I heard comments in this House which I have heard since I have come into this House around how advantageous it is to sit at the table. Can I make it really clear for our listeners out there that the Māori Party does not sit at the table. It does not sit at a table. There is no Minister who sits at the Cabinet table where as we all know the decisions are made. When I look at what we have got we have $8 million over a 4-year period going to a Māori innovation fund. That is all this Government thinks Māori are worth in terms of innovation—$2 million a year.There is $6 million over 4 years for Māori tourism. Look I move amongst my local Māori tourism operators and I can tell that side of the House that there are no Māori tourism ventures that are happening in my electorate that I can get alongside who have not done it off their own bat. For me they will be disappointed that their initiatives and their innovation have not been fairly reflected by what has been put in this Budget. That is $6 million like I said over 4 years.Surprise surprise—I could not figure this one out. There is $1 million for joint New Zealand Māori and Chinese work to build on cultural and economic relations or what they have called a stage production. There are manywhānaus out there who would love to have a million dollars to put a play together. My point to the Treasury benches onthat side is that the Māori economy and the opportunities it could bring to grow wealth in this country has been completely missed out by this Government.John Hayes: Have you heard of Treaty settlements?MEKA WHAITIRI: No it has—it has. When I look at this this is a poor contribution for a $30 billion - plus economy.John Hayes: I don’t know what planet you’re on.MEKA WHAITIRI: You cannot defend this. You cannot defend this because it is poor and it misses the point of unlocking the potential of the Māori economy. It misses it—it misses it. But do you know what? When Labour comes into Government you will see a pumping Māori economic policy that leverages off Treaty settlements and will leverage off export relationships that are already taking place. That side of the House one does not know it; two does not acknowledge it; and three does not value it. But Labour will.So here we go. The Māori wardens programme is another significant programme involving people who are out there doing the hard yards on the smell of an oily rag. The Māori wardens who have got by on the smell of an oily rag do some wonderful work for us some wonderful work around the country. There is not an iwi throughout this country that does not acknowledge the role of the Māori wardens. And what do we have here? Oh a small cut—a cut. It is not a contribution; it is a cut. That is what this Government thinks of the Māori wardens.Of course we have got Māori Trade Training. For a lot of Māori people their success in life has come through the Māori Trade Training schemes and the Modern Apprenticeships which this side of the House—the Labour Party—introduced. But that side has not acknowledged or valued it and has simply ignored it. This is at a time when the nation is crying out—particularly in Christchurch with the rebuild—for skilled tradespeople but no no. There is an opportunity to train but we do not see that because—I do not know; National has got a better plan for our people apparently. [Interruption] Oh no it does not because it does not have a plan.When I looked at this Budget I wanted to see and hear about jobswhānau and houses. In fact I remember that when I first came into this House one of the first questions I asked was to the Minister for Economic Development Mr Joyce. I asked what the National Government was doing for our people in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti in terms of growing jobs. These were the three answers that he gave me. He talked about oil exploration he talked about a dam and he talked about a cycle track. That was the Minister for Economic Development’s plan for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti: oil exploration a dam and a cycle track. It is tired it is out of touch and it is not delivering what he said it would do in terms of sustainable jobs in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti.What will Labour do? Labour has got some innovative progressive and inclusive policies that will create jobs in the regions where they are much needed. It will look after families in terms of our Best Start policy. This side when we are on that side of the House will commit to building 100000 homes with ourKiwiBuild policy. There is no argument. This side is progressive. This side is inclusive. This side is about sharing the wealth of this country and that side is not. This side is and that side is not. That will be your legacy as you haere atu from this whare come September. It has been one of those shameful moments when you look at something like a Budget and you know that your people our people have missed out.Tēnātātou katoa.