Horomia Parekura: General Debate 
Horomia Parekura: General Debate 
[Volume:640;Page:10035] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 That was the co-leader of the National Party talking about old-fashioned values. At the end of the day it is interesting when he talks about homeownership to think about who sold State houses in this country. Who did it—under whose steerage was it? It was under his. Who got rid of income-related rents? Who got rid of them? Bill English got rid of them—“Wiremu Pakeha” got rid of them. He talked about tertiary education. He was the member who was pushing make-believe diplomas and tohu. That is what he did and he put a whole lot of people asunder. 
At the end of the day it is fascinating to watch the two co-leaders in the sense of the “tight and loose” paradigm. At the end of the day finance is fundamental but the member for Rangitikei would not understand. If his party talks about tax cuts at the top end all that does is help that party’s rich mates. I am fascinated that there is not a murmur. Winston was right—not a murmur. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member will use the member’s full name. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: The Rt Hon Winston Peters was right. He was right in respect of the wine-box inquiry and those two people who are paying back $20 million. You know I want to say to members of the press that if those people had been Maori the press would have splashed the story continuously for 10 weeks. But because it is the mates of the rich the press will not say anything. 
I find this tussle between the two co-leaders fascinating in respect of the tax paradigm. One says that we have to tighten it. He parrots and mirrors what the great Minister of Finance Michael Cullen says and he tries to copy it. That is what he tries to do. He tries to stay tight because he knows that Michael Cullen will be remembered in this country as one of the finest and wisest financiers even above the Rt Hon Winston Peters. The policy of Labour has been quite simple: it is fundamental that the equity and the profit-taking in this country are shared with all peoples. The economy even tells us that. But the boys at the top end would deliver tax cuts which their friends would get. There is some simple logic in this: the money has to be taken from somewhere. So the health area the education area and the housing area will suffer dramatically. 
I wonder who works National’s figures out. I was asked a question the other day by Georgina te Heuheu. She asked what I had to say about the percentage increase in Maori unemployment figures. I think the co-leaders have been advising her on how to count and add up fiscal policy. I tell her that when Labour came into Government the general unemployment rate was 121967. Of that figure Maori numbered 24640 which is about 25 percent. So she had those figures wrong. She said that the figure was 30 percent when we came into Government and that it has now climbed up to 31 percent. I say to Georgina te Heuheu that the Maori unemployment rate is a lot smaller at 8238. 
At the end of the day Fonterra is really happy with this Government. It knows that Maori are big single shareholders and they are profiting well. All the dairy farmers are getting paid out. Farming is in a strong position and on 1 July parental leave which I know Katherine Rich is very very supportive of will increase. It will go alongside the great early childcare policy that this Government has brought in. 
The question to ask through the terrain of nonsense is what National’s policy is. What is it? Where is National’s policy? It is nowhere. National is flip-flopping around; it really is. National voted against parental leave. That is disgraceful. People in this party and the Labour-led Government are keen on ensuring that mums and kids get a fair crack at being in a better position. At the end of the day we have done that. So I find it fascinating that National has been tight then loose then maxing out on looking after the people in the upper echelon. We have increased the minimum wage seven times. National in its time in Government did not even increase it over a dollar. So here we have these people who are like Tarzan swinging through the trees talking a whole lot of rubbish.