Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:631;Page:3428] 
11.  
Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori  
Affairs 
: He aha a ia i kore ai e tuku tono pera i ta tetahi nupepa i ki mo tetahi putea kia pakari ai te Ao Maori a ka taea e ia te whakamarama ki tenei Whare te take ko tenei te tau tuarua kaore i kapohia e ia he rawa hou hei putea mo tona tari? 
[ 
Why did he reportedly not submit a Budget bid to strengthen the position of Maori and what explanation can he give the House for this being the second consecutive year that his department has not received any new funding? 
] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 This year the Government made it very clear that there would be limited funding for new initiatives. I asked Te Puni Kokiri to look at how it could better utilise existing funding and how that funding could be aligned with the Government’s priorities and the aspirations of the Maori people. It is about Te Puni Kokiri being able to continue to work with Maori to support Maori and to make the most of its resources and assets its knowledge its skills and its leadership capability. The member is wrong; Budget 2005 did provide more money for Vote Maori Affairs. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: He aha ai kare i tono mo tetahi ake putea ma Te Puni Kokiri a i tono ranei ki Te Tahuhu o te Matauranga kia noho tonu te putea Manaaki Tauira mo nga tauira Maori iwa mano? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Why did he not bid for alternative funding for Te Puni Kokiri or for the Ministry of Education to keep the manaaki tauira student grant scheme going on behalf of those 9000 Maori students? 
] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: It is part of the general premise of where Te Puni Kokiri is moving and manaaki tauira is out of that area. When it started to be delivered there were about 8000 students receiving tertiary education; there are now 90000 students—only 11 percent were using it. The money has not been cancelled and it has not disappeared. It has moved to strengthening teacher capability in secondary schools in order for young people to be encouraged and developed so that when they get tertiary education they do better. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Does the Minister’s failure to seek more funding in the latest Budget round lead him to agree with the National Party view that there has been considerable wastage in Te Puni Kokiri’s activities and that it is extremely hard to work out exactly what that ministry does? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: The financial report with its recommendation on how Te Puni Kokiri has performed is there for that member to read. If he got out more often amongst Maori like I do as the real Maori spokesperson he would see that a lot of good action is done by Te Puni Kokiri. [ 
Interruption 
] That member never ever went out; he stayed home from Thursday night through to Sunday night. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The Minister may sling off at me all he likes but he does have some obligation to address the question. The question was whether he agreed that Te Puni Kokiri has had considerable waste attached to it and that it is very very hard to work out exactly what it does. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I am very clear along with a whole lot of Maori people about exactly what Te Puni Kokiri does. That my friend over there is slow in picking it up and understanding it is not my problem. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: E whakapono ana ia e pai ana te haere o nga mahi a nga tari matua a mena kei te whakaae ia kei a ia nga whakaaturanga hei ki e pai ana nga mahi o aua tari? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Does he believe that mainstreaming works; if he does what proof does he have of the success of mainstream departments? 
] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I believe that if Maori can get to Harvard and that is mainstreaming I am supportive of it. If Maori people can build a house and keep their family comfortable and that is mainstreaming I believe in it. If mainstreaming means that Maori become business owners and business managers I believe in it. But I also believe in recognising our tikanga and culture and keeping it strong. That is what I believe in. 
Hone Harawira 
: Could the Minister please explain in light of comments in this House associating Vote Maori Affairs baseline funding with the fact that Maori unemployment has dropped from a record high of 18.9 percent to 8.6 percent why on the East Coast his own electorate in 2001 50 percent of the population receiving the unemployment benefit were Maori and in March 2006 that percentage had increased to 64 percent; why in Waiariki the percentage increase in Maori unemployment grew from 49 percent in 2001 to 66 percent in 2006; and why in my own electorate of Te Tai Tokerau the percentage increase in Maori unemployment also grew from 53 percent in 2001 to 64 percent in 2006—and what will Te Puni Kokiri be doing to address these disparities? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: A number of issues are relevant to the statistical assumptions of my learned friend from Te Tai Tokerau but first I want to remind him that when we came in the unemployment rate was 22.6 percent and it tracked down to 6.4 percent. It has now risen to 8.1 percent. At the end of the day that is about a lack of industry and a lack of skills and that is what this Government is focusing on. It is about a strong economy as we were reminded by Dr Cullen yesterday but these people do not seem to like it. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The question was specifically directed to unemployment on the East Coast in Waiariki and in Te Tai Tokerau and it was not answered. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: No the member cannot require a specific answer. But the Minister certainly addressed the question of unemployment. 
Shane Jones 
: E hia te putea i roto i nga tahua putea e pahore tata ake nei i whiwhia ki Te Tari Maori? 
[ 
What was the funding allocated recently to the Ministry of Maori Affairs in the Budget? 
] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: This Government has been in power for 6 years. When we came to office Vote Maori Affairs was $55 million. The previous Government got rid of $200 million in that area—got rid of it. Budget 2005 provided $14.8 million for Kapohia nga Rawa over 4 years. Budget 2005 provided $4.6 million for Maori radio broadcasting over 4 years $2.5 million for the Hui Taumata action task force and $200000 for Ma Te Reo to help all New Zealanders understand this great language well. 
Hone Harawira 
: In response to the Minister’s comments that the figures I gave were an assumption I say they were not. I seek leave of the House to table the numbers on the unemployment benefit as at March 2001 and March 2006. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: I runga i te whakautu i tera wiki ehara tenei Whare i te wahi hei whakawa i te kawana mo nga mahi kuare a Te Puni Kokiri ka taea e ia te korero ki tenei Whare kia haere ratau ki whea whakawa ai i ia me tona tari? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Following the response last week that this House is not the forum to hold the Government accountable for the poor performance of Te Puni Kokiri where would he recommend this House go to hear him account for his performance and the performance of his department? 
]  
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: E tautoko ake ano wetahi o nga whakaaro no toku whakahoki ki a koe e Pita i tera ra e korero anake mo te whakaae o te taea i konei hei korero ake ano. Engari na te whakaaro i roto i aku na to wera Maori mo nga kanohi Maori i roto i a te Tari. Tena ake ano te mea. Kare e hiahia au i roto i a aku e tautokotia ake ano to whakaaro e taea ake ano nga korero i runga i te Whare Paremata nei. My response to my learned elder Dr Sharples is that I also added after he had asked the question that this was the place to bring that issue but I thought it was not the place to make his insinuation and wero—his challenge—about the Maori members and the Maori ministry and that that was for other places. That is what I meant. 
Phil Heatley 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I am sorry to disturb my colleague but I think it is time for the Minister of Maori Affairs to leave. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: We will ask the Minister to leave the House.