Turia Tariana: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Turia Tariana: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
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Hon TARIANA TURIA (Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector) 
: 
 Tangata whenua are born of this land. We are part of the landscape and the environment and we are here to stay. Our people have lived through many changes. Our knowledge of our past gives us confidence to face the future. We know who we are we are secure in our identity and we welcome the contribution that all people bring to this nation. 
Sometimes however our people despair. We despair of political leadership that expects to reap rewards from sowing seeds of division spreading lies and deceit and cultivating fear and envy. We despair of those who deny the past and denigrate the high ideals of our ancestors—tangata whenua and Pakeha—who signed the Treaty of Waitangi. 
The treaty laid the foundation for a modern developed nation in which all cultures and peoples can contribute to their full potential towards shared goals—and we stand by that. The treaty enabled settlers to migrate and establish kawanatanga—governance over themselves. In return our rangatiratanga—power and authority over our people lands forests and fisheries—was recognised respected and protected. The treaty did not say that the culture and heritage of tangata whenua should be extinguished—in fact quite the opposite. It guaranteed the Crown’s protection of our distinctive way of life as tangata whenua. 
The settlers needed the treaty more than we did in 1840 and for 150 years they and their descendants were the main beneficiaries. They had the privileges conferred upon them. Our resources have been stolen and plundered yet those who should know better seek now to gain power through misleading the public by implying that our people have privileges conferred on them. 
The notion of special privilege is interesting. Negative statistics show that our people are not doing so well. Surely that is a good indicator that Governments must encourage and support communities to take responsibility to meet their obligations to focus on their families’ potential to heal and restore and to build the capability that will enable them not to rely on others for their well-being. If that is Government conferring privilege then I am proud to be part of this Government. 
There are 30 pieces of legislation that refer to the Treaty of Waitangi or its principles. They aim to rebuild equity into the relationship to provide a basis for tangata whenua to recover our position. Previous National Governments recognised that. Tangata whenua despair of those who now try to argue that one size fits all and who say that the laws and institutions of this country should recognise only one cultural reality and one way of life. Have they not read the reports over the years that have highlighted institutional racism in a number of our Crown agencies? Survivors of apartheid know that those who claimed to be colour-blind and to deal equally with all individuals were in denial of institutional racism and personal prejudice and that treating everyone the same maintained and perpetuated their positions of real privilege and power. 
In reality that is what the National Party in Opposition and the ACT party believe. They want to ensure that the natives know their place. These are the parties who purport to uphold the property rights of people—that is so long as those people are not the tangata whenua. That is the sad truth. Clearly they want to retain power in the hands of non-Maori by denying our people’s right to participate in decision making that seriously affects our lives. Councils have always consulted with particular sectors of the community and no one has ever shown concern before. Those who believe— 
Lindsay Tisch 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sorry to interrupt the member and I apologise but the junior Government whip made a very unparliamentary comment about my colleague and I would like her— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: I ask the member concerned to withdraw and apologise please. 
Jill Pettis 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I would like to point out that a particular member on the opposite side has continually been speaking the whole time while I have been trying to speak and has been making snide comments. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: I ask Sandra Goudie please to control her remarks. 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: Clearly they want to retain power in the hands of non-Maori by denying our people’s right to participate in decision making that seriously affects their lives. Councils have always consulted with particular sectors of the community and no one has ever shown concern before. Those who believe the misinformation are allowing their own values practices and beliefs to be exposed. 
It is dangerous talk. It is provocative. It is factually and historically wrong to imply that we have no rights in this land. It is provocative to say that ensuring our people have a voice in decision making somehow violates the guiding democratic principles of one person one vote one value. Whose “one value” are we talking about? Where did that “one value” come from? 
It is incredible to me that an aspiring National leader cannot describe our distinct national identity. Whom does he belong to? How can a person who does not know his own culture and identity appreciate and respect the culture and identity of others? How can he join debate on the values that we want to underpin our nation if he wants that debate to begin in 2004 and take no account of our founding constitutional document? We are getting caught up in the politics of envy driven by a desire to gain the seat of power. 
 Maori privilege in treatment is a myth propped up by false statements. Holidays legislation does not give Maori unlimited tangi leave—Minister Margaret Wilson corrected the statement—but the myth is repeated as fact to reinforce prejudice. So-called special services meet special needs—for Maori old people rural people and other communities. They create equality of opportunity. Services designed and delivered by Maori for Maori get results. They give value for money and the whole country benefits. Maori-managed services have many non-Maori clients—people who like a family-oriented approach based on building family strength to prevent problems in the future. 
It has taken this nation a long time to develop ways to give effect to our national values of respect hospitality tolerance good faith partnership and a fair go. We have developed positive attitudes and built bicultural institutions that are the envy of the world. 
This Government knows how lucky we are to have escaped the racial violence and conflict of other countries and we must be careful. Unleashing racial division will have dire consequences. There are considerable tensions in some of our communities arising from disadvantage and aggravated by mental illness and drug abuse. To politicise those divisions is courting disaster. 
Responsible political leadership must explore how to build a rich and vibrant nation. It is the task of the Government to enable all people to participate in building a nation where all peoples retain their cultures participate in key decision-making and honour the founding constitutional document of this country the Treaty of Waitangi.