Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:648;Page:16896] 
11.  
Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori Affairs 
: What action is he taking to investigate claims from Diane Black the chairwoman of Tamaki ki te Tonga Maori District Council that the funding for the Maori Warden Project was being spent “without consultation and there is no access to funding or the decisions being made.”? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 Ms Black has made no such claims to me although I am aware that she has recently made such comments to the media. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Does the Minister understand that after 60 years of volunteer service the Maori wardens welcomed the Budget announcement that they were finally to receive resources to recognise the vital role they play in the community; and what has happened in the last month for the Te Puni Kokiri Maori Warden Project manager Te Rau Clarke now to say “Who would pay them to do what they do at their age?”? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: That is certainly not the intent of the Minister and I can assure the member that a lot of work has been going on between the ministry and a whole lot of organisations relevant to the development of Maori wardens. 
Dave Hereora 
: What is an example of the additional support that has been delivered through this project? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: There have been several instances of training in the South Auckland Maori warden region where there has been a lot of kerfuffle about the nonsense that goes on there; $76000 has been approved to Manurewa Mangere Turehou Otara and Otahuhu Maori warden groups to assist them in their work. 
Pita Paraone 
: Tena koe Madam Speaker. Can the Minister confirm that the Maori wardens are much better off than they were last year due to the funding increases secured as part of the confidence and supply agreement between New Zealand First and the Labour Government? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Most certainly. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Does he agree with the secretary of the New Zealand Maori Council Tata Parata that the current funding arrangement has ignored the requirements of the Maori Community Development Act which provides the New Zealand Maori Council with responsibility for the overall governance of the wardens; if not why? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: That is the moot point. The better part of the Maori Council is inactive as an organisation. We have put together an advisory group with Diane Black as one of its representative and Te Puni Kokiri as the convenor and also on it are representatives of the New Zealand Maori Council including Mr Parata the New Zealand Maori Wardens Association including the patron of the Maori wardens the Maori Women’s Welfare League the Te Kohanga Reo National Trust and the New Zealand Police in order to try to get some semblance. 
Hon Nanaia Mahuta 
: Can the Minister provide examples of where investment in Maori wardens has produced positive outcomes in many communities? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: There have been several hui across the country to encourage the Maori wardens in the role they have to play in contemporary times with regard to new issues relevant to crime and to our young people getting into trouble. A combined total of 342 Maori wardens have accessed some sort of training offered by the project. One hundred and eighty-four Maori wardens have completed training offered by the police. Physical resources including Maori warden - branded high visibility jackets safety shoes torches and traffic warrants are also provided at the conclusion of training sessions. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Does he agree with Diane Black—and I note he mentioned her in that group—that the New Zealand Maori Council is being starved out because it is the only legislative board that ever takes the Government to court; is that the real reason that Te Puni Kokiri Maori Warden Project manager Te Rau Clarke has questioned whether the New Zealand Maori Council and district councils are relevant; if not why not? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: The reason why we are at where we are at is because it was in a mess. We have tried to sort it out and I can tell the member that the working project team which includes the Maori Council has been working very hard to get to a consensus that better advances the Maori wardens. That is more than well supported by this Government. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: Can the Minister confirm that the Government is fully supportive of attempts by members of the New Zealand Maori Council to hold a seminar in honour of Sir Graham Latimer to discuss the future development of the New Zealand Maori Council and how to strengthen it again? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Most certainly yes. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: In the light of the last answer what is the Government’s view on how the community should control and manage the process of appointing and funding Maori wardens so that the wardens continue to be seen as part of the communities they serve and not as Government agents or unofficial police? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: The Maori Wardens Association was struggling as an organisation and over a long period of time we have tried to ensure that dialogue is maintained with key stakeholder groups around the future governance of Maori wardens. That is the key role of the advisory group that is together now.