Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:615;Page:11300] 
12.  
KATHERINE RICH (National) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Maori Affairs (Social Development) 
: Does she stand by her comment on National Radio yesterday that: “It’s very difficult for Maori people to get into local government because of the so-called democracy of one person one vote.”; if so why? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA (Associate Minister of Maori Affairs (Social Development)) 
: 
 Yes that is the view that I hold and if I am mistaken perhaps the member could help me. 
Katherine Rich 
: Has the Minister raised her concerns about “so-called democracy of one person one vote” with the Prime Minister and Cabinet and what kind of democracy would she like to see operating here in New Zealand? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: The kind of democracy that I would like to see operating in New Zealand is the politics of inclusion not exclusion. 
Mita Ririnui 
: Is the Minister aware of any information that relates to Maori representation in local government? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: The local government website shows that only 5.5 percent of Maori people are represented. That does not compare favourably with our representation in this House which is 16.6 percent under MMP. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Does the Minister now accept that she made an incorrect statement on the  
Nine to Noon 
 radio programme yesterday when she claimed that Maori were not guaranteed a certain number of seats at council tables under legislation passed by her Government; if she does not accept that then how does she explain the provisions of the Local Government Act that were passed by her Government that provide for separate race-based electoral rolls and separate guaranteed race-based seats at council tables—how does she explain that? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: My understanding is that the legislation provides that local government can make its own decisions about how voting will take place. 
Katherine Rich 
: Following her comments about inclusion does she stand by her comments in that same interview that Maori deserve special rights because “We can’t go anywhere else. We’ve got nowhere else to go home to. We can only be here.” and where does she think seventh-generation non-Maori New Zealanders can go because the doors to Scotland certainly are not open anymore? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: I certainly believe that tangata whenua as the indigenous peoples of this land have rights as guaranteed under article 2 of the Treaty of Waitangi. I think it would be best if that member put that question to seventh-generation New Zealanders. 
Stephen Franks 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Standing Orders and  
Speakers’ Rulings 
 provide for the Speaker to grant extra questions when questions are simply not answered. It appears to me that a number of questions have simply not been answered; the Minister has just parroted slogans. Is this an occasion when you might grant a few extra supplementary questions? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No. 
Katherine Rich 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In my previous question I used a question word “where”. When one uses that word one expects an answer to include a location of some sort. I asked where the Minister expected seventh-generation New Zealanders who are not Maori to go and I did not get an answer to that question. 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: Do you want me to answer the question Mr Speaker? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Yes. 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: Well I have never ever said to any New Zealander whether first second third or seventh generation that he or she needs to leave this land so I am unsure of why the question has come. 
Katherine Rich 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think the Minister runs the risk of misleading House. When we see headlines like “Turia suggests Pakeha can go home” the implication is that if we do not like special treatment for Maori we have some other place to go. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If I thought any member of this Parliament could write the headlines in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 I would be very keen to apply. 
Mita Ririnui 
: Is the Minister aware of any local level initiatives to promote Maori participation in local government? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: We are all aware in this House of the good work done by Environment BOP to ensure the inclusion of Maori people. 
Katherine Rich 
: I shall ask the same question again. If the Minister has made comments that Maori deserve special rights because “We can’t go anywhere else. We’ve got nowhere else to go home to. We can only be here.” where does she think seventh-generation non-Maori New Zealanders can go if they disagree with this Government’s special treatment of Maori? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: I have already answered that question. With regard to the newspaper report that the member was floating in front of us I think she should put that question to the New Zealand Press Association reporter who misquoted me. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: I seek leave to table a transcription of the  
Nine to Noon 
 radio programme yesterday that clearly shows that the Minister made an incorrect and misleading statement. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that transcript. Is there any objection? There is. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table details in respect of Environment BOP that demonstrate Maori will go from being three of 14 members to two of 11—and how that increases the ratio I do not understand. 
Document not tabled.