Horomia Parekura: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations  and State Enterprises — In Committee 
Horomia Parekura: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations  and State Enterprises — In Committee 
[Volume:626;Page:21332] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 I had hoped the Opposition spokesman on Maori affairs would come down and debate this issue. But certainly— 
Simon Power 
: I raise a point of order Madam Chairperson. It is quite contrary to the Standing Orders to refer to the absence of anybody from the Chamber and the Minister should know that. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Yes the member is quite correct. Members should not refer to the absence of another member. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I want to remind the member who spoke before me about the state of Te Mangai Paho when this Government came in. It was in a mess. It had no direction no vision and no mechanism for either governance or management. In 2003 under a whole lot of pressure we reviewed it. I am proud to say that through the efforts of the very able capable people who work with this Government the agency has sorted itself out. That is very clear. That member does not seem to like iwi radio stations. Well I know that most Maori around this country appreciate and spend a lot of time listening to the iwi radio stations. For 20 years and especially in the 9 years when National was last in Government nothing was done about strengthening restructuring or supporting those iwi radio stations. We have done that—even to our detriment at times. 
Let me talk about the Maori Television Service. The face we see there is the new face although it needs a bit of maturity. I want to tell the Committee what Te Mangai Paho has helped the Maori Television Service to do. The service will report a profit next week like other State-owned enterprises of $3 million. It will say quite clearly that it has repaid its loan 2 years before it was due. That shows good organisation and it has come about because of a whole lot of support from Te Mangai Paho. 
We talk about Maori not being able and about who should be supporting them. Ninety-one percent of Maori are in work. They are working—24000 of them in the modern skills field. And we will need them because this great broadcasting industry—especially its indigenous face and the indigenous activity that is going on through the Maori Television Service—needs people to deliver. We should remember that  
Whale Rider 
 was about the indigenous people. Having just been to the Wairoa Maori Film Festival I have seen a whole lot of talent and a whole lot of opportunity of which this Government is very very supportive. That person talked about indigenity. Certainly when I was at the Maori rugby game the other day when the Maori team cleaned up the British Lions the crowd’s first chant was the great chant of “Maoris! Maoris! Maoris!”. Then they went on to say: “Kiwis! Kiwis! Kiwis!”. Then they continually said: “Black! Black! Black!”. When there is a common thread around something that we all enjoy like Maori broadcasting then this nation will move forward a lot quicker. 
Let me tell members that a whole lot of the viewership of Maori television is non-Maori; it is Pakeha—those other people. They enjoy watching it. Why? Because it is one of the finest adaptions in relation to showing Kiwi-ness on the box. I look back in history and ask how much Maori was on mainstream TV. What was done was not too bad but there was very very little especially in Nelson. It is people like those in Nelson who really appreciate Maori television who watch the cooking programmes and who watch the language programmes. They love it. They have classes down there to follow on from the language programme. 
I point out that as a State-owned enterprise Te Mangai Paho has done very very well. Mr Brownlee and Dr Brash want to close down anything that has a connotation of Maoridom. It is disgraceful and it is shocking that they should even think that way. For once in this country we have programmes produced by Kiwis made by Maoris and watched by the whole nation. 
Report noted.