Sio Su'a William: General Debate 
Sio Su'a William: General Debate 
[Volume:668;Page:15179] 
SU’A WILLIAM SIO (Labour—Mangere) 
: 
 Mr Speaker talofa lava and to members of this House I am grateful for the opportunity to also make a contribution to this debate. In the past several weeks perhaps the past three general debates we have listened to the members of the John Key Government talk about Mana. All of a sudden today they are no longer talking about Mana but are trying to make a big ado about nothing. Yet in those past several weeks I have sat and listened to members of the John Key Government keep repeating how good and wonderful they were to the people of Mana. That reminded me of an old saying: “Na’o le moa sope lava e toe vivi’i e ia lava ia.” 
I will translate that saying for my friend across the room Tau Henare whose Samoan is not as good as mine. It says: “The cock is the only bird that crows its own praises.” For the past three or so general debates that was all we heard from the National Government members—praising how good they were towards the people of Mana. 
It is important that the people of Mana know that the success or failure of this John Key Government and its policies can be measured by how the Government treats the people in communities like Mana. The Mana electorate is diverse in its peoples cultures languages and faiths. Mana is a microcosm of New Zealand society now and into the future so the way the John Key Government treats the Mana community enables us to see how it would treat the rest of the nation. We have to ask and I hope the people of Mana continue to ask this Government between now and 20 November how the Government treats the people of the diverse communities of Mana. 
I say with the greatest of respect this John Key Government has treated Mana in the same way that we saw John Banks treat South Auckland not long ago. This Government treats the people of Mana in the same way that John Key treated South Auckland; he treated it with disdain and disrespect. I have to add that he was aided and abetted by the John Key Government. 
I give some examples of how the people of Mana have been affected by the John Key Government and its policies. In June this year we read in the  
Kapi-Mana News 
: “More than 2000 Mana children will be affected by Budget cuts to early childhood education and the people of Mana their families have every right to feel betrayed by this Government.” Information obtained by Labour from the Ministry of Education shows that 2109 children are enrolled at 47 early childhood education services in the Mana electorate. Those services currently receive funding because they have 80 to 100 percent qualified staff. The John Key Government will cut that funding from next February leaving a shortfall of $25 per child per week. Early childhood centres will likely pass that cost on to parents or sacrifice the quality of education those children are receiving. Local families have every right to feel betrayed by this Government which broke its promise to keep existing early childhood education subsidies in place. When I visit groups churches and community organisations in parts of Mana I hear parents express their concern about the future of their young children. They express that concern because not only is this Government cutting the valuable funding that goes into the education of those children— 
Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: Not true. 
SU’A WILLIAM SIO 
: It is very true. 
Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: Not true. 
SU’A WILLIAM SIO 
: I tell the Minister to read what is written in the  
Kapi-Mana News 
. The Minister’s comment is another example of somebody who sits in an ivory tower so does not know the pain and struggles that the people of Mana are going through. I tell him that Kris Fa’afoi knows what is going on. 
Hon Members 
: Who? 
SU’A WILLIAM SIO 
: Kris Fa’afoi.