Henare Tau: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Henare Tau: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:643;Page:12569] 
12.  
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori Affairs 
: Does he have confidence in Te Puni Kokiri; if so why? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 Yes I have confidence in Te Puni Kokiri because the employees are hard-working and conscientious. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Has Te Puni Kokiri received the final report from its internal investigation into its underspend from the last financial year; if so will the Minister release that report to the public? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: The variance reported in the Te Puni Kokiri annual report in respect of the Maori Potential Fund the non-departmental expenditure is not an underspend. This funding was reprioritised during Budget 2007 for initiatives to be undertaken during 2007-08 and expense transfers of $3.6 million into 2007-08 were approved to fund Maori wardens’ development and the extension to the Treaty 2U touring exhibition. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: Can the Minister tell the House what forward-looking work Te Puni Kokiri has undertaken to help realise Maori potential? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Along with Te Puni Kokiri I recently launched a publication— 
Nga Kaihanga Hou— 
for Maori future makers. This publication presents research that explores the key drivers of future change in the global economy the current position of Maori in the economy and what needs to be done now to position Maori for optimal success in the future. Those key things are encouraging Maori into growth and strategic industries increasing export growth and participation improving the qualification base for Maori promoting higher levels of entrepreneurship and nurturing innovation. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: What advice did Te Puni Kokiri give the Minister to announce on TV3 last Thursday that Tame Iti is not a terrorist and does he stand by his comment: “I have known Tame Iti for a long time as a friend and whatever else and I think he’s an aging rocker.”? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: My ministry gave me no advice. That comment was a true comment on my affiliation with Tame Iti. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Can the Minister confirm that Te Puni Kokiri has put all future funding of community organisations on hold and is directing those organisations it would normally fund to other Government ministries all because after 2 years of not bidding for an increase it underspent on last year’s budget? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: In addition an in-principle expense transfer in 2007-08 of up to $4 million was approved to fund cross-agency partnered interventions. Those interventions are certainly in relation to strengthening issues around young people and those who are socially disadvantaged. Certainly at the moment if one looks at Gisborne one sees that in 1999 there were 2007 unemployed youths in the age band of 18 to 20-year-olds and that now there is one unemployed youth. That is the sort of advance that people are making. Across the board the unemployment rate has dropped. Of those people on unemployment benefits 80.6 percent have removed themselves. That is the sort of work that Te Puni Kokiri encourages. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: What advice does the Minister have for those community organisations that have applied for assistance but been told to go somewhere else to find help because there is no money at Te Puni Kokiri? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: If that member dares to come over and sit down with me I will show him that there is finance that is prudently managed. Audit New Zealand said: “We found the systems put in place to administer and distribute NDOE appropriations to be robust. The basis for our assessing the new systems as robust is as follows: … we consider that the introduction of contract advisers in the regional offices adds an extra level of quality assurance in the contract awarding and monitoring processes employed by TPK.” 
Hon Tau Henare 
: I seek leave to table a letter from a community organisation that states that there is not any money to be had. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is objection. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: What advice has the Minister received from Te Puni Kokiri to respond to yesterday’s media statement from the Montreal Maori Solidarity Committee: “We strongly oppose New Zealand’s bid for a place on the UN Human Rights Council for its clear suppression of the legitimate rights to dissent and for the ongoing violent repression of Maori people. We demand that New Zealand government release those arrested and apologize to the Tuhoe.”? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I would like to remind the member that this country has one of the best sets of race relationships. There is tension in that certainly but it is not new; it has come through. If we are serious about nationhood then we should not be putting us asunder to test that just for the sake of it. A whole lot of rubbish is being talked about on this issue at the moment.