Mallard Trevor: General Debates 
Mallard Trevor: General Debates 
[Volume:615;Page:11302] 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 I will ask the National Party members through this debate one question. What will they do about people like Lily Fraser? For the people who did not see  
20/20 
 Lily Fraser was the Maori doctor in south Auckland who met Gerry Brownlee. He was asked the question: “Would this woman who met all the standards to become a doctor who passed the exams without anyone knowing she was a Maori—because there was a number on the bit of paper—be allowed to be a doctor under a National Government?”. That was the question. What did Gerry Brownlee say? Gerry Brownlee said: “Well that’s not our call. In fact it never would be under a National Government.” But what did Don Brash say? Don Brash said that not only would she not be allowed to be a doctor but also that he would cut the university funding. That is what he said. He said that if the University of Auckland continued with that approach then they would have their funding chopped. They would go out of the system. It is their choice. Gerry Brownlee says that Auckland University is faced with a choice. It can either have Government funding—millions of dollars tens of millions of dollars a year—or it can have Lily Fraser. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Their choice. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: That is the call that Auckland University has to make. Who really thinks it is the university’s choice in that case—whether they are going to have their entire Government funding stopped by the National Party for encouraging competent Maori doctors. That is the call. 
Ron Mark 
: That’s close to blackmail. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Well that is the approach. Let us look at one or two other issues. [ 
Interruption 
] No. At one stage we have Gerry Brownlee saying: “Yes she can become a doctor.”; Dr Brash says: “No she cannot.” 
I want to ask some other questions of this dithering Leader of the Opposition. When asked whether he would appoint a Minister of Maori Affairs what did he say? He said: “I haven’t crossed that bridge yet.” He has thought about this issue deeply considered it for years—but he had not crossed that bridge yet. Would he axe Maori television? “I’m not sure.” says Dr Brash. That is a decisive approach on the part of the Leader of the Opposition! Would he abolish Maori scholarships? “Oh! I’d like to think about that.” says Dr Brash. It is all very well to swagger up to Orewa and make a speech but what I think is important is when Dr Brash jumps into an area about which he knows very little—other than his one experience in the area as Governor of the Reserve Bank when he set up scholarships for Maori. Those scholarships were so successful that he doubled the number of them. If he were still the Governor of the Reserve Bank I could call him a hypocrite but he is not so I cannot. 
What we have is someone who says one thing out there and has one set of practices. He makes a speech and he has some strong views in that speech but in the end when the hard questions come he says he will cut the funding from the university. I understand he has apologised at the moment to all the Maori doctors for suggesting that their exam standards were lower because he knew that would be untrue. Why he made it up and told lies out there—I know he cannot lie in here—I do not understand. But what I really do not understand is why now he cannot answer some of these fundamental questions. Why would he cut the university funding? Would he appoint a Minister of Maori Affairs? If National members really want someone who has thought about these issues they should appoint Winston Peters as their leader! 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member on my right knows that the word “lie” cannot be used in this House. I ask him to withdraw and apologise. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I withdraw. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: There was no apology. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Yes he did. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: No there wasn’t. He did not apologise. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Will the member withdraw and apologise? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I withdraw and apologise.