Harawira Hone: Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Harawira Hone: Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:636;Page:6953] 
HONE HARAWIRA (Maori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) 
: 
 Kia ora Mr Deputy Speaker. Kia ora tatou te Whare. The relationship between tangata whenua and gold anything took on a very interesting spin earlier this year when the Waitangi Tribunal found that the tribes of Hauraki were owed generous redress for goldfield revenues they should have received from mining on the Coromandel Peninsula particularly in light of the fact that in the 1800s regulation of goldmining on Maori land was far heavier than on non-Maori land. Evidence before the High Court estimates gold reserves of up to $30 billion may still exist in Coromandel. The Treaty claims manager for Hauraki John McEnteer is rightfully asking whether continued Crown ownership of gold is a Treaty breach. The Hauraki inquiry headed by Dame Augusta Wallace said that the 12 iwi were due substantive restitution as a result of being marginalised by the transfer of land and resources to others. 
It makes an interesting parallel to run alongside the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill because it raises the same questions about whether Maori will be as unfairly treated under this bill as they were in their own goldfields. I ask this question because the gold card kicks in at 65. Pakeha die at 78 but Maori die at 71. So we get to pay for it like everybody else—we just do not get so much of it back. When we look at the living standards of older Maori nga ahuatanga noho o te hunga pakeke Maori [ 
ways that elderly Maori live 
] we find that older Maori are much poorer than non-Maori with lower income levels a greater reliance on superannuation for income lower levels of savings and assets and lower homeownership than non-Maori. Into that context again—drum roll of course—comes the Supergold Card. 
Let me say from the start that the Maori Party supports any initiative that recognises the unique contribution of our kaumatua and kuia to Aotearoa. I refer here to the excellent work done by Professor Mason Durie who detailed some of the busy working life that many older Maori take up in their so-called twilight years. Not for these older Maori the leisurely days of sitting in a rocking chair and watching the world go by; instead the opposite is the case. Durie remarks: “The roles of kaumatua include resolving disputes and conflict between families and between iwi carrying the culture recognising and encouraging the potential of younger members cultural guidance and advice maintenance of protocol reception and care of visitors protection and nurturing of younger adults and children performance of ceremonial duties spiritual leadership and attendance and control of tangihanga.” 
Clearly the diverse needs of kaumatua and kuia present a major challenge to planners policymakers providers and politicians. How does the Supergold Card fare in meeting those needs? A card even a Supergold one cannot hope to meet the health needs of pakeke. That takes dedicated and specialist services. But we are happy that the card will give old people some discounts and concessions from agencies and other services and we are keen to see whether that might also apply to local body services phone or power. Will it be better for those living in the town or the country for homeowners or those who rent? The Maori Party has long supported keeping our kaumatua and kuia actively involved in community life. We want to make sure that superannuation provides for an equitable standard of living as well. 
We come back again to the issue of a cut-off date based on age. Because of their lower life expectancy Maori and Pasifika to a large degree will simply miss out. If we are truly committed to reducing the gap between Maori and other New Zealanders then Maori should be able to get the Supergold Card at 60 rather than 65. The difference in life expectancy between Maori and Pakeha is a major issue that can be addressed only through long-term initiatives to improve Maori health. But until we get to that point adjusting the age of entitlement to recognise that difference would be only fair and progressive. Indeed as  
Living Standards of Older Maori 
 states the older Maori population will remain at risk of relatively depressed living standards for as long as inequities exist between Maori and non-Maori in the area of economic well-being and health. If we are serious about addressing poverty and inequity then we have to be prepared to do things differently. 
The Maori Party congratulates New Zealand First on its commitment to ensuring the standard of living for senior citizens can be improved through the card. We are impressed that unlike the Government stalling over providing for the needs of our Viet Nam veterans this bill includes recognition of war service. We cannot help but compare this generosity with Labour’s mean-spirited refusal to honour the Allies’ most decorated servicewoman of World War II and the Gestapo’s most-wanted person Nancy Wake. Nancy Wake was a true New Zealand - born warrior and hero who helped recruit for the French Resistance yet here in her own country in the Year of the Veteran Labour chooses to snub one of our greatest living war heroes for the simple reason that she does not live here. 
This devaluing of whakapapa has been a rather hot topic lately with the bizarre situation of the Kiwis being docked their victory points for playing somebody whose great-grandmother rather than his grandmother came from Aotearoa; and of course with the former National leader suggesting Maori were no longer Maori because of intermarriage. But to deny Nancy Wake’s whakapapa because of her address is not only morally indefensible it is insulting to her whanau it is insulting to her iwi and indeed it is insulting to all citizens of this land. 
So against this background of such bitter and pointless dispute it is nice to hear about a bill with a positive purpose of honouring our elderly and recognising our war heroes of ensuring practical tangible help to our kaumatua and kuia in their final years. 
The icing on the cake for the Maori Party will be if our suggestion to respond to the reduced life expectancy of Maori and Pasifika is taken up seriously and amendments made accordingly. We are happy to support this bill but we will be working hard to ensure that equity becomes as important a part of the legislation as the recognition of the true value of our nation’s senior citizens. Kia ora Mr Deputy Speaker.