Ririnui Mita: Maori Trustee Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Ririnui Mita: Maori Trustee Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:653;Page:2769] 
Hon MITA RIRINUI (Labour) 
: 
 I congratulate the Hon Georgina te Heuheu the Associate Minister of Maori Affairs on rising to her feet to give us a very detailed explanation of her understanding of the Maori Trustee Amendment Bill. I think that it is very appropriate that she should have done that given that she was one of the three members in this Parliament who was part of the Maori Affairs Committee under the previous Government. The Hon Tau Henare and I were the other two. But it is interesting that although there were two members on the select committee from the same party their recollection of events and of the issues raised and interpreted in a number of ways are quite different. But let me backtrack a little because I think I can bring a better understanding of the intensity of the discussion that took place at the Maori Affairs Committee when we were considering and deliberating on this particular bill. 
There was considerable support for the Maori Trust Office to become a stand-alone organisation and necessary changes were made to the legislation to ensure that the level of accountability and the responsibilities of the Maori Trustee were very clear in law. But it is a pity that when the opportunity was put before the committee to establish a funding arm to encourage Maori economic development because of the political differences around the table it basically met with considerable resistance—not on the part of the members of the previous Government but on the part of the members of the previous Opposition. When I say that they are wrong it is amazing how people from the same party recollect things in different ways which is what I am going to speak about at this point in time. 
The Minister in the chair the Hon Georgina te Heuheu did say that that proposal for Maori Business Aotearoa New Zealand or for a Maori business development organisation was tagged on as part of the consultation on the review of the Maori Trust Office. If I have misunderstood what the Minister said I apologise but I understand that she said that it was a tag-on and that as a result the members of the Maori Affairs Committee were very very concerned. But that is not entirely true. In fact there were submitters who were of the view that it was a cloak-and-dagger approach on behalf of the Government; that was not true at all. The proposal was raised as part of the consultation for the establishment of Maori Business Aotearoa New Zealand and put before the select committee. Although the Maori Trustee had his concerns about it the select committee was required to make its decision or its views known based on the evidence placed before it. 
I was one of the Government members at that time on the select committee who was more than satisfied with the level of discussion that had taken place prior to the matter coming before the committee. I would like to say that that was an opportunity that was lost. I concede that there was still a bit more work to be done on the proposal and the Maori Affairs Committee was in a position to do that. Instead the Opposition at that time raised the issue strongly enough for the proposal basically to be shelved until another day and I believe that that is what is happening at this point in time. But as I said before different members on that committee have different levels of recollection. 
I will congratulate the Maori Affairs Committee because it was a very intense discussion and people came in support not only of the Maori Trustee being a stand-alone organisation but of the concept of the development of a Maori development organisation out of the putea. And that was referred to in this House as the establishment of a slush fund for certain people’s friends. That is a phrase I have not heard in a very very long time because I do not believe that it happens any more. A former Minister of Maori Affairs the Hon Tau Henare may recall that those things may have happened during his time. But we are now in the 21st century and those sorts of practices as I might term them are no longer apparent with the former Minister of Maori Affairs and I certainly would say with the current Minister of Maori Affairs—unless he wants to prove me wrong and I would like to see that happen! But I congratulate the current Minister of Maori Affairs on supporting this bill to this stage and say that it is also good to hear from the Associate Minister of Maori Affairs who is currently in the chair expressing views on this very very important bill.