Henare Tau: Questions for Oral Answer — Urgent Questions Questions to Ministers 
Henare Tau: Questions for Oral Answer — Urgent Questions Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:639;Page:9269] 
12.  
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori Affairs 
: Does he have confidence in Te PuniKokiri; if not why not? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 Yes because its employees are hard-working and conscientious people. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Can the Minister confirm that Te PuniKokiri’s Waikato regional office engaged contractors in 2006 to undertake tasks that were actually the responsibility of permanent staff members? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I cannot confirm that but I am more than happy to come back with the information. 
Dave Hereora 
: What reports has he received regarding the success of Te PuniKokiri in delivering for Maori? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I have seen several reports that Te PuniKokiri has been involved in showing that more Maori are working more Maori are moving into semi – higher skilled occupations and more Maori are earning more. 
Pita Paraone 
: What is his ministry doing to help address the issues raised in the  
Unequal Impact 
 report which shows Maori are 18 percent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and nearly twice as likely as non-Maori to die from cancer and does he believe that such figures show a failure to deal adequately with Maori health issues? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: In relation to this matter Maori have always lagged behind and this Government has committed major amounts of resources and funding to ensure that the situation gets better. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Can the Minister confirm that a contract worth $85000 was let without tender to a Michael Dreaver because of “their previous experience in the ministry.”? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: That could be quite right but the issue as I said the other week is quite clear. There are those people with the skill base that is needed at the time and because of the high demand for those people who are skilled in relation to Maori development the ministry does have a relationship with certain contractors like other ministries have. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Is the Minister aware that Te PuniKokiri’s own annual reports show that even while Te PuniKokiri was increasing expenditure on staff by 58 percent his ministry also felt the need to increase expenditure on contractors by 243 percent? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Quite certainly as I reminded that member before expenditure on departmental contractors and consultants has decreased over the last 2 financial years. In 2004-05 it was $7.9 million in 2005-06 it was $6.9 million and in 2006-07 it is forecast to be just over $5 million. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Can the Minister confirm that he did not submit a bid in this year’s Budget round for increased funding for Maori Affairs for the second year in a row; and if he did what can Maori expect from this Budget other than no tax cuts? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I would remind that member that somebody has to pay and one thing this Government has been committed to is ensuring that education health and those families in need have been well catered for. I would suggest that that member open his ears and listen closely this time same place tomorrow. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Does the Minister stand by his statements to the House last year on 14 March 17 May 25 May and 15 June that advocating for Maori is tiresome; if so what new career is he looking at now that he is tired of advocating for his people? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I am a hard-working Minister and I am always on the road every weekend visiting Maori around this country. I can recall that when that member was the Minister of Maori Affairs one of his great statements was that he never went out after Thursday night because he needed time at home to recuperate. This Minister keeps on going and the results are showing. I remind that member that he is the past leader of Mauri Pacific; then he jumped over to this lot then he went over to that lot and then he followed Don Brash at Orewa and I have to say to him: “Bye bye Tau.” 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: Is it correct that there is a requirement to tender above contracts for $100000 which contrasts with the previous administration when Mr Tau Henare as Minister of Maori Affairs ordered a multimillion dollar contract to Aotearoa Television network without tender? 
Hon Parekura Horomia 
: I recall it very clearly—as a senior bureaucrat very clearly. But what I recall more is what we have done with Maori television right now. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Would everybody sit down. Now would members just lower the level of intervention. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. How on earth can the Minister answer that question when he was not even in the House then. It is beyond reason that he actually knows anything about what he is doing now let alone what he was doing when I was here. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order; it is a matter of debate. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I may not have been in the House at that time but I used to visit the Minister of Maori Affairs with high-quality senior public service advice. He and I used to go fishing on Thursday nights. I would try to give him advice and he would not listen. I remind that member that Maori television has survived. It has progressed. It is the closest thing to real Kiwiana in this country and I have something to do with it.