Harawira Hone: Minimum Wage (Abolition of Age Discrimination)Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Harawira Hone: Minimum Wage (Abolition of Age Discrimination)Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:640;Page:10710] 
HONE HARAWIRA (Maori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) 
: 
A tena koe. Tena tatou te Whare. I tera wiki ka tukuna kia kitea e Aotearoa te tino pikitia ara  
Ka mau te wehi a Kerehi 
. He waimarie kua puta tenei pire i te wiki nei ara te pire kia murua i nga utu whakaparahako i te rangatahi. He tino miharo rawa atu nga mihi mo taua pikitia a neke atu ki te 22 miriona taara te putea kua kohia i Amerika. I Ingarangi tino hawene hoki te BBC me te ki “E orite ana nga mahi o te Paremata ki tera o tetahi pukapuka whakamataku.” A ka tika koia nei te ahua o te Paremata nei. 
Ko te pikitia nei he korero mo William Wilberforce me tona whawhai kia mutu ai te mahi whakataurekareka i te kirimangu e noho ana ki nga whenua i raro i te mana o Ingarangi. Na hara i te mea i whai atu au i ona tapuwae engari he orite nga whakaaro. E kore au e noho koretake nei kia tae mai te tau 2027 hei muru i nga utu whakataurekareka rangatahi. E tika ana kia tae mai i naia tonu nei. Hoi no me hoki taku korero ki nga pikitia. Ko te ahua nei kua whakaoreoretia nga tangata o te ao he aha o ratou whakaaro mo te mahi whakataurekareka tangata. Kua puta muri mai he ropu Te Huringa Whakamiharo ko tona kawenata kia wetekina nga here taurekareka kua pa ki te 27 miriona tangata o te ao. 
Ka huri au ki tenei pire me te whakaaro me ahatia e tatou tenei pire Whakaparahako Utu ki te Rangatahi a tera pea ka uru teneki ki te kari ripoata o te ropu Huringa Whakamiharo. I te taenga tuatahi mai o tenei pire ki te Whare i te Pepuere o tera tau ka mau te wehi o te whaikorero o taku tumuaki a Tariana Turia me tana korero e tino tautoko ana matou o Te Pati Maori i tenei pire a i whakahihi ta matou tu ki te taha o nga rangatahi. Engari konei au i tenei ra e mea ana e kore matou e tautoko i tenei pire i te mea “E whakakahoretia ana e mätou te pire whakataurekareka kaimahi a Wayne Mapp a e kore hoki matou e tautoko i tenei pire whakataurekareka rangatahi a Reipa.” Kore kore kore rawa atu! 
No reira me pehea ra ka tino he te mutunga o te korero nei? Ko te putaketanga o tenei pire kia mutu ai nga utu whakaparahako kaimahi—he kaupapa tino miharo ka tautokohia e matou. E marama hoki matou ki nga hiahia o wa matou rangatahi. Me te mohio ano hoki 30 paiheneti o ngai taua kei nga tau 10 ki nga tau 25 a tae atu ki te tau 2050 50 paiheneti o matou kei raro tonu i nga tau 26. Na tera ka kitea te tini o nga Maori ka pa ki nga ahuaranga whakaparahako i te Ture Iti Te Utu o te tau 1983.  
I tautoko matou i te mohio ko nga Maori me nga Pasifika nga tino rawakore. Me te mohio ano hoki ko nga rangatahi Maori Pasifika hoki me o ratou whanau nga kaimahi rawakore rawa atu o tenei whenua. A mena ka whakapono matou ki te tono a te ropu Tino Rangatiratanga Tai Tamariki me te Ture Rangatahi ara ahakoa kua hipa nga tau e whitu i muri mai i te tutanga o te Ture Whakawhanaunga Mahi ko nga rangatahi tonu ka noho tuwhera ki nga mahi whakahawea kaimahi. Kua takahia tonu te mana o wa tatou rangatahi. Horekau he kirimana a-mahi ka pangaia tonu mo te kore noa iho nga whakarere ketanga o te ahua o te mahi hakoa e kore e panuihia me nga whakahawini mahi tinihanga i o ratou wahi mahi. 
E te Kaihautu na Martin Luther King i tuhi tona reta i a ia e mau i te whare herehere o Birmingham i te tau 1963 te korero: “Mena ka takahia te mana tangata i konei whanui rawa atu te raruraru.” Mena ka tangohia e Te Pati Maori nga kakahu o te pire nei ko te patai he aha ai i tangohia nga kupu “muru whakaparahako” kia whakaurua nga kupu “timatanga hou”. Na hakoa ka whakakakahutia e Reipa tenei pire nga momo kakahu katoa e kore e taea e ratou te peita a-hau nei kia kore e kitea enei mahi whakaparahako. 
Kua whakaae te komiti Paremata ki tetahi mahi whakahawea hou. I a ratou mahi murere ki te whakapai i te kino ara nga haora 200 nei ka tapaina he “timatanga hou” mo te kaimahi hou. Ko te utu he “utu iti nei a ko ta ratou whakamarama he ahua ngohengohe nei he “wa ako” ano hoki. Ko te mea katakata ko te utu “timatanga hou” e orite ana ki te utu iti mo nga rangatahi i tenei wa. No reira he aha rawa te rere ketanga? 
Koia nei i korerohia e te ropu Huringa Whakamiharo ko tenei te ahuatanga taurekareka hou—nga tane wahine tamariki hoki kua akina ki te mahi i raro iho o nga kirimana a-mahi horekau he mana te mahi ranei i nga wahi mahi nanakia. Kahore te utu iti nei kua tohua i raro i te utu “timatanga hou” he whakatika i nga whakaparahako ka tau ki runga i wera 16 17 ranei te pakeke engari ka taea te ki tera pea kua whakapakaritia. I raro i te ture ka taea kia utua nga rangatahi i te 80 paiheneti o te utu mo nga kaimahi pakeke mo o ratou haora 200 tuatahi. Kei raro e putu ana te kaupapa arai i te mana o nga kaimahi o Reipa! Aue aue taukuri e! 
Ko nga mahi o te tika e wanangahia nei kei roto i te wahanga 21 o te Ture Tikanga Tangata o te tau 1993 me te wahanga 19 o te Ture Mana Tangata o Aotearoa o te tau 1990. No reira mena e kore koe e marama i raro i te wahanga 5 o te Ture Mana Tangata kore taea te ki he tika paku nei tenei momo whakahawea. Ko te korero a wetahi kaiwhakatakoto korero ko nga utu rangatahi kei te utua i raro iho i te ture Utu Iti i tenei wa. He tirohanga tuatahi mo te ahua o te whakaparahako i raro iho i te Ture Mana Tangata o Aotearoa. Ko ta te tautoko a te Komihana Tamariki a Takuta Cindy Kiro kaua e rere ke te utu kia kore te whakaparahako i te rangatahi mena e orite ana nga mahi. Mena e u ana tatou ki te kaupapa whakarangatira tangata me whakamana tatou i nga ture hei arai i nga tangata kua whiwhi mahi hakoa kahore ano ratou i eke ki te18 tau. Kua kitea e ia i taua whakaaro i te ripoata ki te käwana mai i te Komiti Whanui o te Ao mo te Mana o te Tamaiti i te tau 2003. 
E kore tenei Kawanatanga e aro ake ki nga tirohanga ki nga whakarite ranei o te Komiti Muru i te Mahi Kaikiri. Ko te tino whakapono a Te Pati Maori kia riro e te kaimahi te utu ka utua hakoa he aha te pakeke. I te panuitanga tuatahi o tenei pire he whakaatu matou i wa matou awangawanga mo nga mahi whakahawea ki nga kaimahi haua. Kei roto i te Ture Kia Iti Te Utu o te tau 1983 e mau ana—he kaupapa kua tau i raro i te pire Tautoko Mahi Mo Nga Tangata Haua (Ture Whakakore me wetahi atu Take). Engari kore matou i whakaarohia horekau he tuara ta te Komiti Waka Tikanga Mahi Tahi; to ratou mataku kia whakakorea nga mahi whakaparahako i a tatou rangatahi ratou ano ka noho tuwhera ki nga kino o te ao. 
Tini ana nga rawa ka taka ki a Reipa mena i whakapakari ai to ratou tu mo te mana rangatahi engari i te wa o nga whiriwhiringa o te komiti Paremata ka rere ke haere te ahua o Reipa. Na kua tae ki tenei wa kore rere ke atu te ahua o Reipa ki to ratou hoa a Nahinara ratou i tautoko i te pire a Wayne Mapp. E whakapono ana matou mena ka totika te utu ki te rangatahi ka pai ake te ahua o wa ratou wahi mahi; a ka whai haere te oranga ki o ratou whanau. 
I panuihia e te Komihana Mana Tangata tetahi rangahau ara i tiro whanui ki te 458 tangata a ka kitea i reira e 81 paiheneti i tautoko kia totika te utu i te rangatahi. No reira he aha tuturu ai ka ahua tame heihei te komiti Paremata kia kore ratou e tautoko i te kaupapa mana tangata. 
Ko tenei te 200 tau mai i te pire a Wilberforce kia murua nga kaupapa whakataurekareka tangata i te Paremata o Ingarangi i te tau 1807. Na tona kaha ki te whawhai natona maia hakoa te tini o nga wa i raru ai ia ka riro i a ia te taitara. “Ngakau Whakawa o te Paremata”. Ko taku e whakaaro i te tau 2007 mena ka taea e nga mema o te Whare te whakawa i o ratou ake ngakau te poti kia whakakahoretia i tenei pire i te mea kua huri tuara a Reipa ki te kaupapa taketake i hangaia i te tuatahi. Kore rawa matou o Te Pati Maori e tautoko i tenei pire i te mohio he pire whakataurekareka i nga kaimahi rangatahi. Te mutunga mai o tera he me whakama tatou katoa.Tena tatou katoa. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Greetings to you and to us all in the House. This time last week the new blockbuster Amazing Grace was released on to New Zealand screens—timed conveniently for the reading of the Minimum Wage (Abolition of Age Discrimination) Bill—a movie that has received rave reviews around the world climbing to the top 10 in the USA’s box office charts where it made over $22 million domestically. In England even the good old BBC got excited reporting that “It makes the workings of Parliament as gripping as a good suspense thriller.” which of course is an accurate description of life here in Parliament. 
The film tells the story of William Wilberforce who over 20 years led a fierce political battle to abolish slavery and its trade throughout the British Empire.  
I am not about to follow in his footsteps but the thought is the same. There is no way that I will be sticking around until 2027 to abolish youth slave rates. It has to come a lot sooner than that. Going back to the movies it seems that this film has  
mobilised 
people all over the world to do what they can to change the ways in which communities view slavery. In its wake a movement has emerged called The Amazing Change which is motivated by the drive to free some 27 million people who are enslaved around the world. 
So I come to this bill today wondering whether what we are doing with this  
bill will become a new development in the Amazing Change report card. When this bill last came before the House in February 2006 our co-leader Tariana Turia delivered a stirring speech pronouncing that the Maori Party would be supporting this bill and was proud to be standing up for 16 and 17-year-olds. Yet here I am today telling the House that we will be voting against this bill because—as my statement issued earlier this month declared—“We opposed Wayne Mapp’s ‘New Slave Bill’ and we won’t be supporting Labour’s ‘Young Slave Bill’ either.”No way Jose! 
So how did it all end up so wrong? 
The bill’s original purpose was to end age-based discrimination in employment—a worthy goal that we wholeheartedly endorse—and we did so particularly in light of the needs of our youth population. We did so knowing full well  
that 30 percent of Maori are aged between 10 and 25 years old and that by 2050 50 percent of Maori will be aged 26 years and under.  
Maori are therefore more widely affected than non-Maori by the discriminatory aspects of the Minimum Wage Act 1983. 
We did so also realising that it is Maori and Pasifika peoples that record the lowest median net worth in terms of distribution of wealth. We know too that it is Maori and Pasifika youth and their families who make up the working poor in this country. And if we are to believe the submission from Tino Rangatiratanga Tai Tamariki Youth Law it is young people who 7 years after the passage of the Employment Relations Act still remain extremely vulnerable to unfair treatment in the employment sector. Our youth are still experiencing the injustice of being deprived of basic minimum employment standards like having written employment contracts; the injustice of arbitrary dismissals; the injustice of unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of their employment; and the injustice of exploitation and unfair treatment in the workplace. 
As Martin Luther King Jnr wrote in his 1963 letter from Birmingham Jail “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The Maori Party found it extremely revealing that the select committee chose to amend the title of the bill removing the words “abolition of age discrimination” and replacing them with “new entrant”. And we ask why. Well  
Labour 
can dress it up as much as it likes but the issue that cannot be smoothed away with textual airbrushing is that of discrimination. 
The select committee has opted to introduce a new form of discrimination justifying the repackaged 200-hour “new entrants” minimum wage as being all about “soft skills” and representing a “learning phase”. Funny that but this “new entrants” rate is set at the same rate as the current youth minimum! So what has changed? This is what the Amazing Change movement calls the new form of slavery —the men women and children who are physically forced to work often under the guise of meaningless contracts or in sweatshops. The “new entrants” minimum rate to be set by minimum wage order for 16 and 17-year-olds fails to address the issue of discrimination—indeed it could be said that it entrenches it. It will make it legally permissible for young people to earn 80 percent of the adult wage for their first 200 hours. So much for the  
Labour 
legacy of protecting workers rights!Woe is me! 
The rights in question are those  
anti-age discrimination provisions set out in section 21 of the Human Rights Act 1993 and section 19 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. And in case it is not clear under section 5 of the Bill of Rights Act this discrimination is also unable to be “reasonably justified”. As a number of submitters pointed out the youth rates currently provided for in the Minimum Wage Act constitute prima facie age discrimination under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. 
In supporting the original bill the Children’s Commissioner Dr Cindy Kiro  
argued that there should be no discrimination on the basis of age where the same work is being done. If we are really committed to equality of human rights we must ensure legislation is in place to protect all persons under the age of 18 who are employed which she noted was a concluding observation to the New Zealand Government in October 2003 of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. 
This Government ignores the observations and conclusions of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.  
The Maori Party absolutely believes that all workers should be entitled to a minimum adult 
wage irrespective of age or experience. A 
t the first reading we raised our concerns that the discrimination against  
disabled workers entrenched in the Minimum Wage Act 1983 was maintained in this bill—a matter now settled with passage of the Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (Repeal and Related Matters) Bill.  
But we never anticipated that the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee would lack the courage to act against the discrimination of our youngest most vulnerable workers. 
Labour members 
had everything to gain in standing up for the rights of young people yet what happened during the select committee metamorphosis now means they are virtually indistinguishable from their National Party counterparts who promoted the Wayne Mapp bill. We believe that providing young workers with equality of wage entitlement would have the corresponding effect of improving their overall conditions in the workplace and would also bring about related well-being to their whanau. 
The Human Rights Commission shared the results of a survey of 458 respondents of which 81 percent considered it important that young people have a fair wage. The commission also reminded the select committee that there is no strong evidence that a youth minimum wage is necessary to increase employment of 16 and 17-year-olds. So what could possibly be the reason that the select committee would chicken out from standing up for the right to non-discrimination? 
This year marks 200 years since Wilberforce’s bill abolishing slavery was passed in the British Parliament of 1807. For his courage and the enduring struggle he persisted with despite a series of defeated bills Wilberforce was awarded the title “Conscience of Parliament”. I wonder whether in this Parliament in 2007 the members of this House are prepared to examine their conscience and vote to oppose this disastrous back-down on the original proposal to abolish age discrimination in benchmarking a minimum wage. The Maori Party will never support discrimination against workers which is just what this bill promotes. This discriminatory bill is wrong and we should be ashamed of it. 
 Thank you all 
.]