Mahuta Nanaia: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMahuta Nanaia: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 20 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16906. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato)to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by her statements “I’m satisfied public money was spent in an appropriate way” and “There were no instances of TPO using public money inappropriately”; if so why has she referred Te Pātaka Ōhanga to the Serious Fraud Office?Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education):I stand by my statements based on the findings of the Ernst and Young report where it said: “… we did not identify any instances of Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust providing public funding to Te Pataka Ohanga”. Te Pātaka Ōhanga is not the responsibility of Ministers of the Crown; as owners of the private company it is Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board’s responsibility. I have done my job; the trust has not done its job. That is why I have referred the matter to the Serious Fraud Office. The public wants answers and so do I.Hon Nanaia Mahuta: What portion of the approximately $92 million paid by the Government to Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust in the last financial year was paid by the trust to Te Pātaka Ōhanga for kaupapa funding and was this transaction identified in the Ernst and Young report?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I will quickly check whether that was identified in the report. I do not recall off the top of my head what proportion those services were. [Interruption] Page 20—well then yes obviously the answer is yes—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Allow the Minister to answer.Hon HEKIA PARATA: I was going to speak to the question which asked about the proportion. I know the amount which is just under $4 million but I do not know what proportion that is of $92 million. So yes—actually it is different. It is $3.7 million.Hon Nanaia Mahuta: Does she consider that kaupapa funding is derived from her ministry and is therefore public funding that goes to Te Pātaka Ōhanga?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I am relying on the Ernst and Young report which said: “… we did not identify any instances of Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust providing public funding to Te Pataka Ohanga”.Hon Nanaia Mahuta: Why is it that the Prime Minister recognised in relation to Te Pātaka Ōhanga that “This is the spending of taxpayers money and the integrity of that is important to every New Zealander.” yet she failed to recognise this when undertaking the review in October last year which did not even address the allegations made?Hon HEKIA PARATA: Can I refer the member to the terms of reference that have been in the public domain since 16 October—terms of reference No. 6: “Establish what if any public funding provided to Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust may have been provided to Te Pataka Ohanga.” It clearly demonstrates that I was absolutely interested—Grant Robertson: The Prime Minister is wrong then.Hon HEKIA PARATA: —in what was happening with public moneys as has been the Prime Minister and that is why we commissioned an internationally reputable firm Ernst and Young to undertake this investigation—Grant Robertson: And make sure they didn’t look at it.Hon HEKIA PARATA: —and to make sure it did look at it because it is in the terms of reference which are in the public domain.Hon Nanaia Mahuta: How many times has she sought assurances that allegations towards Te Pātaka Ōhanga have been addressed by the Te Kōhanga National Trust since 14 October last year?Hon HEKIA PARATA: Either through the ministry itself but certainly directly from me many times including as recently as Tuesday night when we met to discuss the Ernst and Young report and where it gave me assurances it would deal with the allegation relevant to it. I have done my part; it did not do its part. As a result I referred it to the Serious Fraud Office.Hon Nanaia Mahuta: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was quite specific. I asked how many times had she sought assurances—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] No but it is a satisfactory answer.