Henare Tau: General Debate 
Henare Tau: General Debate 
[Volume:648;Page:16909] 
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 I extend my congratulations to a certain group among the people who were here this morning and they are Tuhoe. For what the Tuhoe community have gone through in Ruatoki and the bitterness of that I apologise. I am actually a member of the Crown even though I am not a member of the Government. As I see it this place of Parliament is the Crown. So I take the opportunity to apologise for the actions of some people up in Ruatoki. I say that because I have a mokopuna now—I am a grandfather of a 2½-week-old grandchild. I and the gentleman sitting on my right share a mokopuna and that mokopuna is Ngati Hine Ngati Porou and also Tuhoe. So I thank Tuhoe for coming and it is wonderful that they are here. 
I will cut to the chase—we have only 4 minutes. This is the only time that this House has seen nearly every Maori member of the Labour Party get up and speak. Members listened to the chorus of abuse from the Labour members when Bill English said in this House that this is the first time that the Maori Labour members have been allowed to speak and speak first in the general debate. Trevor Mallard got up and said: “Oh no they’re allowed to speak first in Maori Language Week.” How ridiculous is that? 
Let us not forget that it was Labour that introduced the foreshore and seabed legislation which resulted in the birth of the Maori Party of our brothers and sisters. It was Labour that did it. It was not us. Who was the bad guy in the foreshore and seabed debate? Not us; it was Labour. [ 
Interruption 
] Oh well I tell Mr Tanczos we can only wish for the sight of a matakite; unfortunately we have not got it. 
I want to say that Maori success is not all due to Labour; Maori success is due to Maori and they will succeed with whatever tools that they have at their disposal. It is not because Labour did this Labour did that and National did that National did this. At the end of the day it has nothing to do with what Governments do but it has everything to do with what Maori want to do and are able to achieve. 
Sue Moroney 
: What will you do about the Maori electorates? What’s Tau’s position? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Oh well that person has just had an enlightening time being part of a Maori caucus and now she knows everything about being Maori. Well congratulations; nau mai piki mai kake mai and all of that. 
This is what Labour gives to Maori education: Ka Hikitea. Millions and millions of dollars are spent on a book that says nothing that produces nothing and that does not give Maori education anything except a bloody badge to wear that states “Wassup!”. Well I thank the Government for the badge that says “Wassup!”. “Wassup!” is the total sum of its thinking about Maori education. What about a full run-out of Te Kotahitanga programme? Oh no there is nothing like that because it is successful. Do members know why it is successful? Because it is not run by the Government just like matua whangai just like kohanga reo just like kura and just like wananga. It is not run by the Government; it is run by Maori. 
Sue Moroney 
: It is. It comes from the school of education in Waikato. It is funded by the Government. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I tell that member to please be quiet and go back to the farm. Labour members can continue on a path of righteousness only if they are here. Let me tell the House about a little something that Labour members may not have noticed in the polls on the weekend and let me make it quite clear: the National Party is not taking today’s events as Labour having a clear winning shot at the election.