Flavell Te Ururoa: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:646;Page:15488] 
7.  
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
 to the  
Minister of Veterans’ Affairs 
: He aha ai kua tono kia utu nga morehu hoia o Whitinamu me o ratau whanau i te iwa tekau ma rima taara kia taea e ratau te haere ki te hui whakanui ara te Hokinga Mai Mo Nga Morehu Hoia o Niu Tireni i Whitinamu?  
[ 
Why are Viet Nam veterans and whanau being asked to pay $95 to attend Tribute 08 the welcome home ceremony for New Zealand Viet Nam veterans 
?] 
Hon RICK BARKER (Minister of Veterans’ Affairs) 
: 
 Tribute 08 arises out of the commitments this Government made to Viet Nam veterans through the memorandum of understanding signed in 2006. The Government agreed to contribute $1 million towards the cost of this event and will also be subsiding veterans’ travel to the event. All other decisions about this event are made by an organising committee of the Ex-Vietnam Services Association and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association. The organising committee has advised me that it would be happy to brief the member on all the aspects of Tribute 08. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Kei te whakaae ia kia utu nga morehu hoia o Whitinamu i te iwa tekau ma rima taara mo te hui hokinga mai ki te kainga ara ko te whakanoa tera a he aha te putake i whakaritea kia tau tetahi utu a-moni nei ki runga i nga tikanga Maori pera i nga tikanga whakanoa? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Does he agree that Vietnam veterans should be asked to pay $95 for a welcome home ceremony that includes whakanoa—the ritual freeing from restriction 
— 
and what is the rationale behind putting a monetary price on tikanga Maori as encompassed in the whakanoa ritual? 
] 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: The organising and the structure of the event are entirely within the hands of Viet Nam veterans themselves. The Government made a commitment to fund Tribute 08 to the tune of $1 million. All other decisions are theirs and theirs alone. I suggest the member directs his questions to the organising committee. 
Martin Gallagher 
: What else is the Government doing to address the concerns of Viet Nam veterans and their families? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: A register of Viet Nam veterans has been established and to date 4907 registrations have been received 65 ex gratia payments have been made to Viet Nam veterans and their families to date a $7 million Viet Nam Veterans and Their Families Trust has been established a one-off medical check for Viet Nam veterans is about to commence an oral history programme is being commenced and many other aspects of the memorandum of understanding are completed or almost complete. 
Judith Collins 
: Will the Minister be taking a cross-party approach to the opening of the ANZAC Bridge in Australia due to occur on 26 April this year; if not why not? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: That is a matter for the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Kua kite ia i te panui a Ian Barnes he morehu hoia o Niu Tireni i Whitinamu e ki nei “kei te tino takariri ratau kua tonoa ratou kia utu i tetahi utu kia taea ai e nga Kawanatanga o tenei whenua te whakahonore i a ratau” a ka aha ia hei ngaki i tenei hara? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Has he seen a letter from Ian Barnes a New Zealand Viet Nam veteran from 161 Battery which states that veterans are and I quote “incensed that they are required to pay a fee to be honoured by Governments of this country”; and what actions will he be taking to address the offence incurred? 
] 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: I have not seen the letter and I suggest the member refer that matter to the organising committee of Tribute 08. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: He aha nga tohutohu a te Maori kua riro mai i a ia mena he tika kia tapiri atu i tetahi utu ki runga i te tikanga whakanoa? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
W 
hat advice has he received from Maori about the appropriateness of charging a fee for the ritual of whakanoa? 
] 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: I repeat my answer: all aspects of this event Tribute 08 have been organised and structured by the Ex-Vietnam Services Association and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association; they have been in control of every aspect of it. All that the Government has done is simply forward to them $1 million to run the event. All decisions are theirs; none are mine. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Ka huri ki te reo Pakeha nei. 
[ 
I turn to English. 
] 
I just ask for some advice on that response. I asked about the advice the Minister had received not for him to go over the information that he had already shared about the appropriateness of this sort of tikanga. I ask whether he could review his answer. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I think the Minister has actually addressed the question in all his responses. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: I seek leave to table a letter from Ian Barnes dated 9 March 2008 regarding Tribute 08. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.