Tamihere John: Estimates Debate —  Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Tamihere John: Estimates Debate —  Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:610;Page:7279] 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE (Associate Minister of Maori Affairs) 
:  
A ki a koe e te rangatira. E te whanaunga rangatira kei te Minita kei te mihi nunui ki a koe mo to mahi kei te awhi i a matau. He iwi kotahi tatou mo nga motu. No reira tena ra koe. Kai wareware i a matou mo nga mema ki tenei taha kei te mahi kaha mo nga kaimahi mo te Tari o Te Puni Kokiri. No reira Leith mo to ropu mo te kaimahi kai te mihi kai te mihi kai te mihi nunui ki a koutou. 
I was acknowledging firstly you Madam Chairperson as the Chair and secondly my relation Parekura Horomia as the Minister in the chair and was acknowledging the work that he has been doing in bringing our people together and supporting them. I particularly wanted to acknowledge the fine work that the workers at Te Puni Kokiri conduct under the leadership of their chief executive officer Leith Comer. Maori come from a range of communities that at times can be most ungrateful and thankless with regard to the efforts that are made on their behalf—they never seem to be good enough. So at given points of time in this House it is very important that we acknowledge the difficulties that a number of people who engage with our communities on our behalf work under. To that extent I wanted to acknowledge on behalf of members on this side of the House the work and commitment of the workers of Te Puni Kokiri. 
 I think it is extraordinarily rich that a certain member of the National Party sits on that side of the Chamber. When I open the  
Dominion Post  
I read that the leader of that party says that Maori cannot be trusted yet Georgina te Heuheu has the temerity and the audacity to come into this Parliament and talk on behalf of that party. That is a disgrace. Something will have to happen pretty soon because I tell members that for “Wild Bill” the dipstick from Dipton to make that particular comment must have been— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: The member must refer to other members by their correct names. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Rodney Hide 
: Point of order— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: I have dealt with the matter Mr Hide. The matter has been dealt with. 
Rodney Hide 
: Point of order— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Is it a new point of order? 
Rodney Hide 
: It is two points of order in a row. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Mr Hide— 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Madam Chairperson. Number one: Jill Pettis was calling out right through my point of order. That is out of order and you did not stop her. Number two: I took offence at what the Hon John Tamihere said. You did not allow me the opportunity to give my point of order. You sat me down before I had finished. Secondly you did not ask him to withdraw and apologise. I thank the Minister for doing that— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: The member will be seated. I have dealt with— 
Rodney Hide 
: What is the point of making a point of order when you do not listen to it? And do not wave your hand you queer cow over there. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: The member will be seated. The member has dealt with it. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: The real point I wanted to make about— 
Jill Pettis 
: I raise a point of order Madam Chairperson. I am sorry to interrupt the member but I have just taken offence at the comment that member has made and I want him to withdraw and apologise. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: That is not a point of order. 
Jill Pettis 
: Yes it was. Did you hear what he said? 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: I am sorry but I did not hear an offensive comment. I tell Mr Hide and members that there will be silence during points of order and when I am ruling on points of order. I will now ask the member whether—I did not hear it—he made an offensive comment to Jill Pettis. 
Rodney Hide 
: Yes. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Would the member please withdraw and apologise. 
Rodney Hide 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: I want to put it on the record that when the honourable member from Dipton took part in the Fight for Life promotion last year he was called—it was on all the posters—“Wild Bill from Dipton”. I am only recording what is publicly and widely acknowledged and known. 
The Leader of the Opposition has definitely lost it. He is actually saying to the New Zealand public that if they want to support the National Party they have to be on an income of $60000 or above and come from a European community—preferably on the right side of town. National is now doing exactly what Maurice Williamson said— 
Lindsay Tisch 
: I raise a point of order Madam Chairperson. This is an estimates debate on Vote Maori Affairs and has nothing to do with members of this Parliament. The member’s comments should be related solely to Vote Maori Affairs. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: The member is correct. I ask the member to come back to the estimates debate. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: Coming back to the estimates debate I note that the Maori Television Service has had an extra appropriation of about $7.4 million made to it. I am given to understand because I have very good contacts in the Maori community that there are a number of productions in the can. One of them is about the leadership of the Hon Bill English. In that regard taxpayers’ money will be spent to this extent. What will happen in that particular— 
Government Member 
: It’s a comedy. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: No it is not a comedy but it does track the political exploits of this member. To the extent that taxpayers’ money—good money—is being spent on that I am saying that in exploring the exploits of this wonderful member we have to start to understand that what Maurice Williamson is saying quite clearly—and he will be on the box he will be on Maori television as well—is that the National Party now is focused solely on 20 percent of the vote in this nation. It has nothing to do with community. It has nothing to do with nationhood. [ 
Interruption 
] Madam Chair? 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: No. The allocation is 5 minutes only. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: There has been a Speaker’s ruling with regard to— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Is the member raising a point of order? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: I am raising a point of order. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Point of order John Tamihere. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: I raise a point of order Madam Chairperson. I am seeking a second call to this extent: I was under the understanding that Speakers’ rulings with regard to our seeking a further call in terms of 5-minute speaking times had been waived till the end of this year. That was a decision made by the Committee of the whole House. 
Dail Jones 
: I think that the agreement on the estimates debate is that there are two 10-minute speeches at the beginning and there are 5-minute speeches afterwards. That ruling was given by the Chairperson at the beginning of this estimates debate. The member’s point of order is specious. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: I also remind members that the Minister in the chair can have a second call but no one else.