Prasad Rajen: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Prasad Rajen: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:660;Page:15599] 
12. 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Ethnic Affairs 
: What will be the effects of the proposed relocation of the Office of Ethnic Affairs to tier three in the new structure for the Department of Internal Affairs on the services it currently provides to ethic communities? 
Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister of Internal Affairs) 
 on behalf of the  
Acting Minister for Ethnic Affairs 
: The roles and functions of the Office of Ethnic Affairs will remain exactly the same as they are now. 
Dr Rajen Prasad 
: Why is it in his opinion that staff and stakeholders expressed opposition to the downgrading of the office and were concerned that it may lessen access to the Minister and chief executive as well as sending a negative message to stakeholders about its importance? 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: The director’s role is unchanged in a new policy regulatory and ethnic affairs branch of the Department of Internal Affairs. That member should not get hung up on tier levels. The Department of Internal Affairs’ passport operation for instance the member might be pleased to know employs 170 people in New Zealand and overseas generates third-party revenues of more than $55 million and is critically important to New Zealand’s security international access and success. It is bigger than some stand-alone Government departments and indeed is led by a third-tier manager. 
Dr Rajen Prasad 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was about the Office of Ethnic Affairs and I asked the Minister to express his views on why stakeholders have expressed an opinion. He did not address that at all. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: When members ask Ministers to express their views on something there is no precise answer to that. I heard the Minister explain that the role of the director-general had not changed and that that is one of the reasons—he was expressing his view—why people should not be concerned about the change. It was an absolutely fair answer to the question. 
Dr Rajen Prasad 
: What is the Minister’s response to the view of ethnic leaders—for example the Waitakere Indian Association—that the relocation of the Office of Ethnic Affairs sends the wrong signals about the importance and functions of the office at a time when the New Zealand population is diversifying significantly and therefore the need for its services is increasing? 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: I thank those people who have made submissions through this process. That is an important part of hearing their concerns and any ideas that they have. I need to reassure the community that this will further strengthen the Office of Ethnic Affairs and that member might be pleased to know that yesterday I was briefed by the director of the Office of Ethnic Affairs and I expect that to continue in the ongoing new working environment. 
Dr Rajen Prasad 
: Will the Acting Minister of Ethnic Affairs in her new advocacy role for ethnic New Zealanders step in to protect the Office of Ethnic Affairs from being downgraded and marginalised; if not why not? 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: I do not believe that it is being downgraded or marginalised. 
Dr Rajen Prasad 
: I seek leave to table a document from the website of the Department of Internal Affairs on the organisational structure of the department where it expresses the views of those who submitted. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.