Henare PeeniPEENI HENARE (Labour—Tāmaki Makaurau): I rise to contribute to the debate on Vote Māori Development. I look at some of the information here and it is quite clear that there has been a minimal increase in this particular area—in fact it says there is a 0.6 percent increase. I also read on about the capacity of Te Puni Kōkiri and also the policy advice. Other aspects of the role of Te Puni Kōkiri have come under question many times and I cannot help but wonder whether or not Te Puni Kōkiri is shall we say schizophrenic—schizophrenic—Pita Paraone: Irrelevant.PEENI HENARE: Ha ha! Te Puni Kōkiri is there for economic development it is there for monitoring Whānau Ora it is there for monitoring Te Reo Māori it is there for monitoring the Māori Housing Network and it is also there with oversight over so many other things. I wonder whether this is actually impacting on its performance.As we have questioned in the select committee process around the deliverables and the outcomes that have actually been there for our people questions still remain. Questions have been asked about particular policy directives of this Government and those answers have not been given about the intention of a particular policy. Sure it might sound good on paper to throw a few dollars at it but it does not meet the needs of our people. It does not contribute to a long-term sustainable vision for our people.I come now to Te Ratonga Whenua Māori—the Māori Land Service. The vote includes an appropriation of $1.796 million to establish and operate the Māori Land Service. Well in the last month Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill has been taken off the table. What does this mean in particular with regard to the Māori Land Service? It says here When enacted Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill will establish the Māori Land Service" so we have an appropriation for the Māori Land Service and I understand that. But we have a bill that has been widely rejected by the people of Aotearoa New Zealand—widely rejected—so much so that the bill has been taken off the table yet in the appropriations the Government has forged ahead with the Māori Land Service. Something about putting a cart before a horse comes to mind and that is of serious concern to us.We also have some questions—me in particular—in Tāmaki-makau-rau about whakapapa and the marae ora sustaining the marae sustaining the pae. I think that is a worthy cause. I think it is important because of the important place that marae as an institution has for our people. But I wonder whether this particular appropriation is actually big enough to rise to the challenge. I think of Tāmaki-makau-rau and of all the urban Māori the majority of whom are people who if you ask them actually whakapapa back to the North back to Ngāpuhi—most of them do. But if you ask them we are now into a third and fourth generation of disconnection—of disconnection. While this particular policy is well intended and I think it has a bit of merit—rebuilding our pae and rebuilding our marae to make sure that whānau want to go home and be connected—I wonder (1) whether it can be achieved and (2) what is the particular strategy for Tāmaki-makau-rau given the urban migration and generations of disconnection from marae and whakapapa.Of course while some bits of money are appreciated for these particular kaupapa if you think about the spread of marae and where the concentrations of people are I have not seen a strategy directed at Tāmaki-makau-rau where the majority of the Māori population are. In fact this policy was launched down on the East Coast where there is already a strong sense of culture and identity amongst the people down on the East Coast—Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Kahungunu. Yet in Tāmaki-makau-rau where the need is greatest—where the need is greatest—we have not seen that particular impetus placed upon reconnecting whakapapa and whānau.In conclusion we have some concerns around the appropriation for Vote Māori Development. While we acknowledge the Minister and his hard work in getting what he can we still believe that it is not enough for our people. It is not enough and hopefully come September there will be a time for change when true outcomes can be reached for Māori people."