Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:608;Page:5908] 
5.  
RODNEY HIDE (ACT NZ) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori Affairs 
: Since receiving from me the emails between Te Mangai Paho’s Mr Tame Te Rangi and Maori Sportscasting International what action has he taken and does he now accept that Mr Te Rangi accepted “payment for services”? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 I sought information from the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri on the origins and authenticity of the email. The board will be reporting within the next few days. 
Rodney Hide 
: Is he aware that a former Maori Sportscasting International employee has told Te Puni Kokiri and Treasury that he saw an email last year from Mr Tame Te Rangi to Mr Waaka stipulating that for a weekend Mr Te Rangi wanted a rental car all his meals paid for accommodation taken care of and $500 cash and could he explain to the public of New Zealand why he has not called in the police to investigate that case of bribery and corruption? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: The first three parts of that member’s question I read in the email he gave to me yesterday. There was no reference to $500 cash. I assure the member that the board is about to report independently on the matter. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. We have a difficulty in that the Minister did not address my question. What he did was address my primary question. I asked him whether he was aware that a former employee had spoken of another email to both Te Puni Kokiri and Treasury. I have not had an answer to that. He has not addressed it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Another email? 
Rodney Hide 
: That’s right. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Was the Minister aware of another email? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: No. 
Mahara Okeroa 
: When will the external review be completed on Te Mangai Paho? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I understand that the review is nearing conclusion and the board of Te Mangai Paho will be provided with a copy of the report early next week. 
Hon Murray McCully 
: Can the Minister explain how Te Mangai Paho came to fund Mr Hemana Waaka’s two companies to the tune of $613000 in one year while Mr Waaka was already employed full time as cultural adviser at the Department of Corrections and can he assure the House that Te Mangai Paho was not influenced by Mr Waaka’s claims that he had friends in high places in the form of the Hon Dover Samuels and the Hon John Tamihere? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I cannot assure the member of that. However I can remind him again that the independent investigation into the activities of Te Mangai Paho staff is nearing conclusion. Appropriate action will be taken when the report is received. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can the Minister remember the very scurrilous attack led by the Labour Party on one Tukoroirangi Morgan in respect of a pair of underpants he bought with his own money in contrast with this case which demonstrates significant misuse and abuse of public funds; and is it not fair to ask that the Minister not being aware of it even today should resign? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I am more than aware of the attack on Mr Morgan. I have no intention whatsoever of resigning as those people who developed  
Ka Awatea 
 at that time did not do what we are doing now. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is a fact that those who developed  
Ka Awatea 
 were never involved in corruption or misuse of public funds. In fact it was an inspiration for Maoridom. However my point is this. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Well what is the point? 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: That answer has nothing to do with the question whatsoever. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No the Minister did address the question. In fact he gave a direct answer. 
Rodney Hide 
: Can the Minister confirm that Te Mangai Paho has kept on funding Mr Hemana Waaka’s two companies when Mr Waaka himself had been suspended from his job at the Department of Corrections after being arrested and charged for declaring there was a bomb in his colleague’s bag when boarding an aircraft at Auckland airport the very day after September 11 and that Mr Waaka himself wrote to Mr Tame Te Rangi and to Mr John Tamihere thanking them for their character references believing it to be their intervention that saved him from being convicted? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I acknowledge some of the points made by that member. A full Treasury-led investigation into the overall matter is nearing conclusion. As Minister I will await the report before making final conclusions. 
Rodney Hide 
: I seek leave of the House to table a  
New Zealand Herald 
 article dated 14 September 
. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table an article in the  
New Zealand Herald 
. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Rodney Hide 
: I seek leave of the House to table a letter from Mr Hemana Waaka to amongst others Mr John Tamihere and Tame Te Rangi dated 29 April 2002 thanking them for their character references. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.