General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
General Debate 
[Volume:677;Page:681] 
General Debate 
Debate resumed. 
KRIS FAAFOI (Labour—Mana) 
: 
 I would like to begin my general debate speech by congratulating and acknowledging Bret McKenzie. For those at home who do not know who he is he is one-half of the Flight of the Conchords and earlier this week he made us all proud as Kiwis when in Hollywood he took the stage and took an Academy Award an Oscar home for the best song in a motion picture. Mr McKenzie is a Wellingtonian so he is carrying on the recent tradition of bringing Oscars back to Wellington and we congratulate him.  
The award-winning song was  
Man or Muppet 
 and it served as inspiration for a cartoon in this morning’s  
New Zealand Herald.  
In this instance I think my former colleagues in the media have got it 100 percent right and for those at home who may be watching this is the cartoon that Rod Emmerson put in the  
New Zealand Herald  
this morning. It shows Kermit the frog asking Paula Bennett whether she is a Minister or a Muppet. I think it is a little bit unfair that Mr Emmerson has actually singled out Mrs Bennett because I think there are a number of Ministers on the other side of the House who could be put at that piano. In fact there would be a number in Cabinet who could have a good old singalong around that piano. It does pose a serious question and as I say I think Mr Emerson has hit the nail right on the head around the performance of some of our Ministers that we have in our Government at the moment. They had a swagger about them after the election but as a couple of months have passed that swagger is starting to disappear.  
What is a muppet in this context we say? If we go online to the Urban Dictionary a muppet is “a person who defies explanation with regard to common sense and logic exhubing an air of confidence that is mutually exclusive to that of their accomplishments or ability”. So let us have a look at some of the potential candidates whom we could put in this category for Minister or Muppet 
as Mr Emmerson has pointed out because do not forget— 
Chris Hipkins 
: It’s only a 5-minute speech. 
KRIS FAAFOI 
: It is; I wish it was a 10. Do not forget this is a Government in which John Key said he expected high standards from his Ministers and said if they did not meet the high standards that he set then obviously he would take the necessary action.  
Let us look at Mr McCully the gift who keeps on giving—the gift who keeps on giving. He is the Minister who had his private email account hacked by “Anonymous” and what was in those emails? In those emails was the public revelation that the Government is worried about resisting China and that will cause us as a country severe diplomatic embarrassment as we go forward. As Mr Goff had pointed out in his contribution this is at a time when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is looking at reducing its staff by 350 jobs. This is also a Minister who is presiding over a ministry that is considering spending almost $1 million of taxpayer money on a pool in our embassy in Tokyo. This is a Minister whom John Key is still backing and still has confidence in.  
Can I move to Maurice Williamson and Jonathan Coleman because they are the Ministers who have a duty under the Overseas Investment Act to ensure that overseas purchases of New Zealand farmland amongst other things have to have substantial and identifiable benefits to New Zealand. But that decision was wrong. In any sense they got a smack-down from the High Court told that their decision was wrong and went back to square one. That was very very embarrassing for the Government but these are Ministers whom John Key still says he has confidence in. These are Ministers whom John Key still has confidence in. Again it is an example of the rhetoric of the Government not meeting the reality.  
Let us look at the evidence of the failure of National since it came into office in 2008: 40000 fewer jobs under the National Government since it came to power and 36000 jobs promised in the year to March 2012. How many were delivered? Ten thousand which is 30 percent of what it has promised us—another example of overpromising and under-delivering—and 60000 more jobless Kiwis under National.  
I would like to go back to Bret McKenzie because in his post-Oscar speech backstage he said: New Zealand is “a great place to grow up. You can do whatever you want there. Whereas in America I think everyone’s obsessed with their careers in New Zealand you get to just live your dreams.” Well not everyone’s dream is to win an Oscar. That is a great dream but a lot of Kiwis’ dream is to have a job to have a safe community and to make sure that their kids can grow up in a great country. That will not happen when our Ministers are behaving like muppets.  
MIKE SABIN (National—Northland) 
: 
 It is with great pleasure that I take this first opportunity to speak in a debate in the House and speak to the issue which is very important to this nation of welfare reform. As a former police officer in Northland I can assure you that this is something very much at the forefront of this country’s future. I just wonder whether the member opposite who just resumed his seat Kris Faafoi was able to turn his attention from the pictures that he saw in the paper and alluded to and to flip it over. He would note that there is a very very positive editorial headed “Reforms aim to break welfare cycle” which shows some very very positive affirmation of the steps that the Minister for Social Development is making. Although pictures often paint an interesting story if the member took time to read the editorial he might find out an entirely different picture.  
I would like to acknowledge the Minister for Social Development for the commitment dedication and passion that she shows for this role and which no one can argue she does not have for this area. Welfare reform is a “must-do” on two levels: firstly because it is financially unsustainable but more important because the welfare system has become a welfare trap. The net result of this is that too many people in our nation often through no fault of their own are missing out on the opportunities to build a life and a career.  
A key focus of our reforms is to provide early and effective intervention to those people who are at the highest risk of long-term welfare—those who are essentially on a collision course with a benefit—and in particular those aged 16 and 17 with no education training and employment and teen parents who tragically are in a position where most of them will move on to an adult benefit by the time they are 18. I say that we can and should do better for these people.  
These young people are no different from so many others in New Zealand. They have hopes and dreams and when we ask what those dreams are we know that they will always struggle to achieve those while dependent on a welfare cheque. We owe it to them and to New Zealand to do better and that is exactly what this Government proposes to do.  
One of the fundamental failures in the lives of so many of those young people is the lack of parental guidance and importantly personal responsibility seems to play a very minor part in the lives of these vulnerable young people. So many of these young people lack even basic life skills and a sense of personal responsibility not to mention the education and training all of which significantly diminishes the opportunities for these young people.  
These reforms are aimed to provide wraparound mentoring support education and training to fill the gap that so many of these young people’s parents did not. It also provides good-quality child care to provide young teen parents with an opportunity to go out and strive for that life. These reforms will help young people to take control of their lives and their destinies again. An essential in achieving this is the youth support providers helping young people to manage their budgets helping young people to pay essential bills such as power and rent and giving them an allowance and a payment card to meet their living costs.  
I want to say that this is a vital circuit-breaker on two levels: firstly because it helps give young people control over their lives again and secondly because it ensures that the support that the State is providing is going towards helping them get into work and not simply perpetuating dependence. This is a tremendous investment in the lives of some 1400 young people currently not in education employment or training 3000 of whom are currently on benefits. These reforms are about investing in these young people and believing in them and their potential rather than writing them a welfare cheque and hoping for the best.  
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker Robertson kia ora tatou katoa e hoa ma i roto i te Whare i tenei ahiahi. I etahi wa i a au e noho nei i te Whare Paremata ka ata wananga ki roto i a au ano he aha taku i konei he aha te putake o taku noho ki konei ka pera ano hoki matou o te Pati Maori. Na te kaha o te iwi ae na ratou tonu matou i tono mai ki konei ka mutu na runga ano i te here ki te Tiriti o Waitangi e mohiotia nei e tatou ko te tahuhu korero mo te whenua nei. Ara ko te noho tahi o te Kawanatanga o te Karauna me ki me te tangata whenua. I tonoa matou e o matou ringa raupa te hunga e noho mai ra i te wa kainga ki konei kia noho hei waha korero kia noho hei ropu motuhake mo te Ao Maori i roto i te Whare Paremata ka mutu kia noho hei kaitiaki hei mea akiaki i nga kaupapa tuku iho nga mea i waihotia mai ai e kui ma e koro ma a kia noho motuhake nei a Aotearoa mo ake nei.  
I nga marama tata kua hipa ake ko te kaupapa nui e korerohia ana ko tera ko te Tiriti o Waitangi. He pakanga i whakahaeretia mai ai kia whakairi te Tiriti o Waitangi ki te taumata tiketike e tika ana mo tenei take. I korero pakanga i te mea koinei te ahuatanga kua roa te Ao Maori e pakanga ana kia kitea mai ai te puawaitanga o tera moemoea a kia whakanuia te Tiriti o Waitangi ka mutu kia eke ki nga tumanako i tumanakohia e nga matua e nga tupuna. Kai te mohio tatou i te poti kowhiringa poti kua hipa ake i puta te korero i a Nahinara ko tana hiahia ki te hoko i te wha tekau ma iwa paiheneti o nga kamupene e wha. I kaha whakahe te Pati Maori ki tera whainga ka mutu i tuhia tetahi kirimana ki waenganui i a maua ko te Nahinara ara te korero e ki ana i te reo Pakeha “The Maori Party does not support partial asset sales. The Government agrees it will not put partial asset sales in confidence and supply measures.” 
Na koinei te putake o tera korero. 
Ko ta matau e whakapono nei ko nga rawa o Aotearoa me noho ki Aotearoa nei. Kaua e hokona ki wahi ke. Ko ta matau ko te ki atu ahakoa kai a Nahinara nga poti ara ki te taha ki te ACT 
me te United Future ka eke panuku tera kaupapa kaua ma runga i te ahuatanga o te poti o te Pati Maori. Ka kaha tonu matou ki te whakahe i tera kaupapa a koina ta matou e ki nei hei tiaki i nga rawa a Aotearoa ki Aotearoa nei. Engari mena koia tera tana e tumanako nei ko ta Nahinara e korero nei au kei te whakaaro ake matou ko wai i tua atu o nga iwi o nga hapu o Aotearoa kia noho hei hoa haere i te mea ka tiakina paitia nga rawa e te Ao Maori i te mea no konei mena ka pa ano ra ki nga rawa a-awa a-maunga no konei. Ka riro ma te Maori ma nga iwi tonu era e tiaki. No reira koinei matou e ki nei me noho enei rawa ki konei me whai wahi te Maori i roto i nga nekeneke o te hoko a-rawa.  
I nga wiki tata kua hipa ake e hia ke nei nga Maori kua eke atu ki roto i nga hui i karangahia mai e te Karauna e Wiremu English ma a ka mutu ko ta ratou ko te ki a kao kei te whakahe matau i tetahi paku korero e whakaiti nei i te mana o te Tiriti o Waitangi. Na wai ra na wai ra ka puta tetahi korero i te Treasury te Tari Putea me te ki atu a he mahi huna pea to etahi ki te ukui i nga korero e pa ana ki te Tiriti o Waitangi. Waimaria ana i kite mai ai e te Pati Maori a he mahi huna to tena ropu ka mutu i pera ano hoki te tirohanga o te tangata whenua. Ahua whakakeke nei te Ao Maori i tana noho i waenganui i tera hui na runga i tera mahi huna a te Kawanatanga engari i korerotia wa ratau korero mo te mamae mo te pouri o nga kereme Tiriti a mo te mamae ka hokona etahi rawa. Hoi ano ko te katoa i ki mai kao kaua e ukui i nga korero katoa o te Tiriti o Waitangi kaua e whakawaiwai kaua e whakaiti ranei i nga korero mo te Tiriti. Kua rongo a Nahinara i te korero o te Ao Maori mai i nga topito katoa. Puritia tiakina whakawhanuitia nga here o te Tiriti o Waitangi.  
Na kua ki mai te Wiremu English nei ka ata whakawhitia atu te wahanga o te Tiriti ki roto i te Public Finance Act 
  
tera pea kua eke panuku te hiahia o te Ao Maori kia pera rawa te ahuatanga o te Tiriti i roto i nga nekeneke o te Tiriti.  
I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Ka huri ki te reo Pakeha mo tetahi wa poto kia mohio ai he aha te tikanga o taku korero.  
[ 
Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker Robertson and salutations to my colleagues in the House this afternoon. There are times as I sit here in Parliament when I really have to ask myself what I am doing here and what keeps me here. All of us of the Maori Party think that too. The people have been strong about that yes because after all they were the ones who sent us here and furthermore because of the obligation to the Treaty of Waitangi which we know is the founding document of this country; and hence of the Government the Crown and presumably the indigenous population living together. Our people on the home front the ones back there sent us here to represent them and to be an independent party in Parliament for Maoridom and also to be a guardian and one to urge along policies handed down relating to things that our ancestors left to ensure that New Zealand remains independent for all time. 
In recent months the main talking point was the Treaty of Waitangi. A battle raged over the elevation of the Treaty of Waitangi to where it should be in respect of this matter. I say “battle” because Maoridom has fought for a long time to realise that dream for the Treaty of Waitangi to be celebrated and hence fulfil the hopes yearned for by parents and ancestors. We know for a fact that during the election just past National promoted the notion that it wanted to sell off 49 percent of four energy companies. The Maori Party strongly opposes that aim and as a consequence an agreement was written between us and National which says in English “The Maori Party does not support partial asset sales. The Government agrees it will not put partial asset sales in confidence and supply measures.” 
Now the reason for that statement is this. We really believe that New Zealand’s assets must remain here in the country. They must not be sold offshore. We say that regardless of the fact that National has the votes alongside those of ACT and United Future. The sale is a foregone conclusion but not as a consequence of the Maori Party vote. We will continue to vigorously oppose that policy and that is why we are making this statement: protect New Zealand’s assets; keep them here. If indeed that is what National is hoping to achieve I am thinking to myself who better than the tribes and subtribes of New Zealand to be in partnership with? Maoridom will do a fine job of looking after assets because they are from here. If the assets concerned relate to rivers and mountains from here Maori and their tribes will take charge of those. That is why we are saying these assets must stay here. Maori must be at the bargaining table for the sale of assets. 
Over the weeks just past many Maori have attended meetings called by the Crown by Bill English and by others and there they have said to them no we oppose a small statement that belittles the status of the Treaty of Waitangi. And then information eventually emerged from Treasury that some may have been secretly trying to delete sections relating to the Treaty of Waitangi. Luckily the Maori Party spotted this and found this group working away covertly. Local people also discovered this happening. Maoridom became somewhat muted in the midst of that forum due to the secretive actions of the Government but chose instead to confine their remarks to expressing their hurt and sadness in respect of the Treaty claims and the hurt at the intention to sell off some assets. Nevertheless everyone said to us no do not delete all references to the Treaty of Waitangi do not water it down and do not belittle the statements about the Treaty. National has heard the message from Maoridom across the country: retain protect and extend Treaty of Waitangi obligations. 
Now Bill English has said to us the part relating to the Treaty will be carefully referenced into the Public Finance Act as a means of fulfilling Maoridom’s aspirations in terms of Treaty involvement. 
I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I will switch momentarily to English so that the meaning of my address is understood. 
] 
I am aware that pretty much most of the speeches by new members have been given and in light of the fact that that is complete now and that almost in a sense we are almost starting with everybody on a clean slate I just perhaps draw your attention to possibly tomorrow or some other time asking members to look hard at the pronunciation of the Maori language in the House. I say that this is a matter of order because I am aware that it states in the Standing Orders that members must try as best they can. The part for me is simply to remind members—in fact to ask you if you could remind members—about that because unless we actually talk about it and put it in front of the House it might not be well known to new members. So I raise that in the hope that that might be considered for tomorrow. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I thank the honourable member for his explanation. I am sure that members who are listening will take cognisance of what has been said. And the member is correct—people should try to make correct pronunciations in Maori. Thank you Mr Flavell. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.