Harawira Hone: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Harawira Hone: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:648;Page:17503] 
HONE HARAWIRA (Maori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Chairperson. Tena koe e te Minita. Tena tatou katoa e te Whare. Reading the Maori Affairs Committee report on the 2008-09 estimates is like watching a horror movie. The Minister of Maori Affairs makes a really cheeky comment when he says that the record numbers of young Maori fleeing these shores is in keeping with “the voyaging traditions of the Maori” and calls the loss of nearly 100000 of his own people to Australia “a positive and natural process.” What? Is the Minister trying to claim credit for the loss of thousands of Maori from our shores? Maori are leaving their homeland Aotearoa in record numbers not because of “voyaging traditions” but because this Government—and I have to say this Government because the record numbers have come in the time of this Government—has failed utterly and miserably to offer them anything worth staying here for. They are running away to a better life because—no offence—the Minister’s useless mob offers them no future here. The Minister should be ashamed of himself his department and his Government for allowing such a huge loss of his own people for opening the doors to tens of thousands of immigrants to fill the gaps and for doing nothing to stem the tidal wave. 
Then of course the report skips over references to the Maori Business Aotearoa New Zealand board with a comment that “the chief executive was unforthcoming with information”. In fact there was a little more to it than that. We found out in fact that the Maori Trustee was very forthcoming and very clear in his statements to the committee that he had serious concerns about Labour’s plans to use $35 million built up for Maori people’s unclaimed land moneys to set up a multimillion dollar business fund to be administered by the personal appointees of the Minister. The Maori Trustee was also very forthcoming and very clear in his statement to the committee that much more public debate was needed before he would lend his support to the Maori Trustee and Maori Development Amendment Bill. It was also very clear that in fact the expectation that the Minister had the support of Te Puni Kokiri and the Maori Trustee for this misuse of beneficiaries’ money was a myth and that the deal was a long way from being done and dusted. 
Then of course we heard about the Minister of Maori Affairs giving $1.56 million to Te Runanga o Ngati Porou to support their “aspirations in governance education and economic development.”—just before an election year. This is an iwi authority that—surprise surprise—just happens to be part of his electorate which is just brilliant. But given that that sort of practice is encouraged I ask whether the Minister’s generosity extends to other iwi. I know that iwi up my way—Ngapuhi Te Arawa Aupouri Ngati Kahu Ngati Wai Ngati Whatua—also have major aspirations in terms of their governance education and economic development. I have no doubt that the people of Taranaki and Wanganui have the same aspirations too as do Kahungunu Te Arawa and everyone else. Yet interestingly it seems that this Government investment into Te Runanga o Ngati Porou simply ain’t going to be available for anyone else. With 13 weeks to go to the election it would seem that the Minister of Maori Affairs has either to spend about another $100 million to bring everyone up to the same level or to risk having simple people like me think that he gave the money to Ngati Porou to buy votes he might not otherwise get in an election year. 
There are many other points I would like to raise but I end with this challenge. Any Maori happy with the horror story that is Vote Maori Affairs can keep voting for more of the same—Labour or National. We have had them both for the last 75-odd years for no return whatsoever. Any Maori wanting a change for the better a change for a brighter future and a change where they can feel positive and proud to keep calling Aotearoa home can turn to the only party that will guarantee a Maori role in any future we have in this Parliament: the Maori Party. Tena koe Mr Chairman tena koe e te Minita kia ora tatou katoa e te Whare.