Sharples Pita: Electoral (Reduction in Number of  Members of Parliament) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Sharples Pita: Electoral (Reduction in Number of  Members of Parliament) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:629;Page:1840] 
Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 There is a familiar saying in Maoridom: ano ko te marama kua ngaro kua ara ano—which can be interpreted as: just like the moon that disappears and rises again. And indeed just like the waxing and waning moon Maori electors will continue to believe in the right to full and effective Maori political participation whatever permutations of electoral reform come before the House—like the latest today the Electoral (Reduction in Number of Members of Parliament) Amendment Bill. 
We support the right of all New Zealanders to be able to describe the type of electoral structures they want to see in this Parliament. That is why we are supporting this bill to go through to the select committee. It is about walking the talk. If we really are about power to the people then we must let the people have the power to determine the preferred political structures for this Parliament. In speaking up for the right of people to speak up we do so mindful of the need for checks and balances which in itself is a logical outcome of an MMP environment. 
Essentially this bill affects the proportionality of Parliament. It is therefore incumbent upon the select committee to turn its mind to the increasing and compelling challenge of diversity. The challenge before this Parliament and therefore of this bill is how we adequately reflect diversity whether it is to be with 99 members or 120. Today’s bill seeks to return Parliament to the situation of the Parliament of 1993 the last of the Parliaments elected under first-past-the-post rules. 
I think it makes for an interesting comparison to look back to first past the post in 1993 and to contrast it with the implications of MMP in 2006. In 1993 0 percent of the Parliament was Asian; in 2006 1.6 percent of current MPs can claim Asian ethnicity. Pasifika representation has grown from 1 percent to 2.5 percent and Maori representation has grown from 7 percent to 17.3 percent which is about proportional to that of the population and growing. The questions we need to be asking ourselves are: What would be the overall effect if the numbers were actually reduced? Is it desirable that our Parliament reflect diversity and if so how do we preserve that diversity? 
I am reminded of an organisation called the One New Zealand Foundation which raised its ugly monocultural head during the halcyon days of the 1980s when Government recognised the value of Maoritanga within the public service. Indeed the Labour Government of that day through the policy document of  
Puao-te-ata-tu  
courageously recognised and acknowledged the existence of cultural personal and institutional racism that existed within the Department of Social Welfare. The right-wing conservative reaction to documents such as  
Puao-te-ata-tu  
was led by organisations like the One New Zealand Foundation—an organisation opposed to the Maori world views and certainly opposed to diversity. We will be supporting this bill to go to a select committee because we firmly believe that dialogue about diversity about representation about accountability and about checks and balances needs further airing in this Parliament. 
We are pleased this bill states that there will be no changes for Maori seats as a result of this bill. Tangata whenua throughout Aotearoa in just 2 weeks’ time will be making a clear political statement about their preferences for electoral representation. Between 3 April and 2 August the Maori nation will experience profound political change as they participate in shaping the lie of the land electorally for Maori electorates. The bill states there will be no change in Maori seats but there will very likely be a change in Maori representation. While the Maori Party is happy to let the bill go forward to the select committee it is concerned that despite this bill appearing to favour elected parties such as ours—and that should make us happy—and despite what we may see as muted Maori voices in other parties in this House the bill in its current form may have the likely effect of eliminating Georgina te Heuheu the colourful irascible Tau Henare Winston Peters who is the Maori father of the House Pita Paraone Shane Jones and Metiria Turei all of whom add colour flavour pizazz and intellectual grunt to the House. 
As we know the moon will continue to move whether it is over Taupo Auckland or Tonga and with such movement Maori will continue to fight for their right to democratic and effective political representation. We hope the select committee process will enable all New Zealanders to have a say as to the best possible mechanism for having real political power.