Sharples Pita: Appointments — Representation Commission 
Sharples Pita: Appointments — Representation Commission 
[Volume:635;Page:6659] 
Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 The motion nominating Whetumarama Wereta and John McEnteer to represent Government and Opposition on the Representation Commission is a topic of much debate amongst tangata whenua. Tangata whenua have long held a view about the unique status of tangata whenua representation within the New Zealand democracy. This status is underpinned by three essential values: first our status as tangata whenua people indigenous to Aotearoa; second tribal leaders of Maori nations entered into an agreement with the Crown in 1840—Te Tiriti o Waitangi—that marked the beginning of constitutional arrangements in this land; and third the recognition of the special constitutional status accorded to Maori by virtue of the four parliamentary seats since 1867. 
But the constitutional status needs to have life breathed into it by the quality of the representation delivered. The motion today is one means of achieving that quality. Members of this House will recall a report of the Royal Commission on the Electoral System  
Towards a Better Democracy 
 which was produced 20 years ago. In that report the committee noted the overwhelming support of Maori submitters for retaining separate Maori representation as a measure of self-determination—mana motuhake—and the demand for formal recognition of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and all its protections and rights that it guarantees. The report suggested that these claims were not an end in themselves but rather the most effective means to ensure the cultural survival of Maori. Therefore the question we consider today as being of the utmost importance concerns the ongoing protection of the rights and interests of tangata whenua. But we have to ask whether it is fair that these rights and interests are to be put forward by two people to represent the Government and two people to represent the Opposition as members of the Representation Commission. 
In the case of the Maori electoral seats in particular is it not strange that the party that holds a majority of Maori electoral seats did not have a particular influence in the appointment process for the commission? We know that part of the difficulty for this Parliament is that our very existence is not one that falls into line with either black or white left or right or Government or Opposition thinking. We have always been proud of our position as the independent Maori voice in Parliament. The party accords particular priority to our relationship with tangata whenua and in this fashion to enable the expression of rangatiratanga along with the kawanatanga partner. 
We support the position put forward by New Zealand First that representation must mean something about moving forward and recognising we are no longer in the days of first past the post. This is particularly so when we look at the impact that Maori political representation has had in both of the largest parties. National which has four Maori members included in a caucus of 48 has consistently denied the value of the Maori electoral seats. Labour’s Maori MPs have recently voted against the principles of Te Tiriti and even more recently have introduced a fresh new concept of confiscation—the Crown stratum. 
In 1993 Maori voted for MMP by a much higher margin than others. The MMP—mixed-member proportional—voting system provided an opportunity to make progress in the path towards tino rangatiratanga or self-determination through the means of indigenous political representation. The quest for the political emancipation of Maori has been one that Maori have looked to since the advent of MMP as well as looking to the mechanism of the Maori electoral option to hold as a restorative right to be heard. Yet as recently as last year we have seen that the path to political equality has been fraught with obstacles. One needs only to turn to the report of the United Nations special rapporteur to recognise that honour and justice have not yet been accorded to the Maori voice. 
The United Nations report recorded compelling evidence that historical and social processes that systematically disadvantaged Maori such as colonisation discrimination and racism were deep-seated in the nature of New Zealand society. It was as a result of Professor Stavenhagen’s observations on the ongoing political marginalisation of Maori that he made the following recommendation: “The Treaty of Waitangi should be entrenched constitutionally in a form that respects the pluralism of New Zealand society creating positive recognition and meaningful provision for Maori as a distinct people.” 
We have heard that around town in various faculties and law firms rumbling moves towards constitutional debate are being held behind closed doors. The Maori Party is here today to say that this debate is a vital one in our evolving maturity as a State and that the State must respect the rights of iwi nations to be fully involved in those discussions. 
I return to the issues raised by New Zealand First which challenged the motions on the grounds that they do not represent the full range of political parties and the diversity of representation that has already been envisaged and indeed was established through the introduction of MMP. I make it clear today that although we support the challenge raised by that party the Maori Party absolutely endorses the two Maori members who have been nominated to represent the Government and Opposition on the Representation Commission. 
Whetumarama Te Rangiita Wereta has a legendary reputation in presenting a voice for effective Maori political participation. She was instrumental in the work behind the Picot report in 1988 and provided vitally needed critique about the status of Maori in the reformed educational environment. In 1994 she was part of Te Aho Matua o Te Ture a standing Maori committee alongside Bishop Manuhuia Bennett Judge Michael Brown and Professor Mason Durie that advised the Law Commission on the “development of a bicultural framework for the law in New Zealand”. She has also had her fair turn in the bureaucracy as manager of Maori language services whether it be Te Puni Kokiri or as general manager for Maori statistics at Statistics New Zealand. 
Meanwhile John McEnteer has made a huge contribution across every sector of Maori development including fisheries Maori land the Federation of Maori Authorities Mighty River Power the Capital and Coast District Health Board and the Department of Social Welfare. Alongside Whetumarama he possesses unique and specialist skills in his background on the Representation Commission. It was John McEnteer also who described the special rapporteur’s report as an “insightful and intelligent report” a report that is wide ranging and displays a good understanding of the situation. He understands only too well as indeed does Whetumarama the hard work ahead that is required to achieve true political representation. 
Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. 
Dr PITA SHARPLES 
: Between Monday 3 April and Wednesday 2 August 2006 tangata whenua were given the opportunity to choose to be either on the Maori electoral roll or on a general electoral roll when they vote in the next two general elections. Dr Rawiri Taonui has described the Maori electoral option as a success for Maori political aspirations. Dr Taonui described the additional 14900 voters on the Maori roll as showing “a clear trend towards a greater sense of self-determining political empowerment by Maori.” This is a level of Maori political momentum that every day provides us the Maori Party with a burning desire to do the best we can to defend Maori rights and advance Maori aspirations in the best interests of the nation. 
It is not however reflected in the tight two-party Parliament of yesteryear. We join with all smaller parties in challenging the notion of a Representation Commission that does not represent MMP. We will vote against the second motion as we believe that it represents the constraints of a first-past-the-post mentality in reserving one seat each at the decision-making table for a former Labour and a former National MP at a table supposedly to represent all. We will however support motion No. 3 in the interests of an independent Maori voice in the House and in our desire to shape a destiny in which Maori political representation will truly honour justice.