Horomia Parekura: Local Electoral (Maori Representation) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Horomia Parekura: Local Electoral (Maori Representation) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:664;Page:11796] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Labour—Ikaroa-Rawhiti) 
: 
 We will be supporting the Local Electoral (Maori Representation) Amendment Bill being referred to the Maori Affairs Committee to see where it goes. 
I have always found the previous speaker Chester Borrows whom I have known for a period of time to be a fair-minded person even when he was a policeman. For him to come out with that stuff was quite amazing. It is unnerving that National ignored what the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance said about the Auckland super-city. It said that the super-city council needed three Maori seats. He danced around—he is leaving the House—and made all sorts of excuses about why this bill is not important. If the Maori Party were more influential—and I mihi to Te Ururoa Flavell who introduced this bill—we would not be here today discussing this issue. The real test is that the time has come for Mr Flavell to walk the talk. Not having Maori seats is a real smack in the face not only for Maori people but also for the Maori Party. 
Labour strongly supports Maori seats as we did in the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. It was our party that put up those seats. We sit here and listen to this hypothesis about the reasons for fudging together cultural aspiration and having special representation by vote. I come from an area where we have a Chinese Maori-speaking mayor and the Maoris vote for him. It is well known that the real power is with the local authorities. God forbid we have just witnessed one of the worst travesties in relation to the Auckland legislation. 
I remind that member that the Government saw fit on 6 May 1867 to imbue in legislation Maori seat representation at the local level. I am sorry that Georgina te Heuheu is not here. The last time we put this issue up she crossed the floor and voted with us. Tau Henare ran for cover. Hone Harawira needs to stand up and listen to what Georgina te Heuheu said in her delivery. She said: “The issue of representation for Maori in local government is a significant issue and not just for Maori. It has been around for a long time as evidenced by a notice in the Auckland provincial government’s 
 Gazette 
 of Saturday 6 May 1867 when J. Williamson the superintendent of the Auckland province gave notice that he had appointed Paora Tuhaere of Ngati Whatua to give advice…”. From Auckland’s tupuna those Pakeha people did it; they had the guts and gumption to do it. These members now turn round and shiver with pain because I have dared to mention that. Shame on them! They sit there and talk about the Treaty of Waitangi and partnership but when it is really tested they will not do it. 
I hope the Maori Party does walk the talk. I hope that this bill has brought the issue to a head like the ignoring and the fake delivery of the takutai moana bill did. Why should we not have that representation? John Key spun round; the Prime Minister changed his mind. Also the Minister of Health right now who professes to help everybody in New Zealand was candid enough to move in 2006 the removal of the existing provision in the local government law that allows councils to establish Maori seats. He also sought to remove the Bay of Plenty Maori seats. So I can well see why people over there are ducking. 
We heard about the issues and the strength of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and we heard the different suggestions from the leaders of the Maori Party and the Prime Minister. But it was cited at the time that the reason we supported the UN declaration—simply in layman’s language—was that it would support and back up issues that are relevant like this one. But alas it has faded quickly. Barely 6 weeks are over and it means nothing. What does the Treaty mean to us? The Government kowtowed to Rodney Hide’s threats.