Newman Muriel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Newman Muriel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:615;Page:11086] 
7.  
Dr MURIEL NEWMAN (ACT) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori Affairs 
: Given the Prime Minister’s reported statement that the Government does not fund on race but on need is the Special Housing Action Zone programme that “provides funding and services for Maori communities” to be changed? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Housing) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Maori Affairs 
: The special action housing zones are part of the Rural Housing Programme to assist disadvantaged people in rural areas living in dangerous unhealthy or inadequate housing. The assistance is based on housing need and goes to Maori and non-Maori on the basis of need. The member may have forgotten that the children who burnt to death in inadequate houses lit only by candles highlighted in 1999 by the Social Services Committee report on substandard housing—and Gerry Brownlee was the deputy chair of that committee—led to this particular policy which was implemented by the new Labour-led Government. We put in place the Rural Housing Programme and special housing action zones in response to that— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Answer the question. 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: —and they are available to all people; even to you Dr Smith if you have a low income. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is an interjection in the second person for a start. It is out of order. The member should know that. He has been here a long time. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Point of order. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member can raise a point of order but not in relation to that. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question by the member was quite specific in respect of the issue of need or race and the Prime Minister’s statement. The Minister made absolutely no attempt to answer that question. Instead we just got a lecture about a whole lot of other issues that were not relevant. If members of this House—and it is not the first time today—are not to get any attempt by Ministers to answer the question we can expect nothing less than disorder. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Before I rule on that matter I will not have threats like that. I will not have comments like that made. The member properly raised a point of order but then went on to make a silly threat that will result in members being asked to leave the Chamber. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: The Minister gave a long answer in which he made it very clear on a number of occasions that the programme is based on need. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The question was addressed adequately in terms of the Standing Orders. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: With regard to this Labour Government programme that provides non-repayable taxpayer-funded grants of up to $50000 to private homeowners who have allowed their houses to fall into disrepair can the Minister clarify whether poor white families can access this scheme; if so when exactly did this policy—which was part of the closing the gaps strategy—change? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Leaving aside such epithets as people letting their houses fall into disrepair the answer is yes. People from all backgrounds have access to this policy and its genesis as I explained earlier followed the select committee report in 1999. The policy was introduced by the new Labour Government at that time. 
Dave Hereora 
: Why were the rural housing and Special Housing Action Zone programmes initiated? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Because children and old people were being put at risk by living in unsafe and unhealthy housing. Most people in this country were and are horrified by stories of children dying in fires often because of the use of candles for lighting. Most people were horrified to learn that people were not able to use for example sanitary toilets. It does not matter whether people are Pakeha Maori Pacific Islander Chinese Scottish or whatever—they just have to be New Zealand residents or permanent residents to have access to the particular policies we are talking about here. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Noting that the 6-monthly implementation report on the reducing inequalities initiative—which covers the period from January to June 2003 and was released by Minister Maharey on 5 February this year—states that special housing action zones have target groups of Maori and Pacific Island peoples and that the programme’s main purpose is to provide bridging finance for papakainga and other rural developments can the Minister tell us how many non-Maori property owners have been helped by this scheme? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: With regard to the last question not everybody recorded an answer in the box asking about ethnicity so we cannot answer the question. Unlike Mr Brownlee not everybody wants to answer the question about ethnicity. Of the people who did answer it Maori and Maori-Pakeha families comprise about 95 percent of the people who have those loans. Other families of different ethnic origins comprise about 4.7 percent. As I said that is not the whole 100 percent. The papakainga programme is one whereby multiple-owned land—which cannot be used as equity—does attracts support so that we can try to build houses on that land. That policy has been in place for quite some time. 
Deborah Coddington 
: In light of the Minister’s answer that the Special Housing Action Zone programme is for Maori and non-Maori based on need and given that the Te PuniKokiri website states the Special Housing Action Zone programme “... provides funding and services for Maori communities to repair existing houses or build new houses. It is principally for Maori communities occupying their papakainga ... or living on Maori land in multiple ownership.” can he confirm that the Government has just done a U-turn; if not what is he trying to say? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I would not be surprised if Te PuniKokiri—which is the Maori ministry and relates to Maori people—states that this money is available for Maori as part of the programme. I refer the member back to the policy which states unequivocally in its eligibility criteria that the only qualifier in terms of applicants is that they are New Zealand residents or permanent residents. That means everybody has access to the programme but Te PuniKokiri would be talking to Maori about it. There are 11 policies as part of this programme and one is aimed at Maori land. It was introduced by Mr Goff and has been administered by those people for 9 years. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Would the Minister confirm to the House that not one poor white family has in fact got a grant under that scheme? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: No I will not confirm that. I will go back to the answer I gave to Gerry Brownleee—that is we do not know the ethnicity of everybody who got money under this programme because not everybody replies. However of the people we do know about Maori and Maori-Pakeha—that is Maori and non-Maori families and I want to say to Mr Prebble that means they are of Scottish and Irish types of origin—got loans and 4.7 percent of the loans were to non-Maori families altogether. So the answer is no I cannot confirm that. It is only people like you who want to create— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That brings me into the debate Mr Maharey. The member will withdraw that comment. 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I withdraw Mr Speaker. 
Deborah Coddington 
: I seek leave to table Labour’s 2000 election manifesto policy on Maori health which states it will provide access to— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There is a standard for the Minister to treat the House properly and I draw it to your attention that he has told the House that the ministry does not record the race of the people who apply but he is quite prepared to tell us that Maori-Pakeha families have applied. How on earth does he know that? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: He did not quite say that. I heard what the Minister said and I thought he addressed the particular issue. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table a document that sets out the eligibility criteria for the issue at hand in the House as being in the first bullet point on page 2 that the individual must be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident. 
Document not tabled.