Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:606;Page:3982] 
5.  
RODNEY HIDE (ACT NZ) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori Affairs 
: When he told the House yesterday that he was generally satisfied with Te Mangai Paho’s distribution and administration of funds did this include the $534964 in payments over three years to Maori Sportscasting International that saw approximately $7000 in travel meal and accommodation expenses returned to the Te Mangai Paho employee responsible for their radio and music portfolio for his co-commentary of games such as the Wallabies versus All Blacks in Sydney on 1 September 2001; if not what has he done about it? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 On 20 February 2003 I met the chairman of the board and the chief executive of Te MangaiPaho and raised this matter with them. I was assured by Te Mangai Paho that this matter has been managed appropriately including that the employee concerned no longer participates as a guest commentator with Maori Sportscasting International Ltd. 
Rodney Hide 
: How come Te Mangai Paho is still employing Tame Te Rangi or are the kickbacks he arranged for himself through the contracts he was managing acceptable to this Government and to this Minister of Maori Affairs? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I assure that member that this Government takes a dim view of the misuse of any operational funds that are given to any organisation. This is an operations matter that is the responsibility of Te Mangai Paho. It is not for the Minister of Maori Affairs to be carrying out employment-related discussions with staff. That is the job of Te Mangai Paho. 
Mahara Okeroa 
: Is the Minister satisfied with the action Te Mangai Paho has taken to ensure that the employee concerned no longer participates as a general commentator? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I am more than happy with Te Mangai Paho’s handling of this situation and that the staff member is under strict guidance. 
Hon Murray McCully 
: Given the Minister’s admission that Te Mangai Paho approved funding of $3964 for Maori Sportscasting International for the purpose of broadcasting in te reo the New Zealand Maori versus Australia rugby game at Stadium Australia on 9 June 2001 and that Maori Sportscasting International then paid for Te Mangai Paho executive Mr Tame Te Rangi to travel to Sydney and for his meals and accommodation has the Minister sought any advice from the Auditor-General or any similar authority as to the appropriateness of those arrangements; if not why not? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I have not but can I remind that member that Te Mangai Paho had a very high-rated audit summary done by New Zealand Audit. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why does he and his Prime Minister now take a totally different view to the level and requirements of accountability as they relate for example to Tuku Morgan who only spent $89 of his own money on a pair of underpants—and we call that hypocrisy actually—and why has he adopted a different standard; or is it the fact that he has received reports that Te MangaiPaho’s distribution and administration of funds policy relates to the advice it got from the ACT party as to how one breaks the rules when it comes to public funding? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The last part of that question is not to be commented on but the rest can be. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I was not around at the time of the underpants incident but I repeat that this Government takes a dim view of any misuse of taxpayer funding in an operational sense. 
Rodney Hide 
: Why does Te Mangai Paho pay Maori Sportscasting International over $1000 to broadcast a game when Maori Sportscasting International pays its Maori commentators as little as $50 or $100 per game to their TAB account or is that a feather-bedding routine and the reason that Te Mangai Paho is always crying poor? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: That is an operational matter. I remind the member that I have sent him piles of detailed responses to those sorts of questions from him and I have the pile here to give him again if he has not read them.