Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:611;Page:8529] 
7.  
KATHERINE RICH (NZ National) 
 to the  
Minister of Maori Affairs 
: What role if any has Te Puni Kokiri had in banning media from recording seabed and foreshore consultation hui? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 Te Puni Kokiri has had no role in banning the media from recording seabed and foreshore consultation hui. It has been up to the local whanau hapu and iwi to determine the role of the media in each of the consultation hui. Te Puni Kokiri’s role has been as the facilitator between the local whanau hapu iwi and the media. 
Katherine Rich 
: How does the Minister reconcile that statement with a media advisory from Te Puni Kokiri to the media stating: “Re hui at Omaka Marae tomorrow please note that media may attend the powhiri but cannot enter Wharenui during hui. Interviews can be conducted before and after the hui.”? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: The email was subsequently corrected to make it clear that the restrictions on the marae were at the request of the local people and that was not the actual wording in the email. 
Katherine Rich 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In order to correct the record for  
Hansard 
 purposes I was reading an extract from the original email that was sent. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order but the member has made her point. 
Mahara Okeroa 
: What role has the media played in each of the foreshore and seabed consultation hui? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I am more than satisfied that the media interest in attending and recording these hui has been well catered for. The media have been able to record the powhiri; sit in and take notes of the meetings; interview Ministers before and after the hui; interview participants before during and after the hui; and have been allowed time to film set-up shots before the hui begin in the wharenui. 
Katherine Rich 
: When taxpayers are paying for these hui and it is the Government that has decided when and where hui will be and when the Government had the option to hold those hui in places where the media were allowed to attend but the Government did not take that decision how does the Minister explain the ban on media recording and reporting speeches when they are delivered at hui? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: There was no ban. 
Rodney Hide 
: Is this House to take it that the Government’s definition of consultation on the foreshore is this: there will be consultation paid for by the taxpayer; the Prime Minister will not be fronting; non-Maori will not have an opportunity to have an input; and the media which the New Zealand public rely on to get their information about this hui are to be banned—and that this Government is hand in hand with such a ban and with such a consultation process as that email shows? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: There are three parts to that question. Can I address them? Firstly I reiterate that it has been the local people’s wishes that they have uninhibited time to deliver in the wharenui. It is culturally inappropriate to try to remove that. We go into committee in councils and in the local parishes and we do not let the media in. Let me also assure the member that on the way through non-Maori people have been at those marae and they have respected the request of the local people not to talk. The other issue is that in respect of the past three hui the local people have ensured that those hui have been hui for local people and even national Maori organisations have been asked not to enter the discussion. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister may have forgotten but he said he would address the three parts of the question. He forgot to cover the bit about the Prime Minister not fronting. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member did address the question rather extensively. 
Katherine Rich 
: When today his colleague Trevor Mallard criticises mainstream media coverage of foreshore and seabed hui does he appreciate the difficulty in giving fair and accurate coverage when media are banned from recording and reporting speeches as they are delivered during hui? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That cannot be authenticated. I have made no such comment today. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member has made the statement that he has made no such comment. The Minister may wish to comment—[ 
Interruption 
] What did the member say precisely? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: The question was about my comments today. I have made no comments today. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Without the word “today” in it the question is in order. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I have little enough time to look after 15 percent of this population; but certainly if those comments were made they were made by that Minister. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister is required at least to address the question. To state what the question stated certainly cannot be taken as addressing it. We already knew that the Minister had said that. What we wanted was the Minister to address the question and maybe—and this might be hoping too much—to answer it. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: I think the point the Minister is making is a fair and absolutely correct one. He is not responsible for Mr Mallard’s comments; Mr Mallard is responsible for his comments. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is absolutely correct. 
Katherine Rich 
: Speaking to the point of order— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have ruled on the point of order. 
Hon Roger Sowry 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I really thought listening to the points of order that you would have stayed with the rulings you have given in the past which have been that the Minister may comment on the issue. The Minister as Minister of Maori Affairs was asked for his comment on an action taken by another Minister. He was asked to comment as Minister of Maori Affairs. That is totally in order. In fact we see questions that contain direct quotes from Ministers being transferred to other Ministers for answer and you have allowed those transfers on a regular basis. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That does not occur in this particular question. The Minister was asked to comment on what another Minister said. He chose not to comment. He is entitled to do that. 
Katherine Rich 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I was not actually asking the Minister of Maori Affairs to explain or comment on the points made by Trevor Mallard; I was asking him whether he appreciated the difficulty of mainstream media giving fair and accurate coverage of hui when they are banned from actually covering and recording speeches as they are delivered. So the emphasis really is on whether he appreciates the difficulty faced by the mainstream media. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I appreciate that point being raised by the member. Perhaps the Minister could address that particular question. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I say again that there was no ban. Can I also point out about the cultural tensions—that two of the first shots on these hui were about Maori aggression to the Government and there was somebody doing the wero holding a wooden stick a spear in their hand in a very warrior-like welcome which one will go a long way in this country to see again. The press need a bit of help with some of the cultural insensitivities that our people feel are unethical. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I ask you to reflect on the series of points of order that took place the number of them that were needed from several members of the Opposition for you finally to accept the point that yes the Minister could elaborate. That is what is happening time and time again in question time. I ask you to reflect on that so that we do have a question time that works in the sense that Ministers are not given the appearance of being shielded by the Speaker but rather asked to address the questions. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No that is certainly not the case or the member would not be raising points of order. As far as I am concerned it is valid to insist that an answer is given. I did so and that was done. 
Katherine Rich 
: I seek leave to table two documents the first being the media advisory from Te Puni Kokiri to the media explaining the ban on the marae. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Katherine Rich 
: I seek leave to table a second document being the New Zealand Press Association article where Trevor Mallard criticises mainstream media. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is.