10. Question No. 10—Māori Crown Relations: Te ArawhitiDEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader—Te Pāti Māori) to the Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te ArawhitiQuestion No. 10—Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti10. DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader—Te Pāti Māori) to the Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti: Does he believe that the Government has a responsibility to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi?Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations)on behalf of the Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti: On behalf of the Minister yes recognising that there will always be a wide variety of opinions as to what that means in practice and in every particular situation and also recognising in doing so the need never to lose sight of the basic expectations of people living in a modern democratic society of equality before the law and equal say in matters affecting their lives.Rawiri Waititi: How does the Minister for Māori Crown relations feel being wheeled out by this Government to answer a question that was directed to the Prime Minister simply because he is Māori and the Prime Minister wants to distance himself from the responsibilities of Te Tiriti o Waitangi?Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH: On behalf of the Minister—SPEAKER: Sorry hang on. You can answer the question but I'd just make the point that Standing Orders makes it very clear that the Government collectively decides who is going to answer a question. Now to describe the Minister as being wheeled out" kind of implies something that is contrary to Standing Orders. He can answer the question but I think those questions need to be a little more cleverly put.Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH: On behalf of the Minister I stand with great pride.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Does the Minister think that attending a close relation's tangi is a case of being wheeled out of this Parliament as has been put by that last idiotic questioner?SPEAKER: No that's not a question he can answer; it's a point that's made.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Point of order. We ask that the decorum be restored to this House. While it may be one person's opinion—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Just a minute. Sorry we've got a point of order going on. You can start again please.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Thank you. We ask that we have a recall on the word "idiotic" if we can be really direct.SPEAKER: Well I've ruled the question out. So it's effectively gone. Is there another supplementary question?Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Yes. Does the Minister for Crown relationships: Te Arawhiti believe that ongoing colonisation is good for Te Tiriti o Waitangi partners?Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH: On behalf of the Minister I'm not sure what the member means by "ongoing colonisation". We are a country. That is our history. The focus of this Government is to rectify the problems that have come alongside colonisation and to build on the many successes.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could I ask the Minister does two of the top three in this Parliament who have got Māori background—Rawiri Waititi: Or blood quantum-ing.Rt Hon Winston Peters: —or the highest percentage of Māori and Pasifika in a Cabinet or the highest percentage in the country in terms of Parliament represent progress or the kind of retard comment we've just heard?Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Point of order. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Just a minute. A point of order is called.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: It is unparliamentary to—SPEAKER: Sorry just wait. The House is getting a little unruly.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: The history of the word "retarded" is bad enough to be hearing in the House. In fact people have endured years of abuse because of that very name. It is unparliamentary for a Minister of that seniority and age group to be saying that in the House. Please within your powers stop that type of language in this House.SPEAKER: Well I'm sure you wouldn't want me to rule on the basis of an ageist comment. But I would ask the Minister to withdraw the word used.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I withdraw the word used.Hon David Seymour: Point of order Mr Speaker. Shortly after Debbie Ngarewa-Packer asked to restore decorum to the House her colleague Rawiri Waititi was heard to shout out "What blood quantum are you?" Now Mr Speaker if we're going to restore decorum to the House I think Te Pāti Māori know everything that they have to do. Could I just point out it's at least four times you've had to reprimand them for not knowing the Standing Orders today; perhaps you could give them some lessons in your office after question time.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Point of order.SPEAKER: Well may I just respond to the point of order. I think getting into the House going into a tit for tat of who said what when a lot of it is just interjection would see us here for some hours. If he's interested—presumably all questions are directed at the Chair—98 percent Scots-Irish and 1 percent Middle Eastern: me.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Point of order. We respect that the Deputy Prime Minister has withdrawn the word but you did ask for an apology. We are waiting for that.SPEAKER: No no I did not ask for an apology.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: You did say "withdraw and apologise" right?SPEAKER: No I did not. So was there a question that you're still wanting to answer Paul Goldsmith?Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH: Yes yes—in relation to the question that was asked I reassert the answer to the original question that of course it identifies that there's a wide variety of views amongst Māori on what it exactly means to uphold the Treaty of Waitangi and this Government is committed to doing just that.Mariameno Kapa-Kingi: Just to the Minister Goldsmith if I may are you on the record as having said that on balance colonisation was good for us and that being the case might that be the way in which you will approach the role and anything pertaining to colonisation of—Hon Chris Bishop: Point of order.SPEAKER: Questions are not directly asked to Ministers; they're asked through the Chair. Do you have a point of order?Hon Chris Bishop: You've made my point for me.SPEAKER: Thank you.Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH: Well on behalf of the Minister for Māori Crown Relations I didn't make those comments because I'm answering in relation to another Minister."