Jackson WillieHon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister for Broadcasting and Media): What a—Matt Doocey: Point of order Mr Speaker. We had a Minister that was unable to finish her 10 minutes talking about her own Budget. Mr Bishop has run out of time so I'd like to seek leave so that he has the two minutes remaining of the Minister's 10 minutes' time. SPEAKER: I think you know that's out of order. This is a timed debate—Andrew Bayly: Well Willie's not going to do 10 minutes.SPEAKER: Well you can come to my office later on but no you can't seek leave for someone else. Matt Doocey: So you're ruling that I can't seek the leave of the House with that motion? SPEAKER: No that's right. Matt Doocey: OK. So we've had a change have we? SPEAKER: No. This is a timed debate. Each party has a number of minutes and they can use it how they like. OK? Hon WILLIE JACKSON: What a useless speech from a useless member who dared to criticise somebody who beat him by 3370 votes last time. Here's the question: how much will the Minister of Police Ginny Andersen beat the so-called whatever he is—Mr Bishop—by next time? She's doing such a brilliant job as police Minister and I want to congratulate her and her contribution to the Budget. Mr Bishop went out because he knows that our Minister Andersen is on a roll. Can I congratulate our Minister of Finance. What an exceptional Budget—Hon David Bennett: Point of order Mr Speaker. A member can't—yeah the Minister might have to sit. He can't refer to someone's absence. Hon WILLIE JACKSON: He just walked out—he was on the way out. SPEAKER: Are you finished? I was going to say in response to that point of order that I heard what the Hon Willie Jackson said and it might have been taken one particular way or another. His interjection while you were taking a point of order confirmed that actually you are correct—absolutely correct—and I've said this to the Hon Willie Jackson on a number of occasions. He cannot—he cannot—mention the absence of any other MP. I'm pretty sure that's probably about the fourth time I've told you. Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Thank you for that reminder Mr Speaker. In a tight economic environment though you have to say that our Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has delivered—no doubt about it. We've got a focus on young families with 20 hours' early childhood education support $5 prescription charges—I want to thank our Minister for a fantastic delivery of a balanced Budget. Then we come to Māori: $900 million—$900 million—delivered to Māori. As I said yesterday for our Māori Party friends: 17 percent—17 percent—of a new Budget. It's massive really. We're talking about a home pūtea of $295 million. I'm particularly proud of that in the Māori-targeted Budget because we're talking about by Māori for Māori strategies there. In Ngati Porou we've got a great set-up with Annette Wehi and Willie Te Aho and right around the country we have found that by Māori for Māori strategies are the way to go. More funding for Whānau Ora: $168 million. Increased funding for hauora providers iwi Māori partnerships our boards rongoā practitioners and more prevention funding: $132 million. More support in Māori education for kura kaiako and ākonga across the country: $225 million. More funding to strengthen Māori media: $51 million. A boost for Te Matatini in terms of that going forward: $34 million. Matariki is funded into the future for an extra $18 million. On top of that of course we have funding for Mātāwai. Mātāwai is our Māori language entity that has been doing a lot of good work lately which sadly the National Party have been criticising. Bilingual signs has been a huge strategy from them welcomed very much by most of the New Zealand population apart from the National Party. Simeon Brown and others have rubbished this strategy and I'm really disappointed with the National Party. I look at their leader and it seems very sad that they can't and he can't support something when we've seen clear strategies in terms of Māori language. With Air New Zealand that was rolled out by the National Party leader—rolled out by the National Party leader—in terms of the increase of te reo Māori and the real confusing thing for us as a Government is the number of confusing positions that National have made and have had in the 24 hours. It must be a hard time for the National caucus when the rug gets pulled from under you first on housing and now on this. I mean bilingual signs is something that the National Party support. Harete Hipango has been very clear that she disagrees totally—totally—with the leadership position. I was watching Harete and I thought You're in the wrong party Harete Hipango." She said "My comment is te reo Māori is an official language of this country." Asked if she was disappointed with her colleague's comments she said yes. Harete Hipango: No I didn't Willie. I said something different. Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Oh you didn't. No she said "I would say it's a view I don't agree with."—there you go. Harete Hipango: That's right. Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I've got to quote the member very very clearly and we're in agreement with that. Yes she totally disagrees with the member. Tama Potaka who is generally a confused sort of bloke said "I heard about the comments I read about them we've had a kōrero. … I am pretty relaxed about [bilingual signs]." But clearly he has got huge discomfort with the National Party position. But I think Shane Reti summed things up really really well when he said "You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who can't identify a big read stop sign regardless of whether it says stop in English or te reo or any other language." So Shane Reti—who should have stayed really as the deputy leader of the National Party just so that they could get some real strong leadership—is clearly articulating a position along with their leader who now agrees in principle with the Māori language signs. So I'm really pleased that they've come to their senses over this particularly given that in past history they have supported a number of kaupapa Māori initiatives. In terms of this Government we've invested close to $4 billion in terms of Māori kaupapa. It's an incredible amount of pūtea—an incredible amount of money—compared to previous National - Māori Party coalition pūtea. In 2016 for example the National Party and Māori Party celebrated a minuscule $105.5 million across specific Māori initiatives. Now that was peanuts. So we've delivered more in one year than the Māori Party could do in their entire term and that's the reality when you have a scale in terms of a Māori caucus. You've got a Māori caucus of 15 and having the largest Māori caucus in the history of Parliament is actually producing results for our people. So I'm proud of the mahi that's being done at the coalface and that's why I come back to the spend that keeps getting confused out there. Our people do get a bit confused because you hear all the misinformation and I think it is misinformation because you hear the waffle from the Māori Party about 1 percent—isn't it? They talk about 1 percent of the spend. I'll remind them again today that $895 million of just under a $5 billion new spend is 17 percent—17 percent. Now the Māori population is around 17 to 18 percent so that is a very very good and productive spend. It's nothing to frown at. So this nonsense about "You don't get to all Māori" is just nonsense particularly when Māori providers number between 5 and 10 percent and having 17 to 18 percent of that pūtea go to Māori providers is very good. The rest of the Māoridom is hit with the universal fund so 90 percent of Māoridom are getting access through that universal fund and I'm particularly happy that that's the case. It really needs to be reiterated how far this Māori caucus has come in terms of funding. The Matatini funding—and I give credit to our previous Minister Kiritapu Allan and our current Minister Willow-Jean Prime for fronting this—has been a huge win for Māori. Māoridom has celebrated everywhere and I'll say that at least the National Party and ACT Party haven't opposed this. If we go way back to 2007-08 the Māori Party only got a $700000 increase. That's not enough over nine years but we've walked the talk in terms of getting a real difference and a real increase in terms of funding. Our funding increase has been applauded by Te Ao Māori and there have been a number of leaders who have come to the party and congratulated us. Tuku Morgan for instance said "Absolutely an excellent Budget for Māori" as far as the pūtea goes. Furthermore he said "Labour Māori … Ministers have shown responsible and courageous leadership and our people need to ensure they continue as the Government beyond the forthcoming election." Ngāti Whātua Orakei deputy chair Ngarimu Blair also praised the Labour Māori caucus for putting Māori front and centre in tough economic times. Referring to Matatini he said "[Ministers] should be applauded for getting an increase for an event that resonates widely with [all] New Zealanders". Mr Wharerau our Ngāpuhi leader from the North said that the Budget was glowing and "would support poorer communities." Finally John Tamihere Whānau Ora chief executive and Māori Party president welcomed the extra funding saying "Māori have done well and the Māori caucus have done particularly well." We need him to talk to his Māori Party members. Finally I want to say in the last few seconds here that the National Party needs to look at themselves. At least the ACT Party has come up with a bit of a plan going forward. Even if it's a plan that's going to destroy Te Ao Māori and the rest of the country it's still a plan—you know they're going to cut Māori affairs they're going to cut women's affairs and we as a party know that the "coalition of cuts" will be disastrous for this country. Kia ora Mr Speaker. SPEAKER: I understand this is a split call. I call Chris Baillie—five minutes."