Jones Shane: General Debate 
Jones Shane: General Debate 
[Volume:671;Page:17764] 
Hon SHANE JONES (Labour) 
: 
 It is very important that when a world event comes to Aotearoa all dimensions of our Aotearoa identity are put on show so I have no doubt in my mind that the current Minister of Maori Affairs a very important figure in te Ao Maori means well when he seeks to project the identity of the people for whom he has if not a literal then a figurative responsibility through the political process. As much as it pains us to be accused of making a mockery of a small hapu in Ngati Whatua the notion that a plastic waka—a “Tupperwaka”—is a suitable vessel to reflect the aspirations the dreams of day-to-day Maori families living in Auckland and throughout New Zealand cannot go unchallenged. It may come to pass that the notion of a “Tupperwaka” is a Walt Disney creation. I have listened to “Goofy” over there and to “Mickey Mouse” straight out of Disneyland; we have learnt to tolerate those contributions. I will not debate who National believes is “Goofy” or “Mickey Mouse”. Its members will make that decision when they make up their list. But I can tell the House that a few of the people on that list will be on the plastic fantastic out of this joint because they will no longer have a future amongst that particular waka. 
I need to come back to what is really serious about this debate: Maori unemployment is out of control. Maori achievement in terms of our young men and women in Tamaki-makau-rau is worsening by the year. The sense of hopelessness and depression amongst ordinary families as they struggle to pay their bills is deteriorating. But what do we hear as to how those people might be uplifted through the World Cup experience? We hear that $2 million will be used to make a “Tupperwaka” and that it is likely to be then dismantled or destroyed after it has been used for 17 days. Well I know that the former Minister of Maori Affairs and his friends cannot actually divide 17 into 2 million but it adds up to a substantial amount of money each day for a pitifully low return and it is nothing to do with what young people want to show on behalf of their country. What about the thousands of artisans and the thousands of people doing voluntary work or lowly paid work in art culture recreation and entertainment? Not a sliver of opportunity has been given to them to participate in a non-contestable process. No they will be served up this garish image as if somehow all we can develop for Aotearoa in order to project ourselves to the rest of the world and to introduce some indigeneity into that projection is a plastic ill-conceived hastily executed waka. 
This diminishes the concept of waka. In the north we have the true tohunga who has revived waka Hector Busby. Was he given the opportunity? Were his people given the opportunity to participate? We could actually have had something that reflected authenticity. 
Paul Quinn 
: You’ve got my waka—Mataatua. Bring it back! 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: I realise that upon hearing the word “authenticity” that man breaks out in boils; those boils are in a very very large mouth. It is not my problem that those members do not care about authenticity and identity. Those members belong to the National Party yet they try to pretend they are Maori so they have a deep DNA-based problem anyhow. 
No it is a reasonable criticism to make. At a time when thousands of garden-variety Maori families are struggling all they can hear about from the Minister of Maori Affairs is a plastic waka and a Clayton’s seabed and foreshore. In addition to that even if they have not got enough kai on their table in Tamaki-makau-rau they can look at the Auckland Harbour Bridge on one day per year and see a flag fluttering. 
These are trinkets; these are empty symbols. These are not the sentiments of the finer qualities that New Zealanders should be proudly projecting to the rest of the world. Only Hosea Gear and Piri Weepu being in the All Blacks will show there is Maori pride in the World Cup. Kia ora tatou.