Harawira Hone: Reserve Bank of New Zealand Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Harawira Hone: Reserve Bank of New Zealand Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:634;Page:5967] 
HONE HARAWIRA (Maori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) 
: 
 Kia ora Madam Speaker. Kia ora tatou katoa. Every time an omnibus bill such as this Reserve Bank of New Zealand Amendment Bill comes before the House the Maori Party asks about the value of jamming an apple and a pear into the mixer to get a smoothie when all we want is a decent apple and a proper pear. The completely separate issues of trans-Tasman financial sector regulation and the bizarre notion of rounding dividends in the racing sector following the recall of the 5c coin are ones that we think would be better addressed in two separate bills. But the bill remains intact with two separate agendas. 
The first issue is the alignment of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989 with Australian legislation. My judgment about trans-Tasman cooperation is a little coloured at the moment by Australia’s victory in the netball the other night and its win in the rugby league on Saturday but I freely admit to feeling a little chuffed about “Wee Willie Wonker” getting squared away after insulting our nation’s haka. But getting over that it is obvious that the amendments to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act following hot on the heels of the Trans-Tasman Council on Banking Supervision 2005 are all aimed at moving us closer to a single economic market. 
The proposals discussed at the council indicate very close links between the two countries’ banking systems and throughout the select committee process we heard that the success of this bill depends on the same changes being made in Australia. So a critical issue for us today is whether we can trust the Aussies to do the right thing. This issue relies a lot on both parties having a relationship based on cooperation and mutual respect and given the lack of respect from Governments in this country to the Treaty of Waitangi I have to suggest that New Zealand should not be too put out if its intentions were not treated honourably by Australia. 
While I am on the Treaty and relations between Governments and indigenous peoples I cannot help but ask whether tangata whenua in Australia are likely to benefit from the financial capacity that will result from reduced banking operating costs. In fact how exactly will the goal of a single economic market enhance opportunities for the indigenous peoples of both lands? 
This bill suggests that cooperation between banks on both sides of the Ditch will help financial stability. But a reference in the bill to outsourcing will have a big impact on us because the bill says that outsourcing will be bad for Australia but our own Reserve Bank’s 2004-05 report says that outsourcing is a main priority and its 2005-06 report says that outsourcing is a key priority for financial stability. We are keen to see how this pans out because the Maori Party wants to be able to assure bank workers in this country that no New Zealand jobs will be lost through outsourcing. 
Last month the finance workers union FinSec called on New Zealand’s three big Aussie banks to say they will not be outsourcing New Zealand jobs to cheaper labour markets. Its call was in response to an announcement in Australia that three major Australian banks are planning to outsource jobs to India and an estimate by the Australian Finance Sector Union that up to 50000 of Australia’s 280000 finance jobs could disappear if outsourcing continues. In the light of recent decisions by Air New Zealand to outsource a lot of its finance and clerical work to Fijian low-cost labour the Maori Party is supportive of proposals to restrict outsourcing. The irony of course is that last month Air New Zealand announced a net profit of $96 million—hardly an argument for outsourcing work and denying jobs to Kiwis. It also bears reminding this House just after International Anti-Poverty Day that our very own Government has an 80 percent shareholding in Air New Zealand—a clear statement that the concerns expressed by this Government about lowly paid workers are just hot air. 
While we are talking about poverty it is also appropriate that we look at the other aspect of this bill—the change to allow the New Zealand Racing Board to continue to promote gambling after the recall of the 5c coin. One might think this is a mere technicality to tidy up payouts but it is also an opportunity for those like the Maori Party who see the pain and suffering of gambling to support any opportunity to restrict this disease within our society. A paper prepared by Dr Lorna Dyall for a conference in Darwin last month showed that despite having half the average income Maori spend more on gambling than everyone else and that one in three who seek help with gambling problems are Maori. Her paper also noted that one in three prisoners have gambling problems with Maori making up at least 50 percent of the prison population. That situation is even more extreme for Maori women; in fact even the Minister of Corrections recognises the link between the increasing numbers of Maori women in jail and their increased gambling problems. 
Given all of this why would the Maori Party support a bill that just makes it easier to offer attractive betting prices that satisfy TAB customers? This of course is where the trap of an omnibus bill is most apparent. If this bill was just about Reserve Bank cooperation with Australian financial authorities the Maori Party might support aspects of it. But we will not support a bill to make things easier for the TAB. Gambling outlets such as the TAB just like junk food outlets such as Kentucky Fried Chicken are generally concentrated in low-income high-Polynesian areas. The Maori Party has a duty to do what we can to eliminate gambling problems from our communities. We would suggest that other parties also take this opportunity to think about other strategies for minimising gambling. 
We know of the potential for companies to benefit from overseas business through this bill. We know that lower banking costs and greater financial stability may also benefit Maori land incorporations. But in recognition of International Anti-Poverty Day on 17 October we stand alongside the cleaners the low-paid workers and their supporters who are rallying in Auckland and Wellington this week against poverty right here in Aotearoa. The Maori Party stands alongside them in their challenge to the Government to face up to its responsibility to tackle poverty in its own backyard. I can do no better than to repeat the question asked by Pacific Island Presbyterian Church Minister the Rev. Mua Strickson Pua: “Why should low paid workers continue to bear the burden of a low wage society?”. 
Whether the issue is the Racing Board and its damnable rounding of dividends because of the withdrawal of the 5c coin or the outsourcing of key New Zealand jobs to overseas low-wage economies we as a nation face critical issues whereby far too many families feel trapped in the cycle of poverty and quite simply are unable to make ends meet. The Maori Party can do no more at this point than speak up for those rallying for an end to poverty and the right to a decent standard of living. Kia ora tatou katoa.