Jones Shane: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeJones Shane: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 04 June 2013. Volume:690;Page:10639. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.RINO TIRIKATENE (Labour—Te Tai Tonga) on behalf ofHon SHANE JONES (Labour) to theMinister of Māori Affairs: Does he stand by his statement regarding the Māori Economic Taskforce that “These developments led to immediate outcomes that have supported whānau through the recession. They have also laid a foundation for the long-term growth of Māori business work force and communities”; if so why?Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES (Minister of Māori Affairs): Yes most definitely. The work of the task force has resulted in a number of demonstrable successes. Importantly without these types of interventions whānau and Māori businesses would undoubtedly have been worse off through difficult economic times.Rino Tirikatene: How can he stand by that statement when the median income for Māori was 93 percent of the overall median income in 2008 and has now in 2013 fallen to 85 percent of the overall median income?Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES: The good news is—and it is not that good—that there has been a decrease in the last quarter in the rate of unemployed Māori both Māori youth by 2 percent and general Māori by 1 percent. But you know none of us enjoy this low rate and clearly the country has to do more about it.Hon Trevor Mallard: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question was about median incomes. That was not referred to. What was referred to was—Mr SPEAKER: I invite the member to ask the question again.Rino Tirikatene: Certainly. How can he stand by that statement when the median income for Māori was 93 percent of the overall median income in 2008 and has now in 2013 fallen to 85 percent of the overall median income?Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES: Despite the ventures that we have created—in export for Māori trade training and helping homes that are in poverty—this is the situation that exists. It is not good; none of us like it but it is the reality. We are always the first off last on. So this is what happens. While everything else grows Māori come last.Rino Tirikatene: Why is he claiming that whānau have been supported through the recession when in the Te Tai Rāwhiti - Tūranga region and across Ngāti Kahungunu weekly real per capita income for Māori has fallen by 14 percent while real per capita income for non-Māori has increased by 3 percent?Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES: It is very lucky that it has not fallen further. But because of our interventions it is in a better state. For example trade training Māra Kai Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes cadetships marae—these are all things that we have put into place to take care of these things. We have increased Māori business exports and when you do that the money trickles back to the hapū and the iwi—Hon Members: Oh no!Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES: Oh yes! Take the honey contract that has gone to China. It is produced by the people along the river along the villages and they get the benefits of that when it comes in—[Interruption] No this is the reality. You have got to increase the economic trade as well as the imports to develop more trade in order to make it work.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My point of order is simply this: first of all we have had a long explanation of why things are not happening; then he started to blame you.Mr SPEAKER: The answer was certainly long enough. The Minister was asked what initiatives have supported whānau etc. and he gave adequate examples.Rino Tirikatene: Does he support the target of his Government colleague Steven Joyce to raise median incomes for Māori to that of the overall population by 2040; if so does he think that 200 years since the signing of te Tiriti is an acceptable time frame for Māori to achieve parity in this country?Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES: Absolutely and that is why we have created He Toki ki te Rika as well as He Kai Kei Aku Ringa—both of those. The first person to start things down in Christchurch was from the Māori Party where we gathered all the builders together and Ngāi Tahu Te Puni Kōkiri and all those for He Toki ki te Rika. In addition to that now we have He Kai Kei Aku Ringa and that is a joint venture between Māori and the Crown to develop initiatives based on education and everything else to increase Māori productivity. If you do not do that you ain’t going to succeed. You cannot just pick out one thing. And so education becomes a very important arm of that development.