Sharples Pita: Budget Debate 
Sharples Pita: Budget Debate 
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Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 I am happy to talk about the Budget because there have been quite a number of wins in it for Maori particularly in the areas where they are needed. There was a time when Maori were on the sideline of the economy: unemployed Labour’s socio-economic group last to be employed first to be laid off. It is a different story now as Maori and iwi are developing assets and starting to work in terms of the economy. There is $16.5 billion in total of what they have towards kick-starting the economy. I was pleased to receive $10.5 million for my Economic Taskforce which set up a number of Maori entrepreneurs in economics who are working in different areas. One of those areas is about establishing possibilities of iwi infrastructure development. They have produced a book of all the infrastructure to be set up in the next few years around New Zealand and ways in which iwi can partner with each other with the Government and with private companies in order to get involved in infrastructure to provide training and to create more jobs. It is a major move forward coming out of my task force. 
Another area is the coordination of small to medium sized enterprises. A network has been set up whereby they can help each other and work with each other in terms of their small businesses. 
We are establishing a Maori brand for exports. This work has been going on for some time and it is coming through now. There is a group called Koura Inc. with a seafood export line off to various parts of Asia where quotas whether they are large or small can be combined. It allows small quota holders to participate at every level as much as major quota holders and they get in what they put out. If they put in 2 percent of the quota that is what they will reap from it. It allows them to participate in the world export economy. 
Science and innovation is another area where this is happening. Maori are looking to add value to the products they are exporting rather than just moving out timber or wool. They are looking at how their products can have value added through the use of science and innovation and we have invested in that area as well. 
In September I am taking a group of Maori entrepreneurs to the expo at Shanghai. They will be working in different areas. We lead the world in certain areas of graphics so we are taking graphics people along with leaders in agriculture forestry fishing infrastructure culture language technology phones and education as well as investment entrepreneurs and so on. The group of Maori I will be leading will go to Beijing then down to Shanghai for the expo. We are looking forward to that. 
Training is very important. I remember a year ago I set up a training programme that was launched with InfraTrain and Te Puni Kokiri. We were hoping to get 250 students on the programme to train in infrastructure development. We wanted 20 from outside the industry to be involved and three to reach diploma level. Instead of getting 250 I went to the graduation and we had 359. Instead of 20 from outside the industry we had 40. Instead of three reaching diploma level we had eight diploma graduates. So the programme we set up is exciting. 
Another facet that everyone knows about is the contribution to Whanau Ora. There is $134 million over 3 years. Tariana Turia spoke about that in her delivery; I am a little late being in here because I am not in the House a lot. 
Treaty settlements have received a boost of $6.5 million. This will strengthen the teams that will go out and do the negotiating in line with the Government’s aim to complete the claims at soon as possible and as soon as iwi want them. Added to that we have managed to accumulate $72 million worth of land that has been land banked to go towards those settlement processes. 
In education for Maori there is $12.6 million for a number of areas such as kura literacy and numeracy. For the development of new wharekura to move from a kura into a wharekura stage by stage and class by class there is another $12.6 million which will set up seven wharekura. The most important thing about education for Maori is the Government drive for early childhood education. Another $91.8 million has been put in there. We will be concentrating on puna reo and kohanga reo particularly in areas like south Auckland. 
The very urgent area I am working in is corrections. We have $20 million for Whare Oranga Ake. Two of those establishments are to be built one in Hawke’s Bay and one in Auckland. The idea is that they will house initially 16 inmates. Ultimately they will house 32. The value of this is that we are not just incarcerating 32 inmates; it is 32 each year because they are not coming back. One of the problems with prison is recidivism as 55 percent of Maori who are released return to prison. We have tried different programmes. We have Maori focus units up and down the country; there are five of them now. Some of them have been marginalised by the demands of mainstream which interfere if you like with the numbers the muster who go in and the programmes in Maori focus units. It has been difficult to run a straight programme and have them benefit in the way that was intended. 
In Waikeria it is different. We have been able to protect to a certain extent that Maori focus unit. I am happy to say that since 2007 there have been 217 go through there and of those only 23 have reoffended and gone back in the prison system somewhere in New Zealand. That is a far cry from 55 percent of Maori incarcerated. 
The thing about Whare Oranga Ake is that inmates will be required to map themselves out a career. They will be required to go through programmes where they deal with their faults—what is wrong with them and what caused them to commit crime—whether that is through psychologists tohunga social workers or whatever. There will be fewer jailers but more people working on their rehabilitation. They will be trained in whichever vocation they want. They can get a degree or train to be a carpenter. Firms like Fletcher’s are prepared to give tool sets and to mentor these people to work. 
The main thing for Whare Oranga Ake is that the people outside who are involved are contracted in. They will run the programme and make sure there is a whanau group outside so when these people are gradually rehabilitated into the community they will be rehabilitated into a support group. The support group will bring them into their whanau whether it is on to a marae or into a different activity such as a gym as well as progressing their work. 
The main reason why people have gone back into prison is they have not been able to make it once they are released. I remember two guys in Paremoremo. When they were being released they were happy and looking forward to their flat and having a life outside. I visited them 2 months later in their flat—there were no light bulbs no money and no jobs. They were depressed and a few months later they were both back inside and happy as Larry. We are fighting against institutionalisation and that is why we want to make sure they re-establish themselves out in the community. 
To round off I say that Minister Turia and I have been lobbyists for the Government to get money into health early childhood housing innovation Warm Up New Zealand land banking settlements and so on. The figures come to $400 million in total. Added to another $400 million in the general area for Maori it is $800 million. Thank you.