Hereora Dave: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Hereora Dave: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:615;Page:10959] 
DAVE HEREORA (Labour) 
: 
 I want to reflect on some of the comments I made before the interruption last evening specifically those to do with my comments surrounding my tipuna. I want to assure members that if they feel a cool breeze whilst listening to my speech they should not be alarmed—they have come to taitoko my speech. 
I want to reiterate my support for my colleagues in relation to the Prime Minister’s statement. The Government is focused on needs for all New Zealanders and we are accelerating those policies. We have certainly got the pedal firmly to the metal and there is a raft of needs across our communities. In some cases there are special needs—for our disabled for our women and of course for our ethnic groups. That is not to mention iwi hapu and whanau. Wherever the need is wherever that disparity emerges this Government is committed to extending help and assistance. The Government has made huge inroads towards addressing those needs. We do not need to be colour-blind to realise that. 
What are some of those needs? We have over 40000 more Maori back in the workforce actively contributing and participating within our communities. Maori unemployment is down from 17.9 percent to just 9.6 percent. That is an all-time low. That is so significant that it deserves to be placed on the public record: Maori unemployment down from 17.9 percent to just 9.6 percent. We have not been there since 1987 and the benefits are far-reaching. They include significant boosts not only to the morale of whanau who are able to afford health care and education but more important to continued contributions to our economy and I think that is absolutely marvellous. 
I want the National Party to be accountable and enlighten us all on its policy to abolish the Maori seats. How will that policy reduce Maori unemployment? The Government is addressing Maori unemployment as we speak. The statistics are evidence of that and we all know that the Maori seats under Labour are currently intact. How will that policy to abolish the Maori seats initiate skill-based training for Maori? How will it promote senior Maori students? How will it work for our work-based qualifications? In all of the above the Government has made significant change. There are 800 Maori in Modern Apprenticeships— 
David Benson-Pope 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am obviously apologetic for interrupting my colleague but the interjection that Mr Hide shouted out across the Chamber was highly offensive. “Dopey niggers” was the phrase used. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If that phrase was used the member will stand withdraw and apologise. He did not use it? All he has to do is say “Yes” or “No”. 
Rodney Hide 
: I didn’t hear what he said the phrase was. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Did the member use an out of order statement in interjection? 
Rodney Hide 
: No. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Right I accept the member’s word. 
DAVE HEREORA 
: As I say 800 Maori in Modern Apprenticeships promotion of the Gateway programme— 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The chief Government whip just pointed at my colleague and said: “The liar.” I could hear him from here. It is outrageous to question a member’s word in that way and I ask that the chief Government whip be asked to stand and apologise forthwith. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If the member did that he will stand withdraw and apologise. 
David Benson-Pope 
: I pointed at— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I said the member if he made the comment will withdraw and apologise. 
David Benson-Pope 
: I did not call Mr Hide a liar. I was talking to my colleague. I was certainly pointing at him and talking to my colleague. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Right carry on. 
DAVE HEREORA 
: Eight hundred Maori are in Modern Apprenticeships the Gateway programme has been promoted and 654 clients—that is Maori clients—have been assisted into economic development business facilitation. The list goes on. I cannot see where there are special privileges. No one is forced on to the Maori roll. Maori do not get dual voting rights. They cannot cast their vote twice. It is understood that the Maori seats and their future will and should be determined by Maori. Is the National Party saying that it has Maori endorsement? I do not think so. After all it is common knowledge that the only Maori National member opposes that. So I ask: who endorsed that? 
I turn to the issue of tangihanga leave—branded again as a special privilege for Maori. I have in my hand the draft of the Holidays Bill. There is not one mention in the entire bill of the word “tangihanga”. I would like to know from National Party members why they are branding tangihanga leave as a special privilege when there is no mention of it in the draft bill itself—no mention at all. 
I will shift to an issue surrounding Waitangi Day. Following the celebration at Waitangi I travelled to Kororareka—for some that is called Russell. I went over there to visit my whanau. When I arrived at the Waikare estuary my whanau were exercising a traditional historical exercise of catching flounder. I thought that was a wonderful way to celebrate our national day—by having the opportunity and the right to exercise a customary right. 
I say finally that our Government’s core mission is to build a confident and dynamic nation based on an innovative growing smart economy that can deliver more jobs more opportunities and higher living standards together with the resources to fund world-class public services especially in health and education and world-class infrastructure. The nation we seek to build is creative and it looks after its environment its values its diversity and its tolerance. It takes seriously its responsibilities under the Treaty of Waitangi and it is a good international citizen. 
We will always be the indigenous people of this land. We are tangata whenua and there is a specialness inherent in that which we will continue to celebrate in partnership with other New Zealanders. Kia ora.