Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:630;Page:2057] 
6.  
Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
 to the  
Minister of Justice 
: Has he been informed of the results of the UMR survey released yesterday which found there was strong overall agreement (66 percent agree; 12 percent disagree) to the statement that “in addition to having the same rights as all New Zealanders Maori have the right to live as Maori” and what is his response to this finding? 
Hon MARK BURTON (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 Yes I have been informed of the results of the survey that was released yesterday by the Human Rights Commission to mark Race Relations Day 2006. The finding that the member refers to is encouraging. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Ka taea e ia te whakamarama mai i te aronga o nga kupu “kia tu rangatira ai hei Maori?” 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Is he able to explain what is meant by “live and succeed as Maori”? 
] 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: I did not author the report but certainly I would take it to mean to fully participate in and to have the economic social and cultural benefits of a full healthy and wholesome life in New Zealand. 
Pita Paraone 
: Can the Minister given his response to the primary question describe what is meant by “to live as Maori” and is this the reason that so many Maori are relocating to Australia—now one in seven; soon to be one in three—where they can obviously “live as Maori”? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: What I meant is essentially what I answered to Dr Sharples’ supplementary question. To add to that answer a good example of what I was describing is the record number of Maori in jobs and the record number of young Maori in education in industry-based training and in Modern Apprenticeships—those are all good examples of young Maori in this country who are fully participating in New Zealand society. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: I rungai te kaupapa kei te whakaae te nuinga o Niu Tireni kia “noho taketake te Maori hei Maori” he aha onatohutohu ki te Minitamo te Manatu Aorere na ko te whakautu o Niu Tireni ki te kaupapa kuawhakariteamongatangata whenua o te ao kei te he kei te kuare na te meakare he koreromo te Maoriengari ka hangaianakengakoreromo “te katoa o te iwi”? 
[ 
As New Zealanders generally agree that “Maori have the right to live as Maori” what action will he take to advise the Minister of Foreign Affairs that the New Zealand response to the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous people is both unjust and ill-informed in failing to mention Maori people but instead focusing only on “all citizens”? 
] 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. To the best of my knowledge this country is called New Zealand. That is not the name that Mr Sharples just gave this nation and he should not be allowed to let it creep into the language by way of using the Maori language in the House. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. This country is not Niu Tireni; it is New Zealand and some call it Aotearoa. But that other name is not ascribed to New Zealand. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order; it may well be a matter of fact— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. When the question was asked it had that word in it for describing this nation. The House surely recognises what name this country is called. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Since the 18th century Maori have been referring to this country as Niu Tireni Niu Tirani or Aotearoa. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Thank you. Members can use whatever terms they like; it is not to be ruled what is correct or not. We will now ask for the interpretation please. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: As the member identifies I do not have ministerial responsibility for the report in question—but I do frequently engage in useful discussion with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.