4. TE URUROA FLAVELL (Māori Party—Waiariki) Link to this
to the Minister of Maori Affairs
I tukuna ki whea o ngā kaupapa ā-mahi o nāianei te rua tekau mā toru miriona, iwa rau mano taara o te Pūtea, ā, he aha i kore ai i whakapauhia kētia ki ngā kaupapa ā-mahi i whakaritehia i te tuatahi?
[From which existing programmes was the $23.9 million reallocated in the Budget and why was this money not expended on the programmes for which it was originally allocated?]
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House) Link to this
If I take the second part of the question first, the money is being expended in the current year on the programmes for which it was originally allocated. The reallocation is forward-looking from 1 July, and the money is reallocated from these current programmes: building capacity in Māori communities, capacity assessment, direct resourcing of local level solutions, local level solutions/ development, whānau development enterprise, whānau development sport and culture, and whānau development action research programmes.
Te Ururoa Flavell Link to this
Ka pēhea tōna whakamārama ki te whānau, ki te hapū me te iwi, kei te pūmau tōna kāwanatanga te tuku rawa kia tipu, kia puāwai te mana Māori i runga i te āhua kāore i riro i a ia he pūtea hōu mō taua kaupapa?
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.]
[How will he explain to whānau, hapū, and iwi that his Government is committed to invest in Māori potential, when he was unable to obtain any new funding whatsoever to do so?]
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
Funding in the Māori area is significantly larger than it was 6 years ago. The reallocated funding, moving forward from 1 July, will particularly assist in terms of developing and retaining people’s own assets for collective and individual benefit; strengthening leadership and decision making; and building knowledge and growing skills and talents.
Dave HereoraHon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
The baseline for Vote Māori Affairs in 2006-07 represents $112 million more funding in a year, for investment in Māori development, than in the 1999-2000 year baseline. That has had many positive effects, not least the fact that Māori unemployment has dropped from a record high of 18.9 percent, to 8.6 percent. This is still higher than the Government wants to see it.
Hon Tau HenareWhat role did the Minister of Māori Affairs play in advocating the cutting of funding for local level solutions for Māori in this year’s Budget, and was this funding cut because his ministry could not even answer questions from the select committee about the programme, and had no idea what it was spending its money on?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
It would be fair to say there have been some difficulties with that programme. That is partly why money has been reallocated, from 1 July, into new programmes.
Dr Pita SharplesI runga i te tumeketanga ka topea ngā pūtea manaaki tauira mō ngā tauira iwa mano me te pūtea karahipi mō ngā tauira Māori, Poronīhia hoki, he aha ngā tohutohu i tukuna atu e ia ki tōna Tari, ki te Minita Mātauranga, te Tari Mātauranga rānei?
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.]
[Regarding the shock axing of the manaaki tauira grants for 9,000 students and the Māori and Polynesian scholarships, what advice did he or his ministry provide to the Minister or Ministry of Education?]
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
The money that was involved in that programme, of course, was education money, not Te Puni Kōkiri funding. Interest-free student loans and increases in student allowances will by far more than compensate for the loss of that funding. That funding has been reprioritised into the Te Kotahitanga programme.
Kei te mārama ia ki te karere a Te Mana Ākonga e kī rā, kāre ngā mahi poro i te pūtea manaaki tauira i te mahi tautoko kia haere whakamua te Māori, ā, kei te whakapono rānei a ia, he moumou tāima noa iho te hui i te taha o ngā tauira Māori mēnā kāre, he aha ngā hui i whakatūngia?
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.]
[Is he aware of the release from Te Mana Ākonga stating that cuts to manaaki tauira do nothing to support Māori advancement, or does he believe that consultation with Māori students is a waste of time; if not, what consultation has taken place?]
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
I am not aware of what level of consultation occurred. I am aware that the administration cost of the manaaki tauira programme was very high compared with the amount of money that actually found its way to students. In fact, by being reallocated the money will be far more effective in that it will get to the people who actually need it, rather than being spent on officials.
Ron MarkHas the Minister received any reports of a possible coalition between the Māori Party and National in a National-led Government, and how would such an arrangement affect the axing of manaaki tauira grants and scholarships; and how does he predict it would affect the baseline funding for Te Puni Kōkiri, given that one of those partners would want to dissolve Te Puni Kōkiri—
Madam SPEAKERThe member knows that the Minister cannot be responsible for any of those political arrangements. If the member would like to characterise his question without that, he is free to do so.
Has he read any reports of possible future governance arrangements in this country that involve parties that want to dissolve Te Puni Kōkiri and extinguish Māori representation in this House, and how would that affect funding for Te Puni Kōkiri in the future?
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The proponents of three supplementary questions that have been asked extended the original question to bring into discussion the baseline funding for Te Puni Kōkiri, the axing of the manaaki tauira grants and scholarships, and what the Minister would say to Māori iwi and whānau. Those supplementary questions brought those issues into this current question, and I believe that it is perfectly appropriate for the Minister to further comment on those points, his having already been asked to comment on them.
I think that if the member narrowed his question—it is certainly true that the educational aspect of it has been brought in—it would be more in order. But the question was an extraordinarily broad one. I will take another supplementary question.
What other risks does the Minister see to scholarship funding for Māori students, particularly the manaaki tauira grants, and baseline funding for Te Puni Kōkiri, in the foreseeable future?
What other risks does the Minister see to scholarship funding for Māori students, particularly manaaki tauira grants, and baseline funding for Te Puni Kōkiri, in the foreseeable future?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
There have certainly been suggestions that Te Puni Kōkiri should fundamentally be abolished—and I see Mr Henare nodding his head in agreement with that—that any separate funding at all for Māori should be abolished, and that the Māori seats should be abolished. In return for this generosity towards Māori, Mrs Turia has stated that National is better for Māori than Labour is.
Te Ururoa Flavell Link to this
Kei te whakaae te Minita, nā te wehewehe, te kore pā hoki o tōna tari me te iwi Māori e rawa kore ana, kāore i tukuna atu te rua tekau mā toru miriona, iwa rau mano taara mō ngā kaupapa ā-mahi;ā, mēnā kāore, he aha ai?
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.]
[Would the Minister agree that the reallocation of $23.9 million is the result of his ministry losing touch with ordinary Māori in need; if not, why not?]
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
No, I do not agree with that, at all. Indeed, the results speak for themselves in terms of increased educational participation, reduced unemployment, increased employment, and improvements in longevity of life. This Government has delivered in those respects. Those are the actual facts on the ground.