11. GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) Link to this
to the Minister of Maori Affairs
Does he have confidence in his ministry; if so, why?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Māori Affairs) Link to this
Yes; it is a hard-working and a conscientious ministry.
When Te Puni Kōkiri expanded its staffing levels by 18 percent between 2002 and 2005, why did his ministry also feel the need to increase the numbers of contractors on the books, and consultants, by some 67 percent?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
As that member would know if he were experienced enough, one has to get specialist help in any restructuring. My ministry has advised me that the expenditure on contracting and consulting has decreased dramatically.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Expenditure on consultants has not decreased dramatically; it has increased by 67 percent. The question for the Minister asked why. He did not address that. He cannot address the question, surely, by saying that the facts we have had to provide to the Clerk’s Office are wrong.
Madam SPEAKERAs I heard the Minister’s answer, he did address that the increase had in fact come from a restructuring. There were two parts to the question. He only ever has to answer one.
Dave HereoraHon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
The Minister! Alongside their Minister, certainly it is the ministry’s 10 regional offices and the face-to-face connection and experience they have gleaned over years, even when working under Tau Henare, and the connection with iwi, hapū, whānau, and other Māori communities.
Why does the Minister name himself as being the key strength of this ministry, when, in response to written questions 7657, 7658, 7659, 7660, 7663, 7664, and 7665, he responded that the Minister of Māori Affairs has no responsibility for what Te Puni Kōkiri does?
Please be seated. Members are going to leave this Chamber, because other members cannot hear the answers. Members are on their last warning—and it is the back row, again.
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
Operational matters are the responsibility of the chief executive. But this Minister certainly travels enough to have a look around the country. He does a lot more travelling than Tau Henare ever did in his reign.
Dr Pita SharplesTēnā koe, Madam Speaker. What support can Te Puni Kōkiri and the Minister give in having land no longer required for educational purposes returned to the original owners, or their descendants, such as the Whakaangiangi School on the East Coast; and would he not agree that this is an opportunity for the potential of Māori to be realised, as per Te Puni Kōkiri policy?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
Just about 10 days ago I was at Whakaangiangi School as the Associate Minister of Education, after I had been all around the country. There is a land banking process in relation to support for the Treaty settlements, and, sadly, I join with the member from the Māori Party in this. We are ensuring that we cover those matters as quickly as we can.
Rt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
In the interests of comparison, I seek to table the evidence that in 1991—
Who is intervening? We have to get some order into this House, please. Who was intervening on that tabling?
Hon Tau Henare
Phil HeatleyHon Winston Peters Link to this
I seek to table the evidence that in 1991 the Māori Affairs budget was $239 million, and by the end of National’s reign with Tau Henare it was $39 million.
Was he responsible for contract 7107, which reads: “To develop and provide an issues management system that will progressively deliver information and systems management functionality to Te Puni Kōkiri specific to the relationships in information whaihanga.”; if so, what does that mean?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
One can always understand snide chuckles. But, no, it is an operational matter. Can I tell that member, and those sniggering over there, about what they have been up to. They started off with the Ōrewa Brash attack. They did that, then they moved on to discuss the delineation of Māori blood, then they went and had tea with my friends from the Māori Party to see whether they could curry up with some real Māoris, and now they continue with their cultural sniggering, which is utter rubbish in this great country.
Was the Minister involved in the description of another contract, which reads: “To contribute to the relationships and information project phase 2 by providing advice and cooperation development and implementation of sub-deliverables contained in phase 2 project plan to manage the SHAZ, to ensure certainty of service delivery during the change interpretation to SHAZ and its transition period, to establish professional relationships with all sectors of SHAZ and HINZ, to develop succession plans, documentation to Te Puni Kōkiri’s role in SHAZ and HINZ, to carry out such reviews of SHAZ and HINZ as may be necessary.”; if so, what the hell are “SHAZ” and “HINZ”?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
That shows that the member does not understand the housing portfolio, and he is trying to make fun of a lot of effort put in by people. I want to know why he left the financial review this morning after 12 minutes. He did not bother even to stick around.
I left the financial review after 12 minutes this morning, because Te Puni Kōkiri had a script written by that Minister, and I did not understand a word its representatives were saying.
Hon Dr Michael Cullen Link to this
In the light of the fact that the Opposition spokesperson on Māori affairs does not know what special housing action zones are, would the Minister like to organise a briefing for him, to try to rectify his ignorance on these key matters?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
As long as he stays longer than 12 minutes, I will give him all the information he needs.
Would the Minister agree that in these nine pages of very tight type, where literally millions of dollars are dished out by Te Puni Kōkiri on contracts that appear to have very little to do with advancing the cause of Māori, there is a problem; and is that part of the reason why Māori lag so far behind the rest of the community on income statistics?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
A lot of money is spent on Māori—understandably. I remind that member that when he was last in this House in Government, 41,500 Māori were on the unemployment benefit. That number is down to just under 14,000 at the moment. The average hourly earning rate—
Judith CollinsHon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
The member should get her facts right. The average hourly earning rate for Māori has increased from $13.11 in his time, to just under $19 now. What is that about?
Does the Minister stand by his own statement to this House that Māori income, compared with non-Māori income, sees Māori households being around $9,000 a year worse off than non-Māori households; if so, what is he doing to demand better performance out of the Ministry of Māori Development?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
The Ministry of Māori Development, along with other mainstream ministries, has put a lot of effort in. It is right that those households are lagging behind. But a fair bit of that comes out of the decrepit policies left by that member and his Government in their time. I can tell members that it was through their influence, and I will brief that member on information on that, because a hell of a lot of outcomes like this have come out: 50,000 more Māori are in jobs right now, 92 percent of all Māori who want to work are working, 86 percent of Māori children between the ages of 1 and 5 are in early childhood education, 10,000 more Māori are in highly skilled apprenticeships, and almost another 10,000 are adding, 18 months at a time, to skilled occupations. [ Interruption] It is a lot more than you ever did, so put that in your pipe, big boy, and smoke it!