Māori—Voice in Government Decision-making

Got the “Brown” bit right, anyway. Is the fact that the Associate Minister of Corrections, who has delegated—

That comment is not necessary. If we want some order in the House, we will reserve those things for later.

Is the fact that the Associate Minister of Corrections, who has delegated responsibility for addressing Māori overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, did not receive any information about the amended “three strikes” policy prior to or following its announcement, an example of Māori being participants in, or recipients of, decision making?

As the Minister of Corrections informed the House earlier, the Minister of Maori Affairs has his own discussions with the Department of Corrections on these matters. Therefore, no flow of paper was necessary.

How much did the Māori voice inform the Government’s decision to shut down Te Hurihanga youth offending programme, considering that the Associate Minister of Corrections, who has responsibility for addressing Māori overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, did not receive a single paper, briefing, or report on the matter?

Mallard Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this

Unlike the Labour Party and the previous Labour Government, the National-led Government—

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Mallard Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this

I know what the member is going to say.

Do I need to say it? Shall I just say “ibid”?

See whether I am right. That was a straightforward question from the member, and there is no need to bring political inference into it or to make a political statement in your opening comments.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Although I accept that, and I think it is important, it is also reasonable that a Minister answering a question deals with what might be a misconception by the person asking the question. Otherwise the person asking the question can corner a Minister into answering a question according to his or her own limited knowledge.

These are debating points, and I ask the Minister to respond in a manner that is fitting to the occasion.

In the case that the member mentions, there was conversation with relevant iwi.

Does he consider that the Māori voice is being heard through his role as Associate Minister of Education with responsibility for all matters relating to kaupapa Māori education and work relating to wānanga, considering that he claimed he was not consulted on national standards or on the Government’s plans to scrap some tertiary courses and cut funding for some tertiary institutions?

This matter has been dealt with in the House before and cleared up by the Minister of Maori Affairs. I invite the Hon Shane Jones to look back through Hansard to get the clarification he seeks today.

Given that these policies will have a disastrous effect on the overrepresentation of Māori in our prisons—

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I do not want to be overly pedantic, but I think it is time that we started to require members to start questions with a question word, not the sort of emotive claptrap we just heard from the Hon Shane Jones.

Mallard Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this

Thank you. The member knows he must start with a question.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I would like to refer you to Speaker’s rulings by Speaker the Hon Dr Smith in this Parliament, in which he has indicated that he is reverting to the practice of before the period of Mr Speaker Hunt. The word “given” has been allowed by him, as has been the practice in this House for all but about 5 years.

It is true that Speaker Lockwood Smith has allowed some questions to begin with the word “given”, but generally it refers to something that has been said earlier, not to the sort of highly emotive, political statement that Mr Jones just made.

Thank you for that. Questions should not contain arguments or inferences that might cause offence. I ask the member to ask the question again.

How can the Minister of Māori Affairs believe that he will remain effective, given the effect of these policies on the overrepresentation of Māori in our prisons—with 50 percent of our prison population being Māori males—and on student underachievement; and, given that he was not consulted by the Government on any of these policies, is this not a case of “three strikes and you’re out”?

Firstly, the door to the Cabinet room is always open to the Minister of Māori Affairs. He frequently attends Cabinet meetings on matters that are of concern to him, and that will be a matter of public record. Secondly, although those statistics for young Māori, and, indeed, Māori in prisons, are not acceptable, that has been a circumstance that existed and was exacerbated through the 9 years that that member supported a Government in this country that did nothing. When it comes to Māori educational attainment, of course the Minister wants to see education at a higher level of attainment by Māori, and he believes that his arrangements with the National-led Government will produce that result.

I seek leave to table an Official Information Act response from Dr Pita Sharples confirming that he did not receive or produce any information as the Associate Minister of Corrections in relation to Te Hurihanga youth-offending programme.

Is this a letter from Dr Sharples?

Yes.

To whom? Is this in the public domain?

Collins Hon Judith Collins Link to this

It is an Official Information Act request.

Can I just clarify a matter raised by that member. The Department of Corrections does not have responsibility for youth justice, so I just wonder whether—