9. Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Māori Party) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Kei te whakaae ia ki ngā kōrero a te kairipoata mō te Rōpū Whakakotahi tangata o te Ao, arā, a Rodolfo Stavenhagen, ka raru te nohotahitanga o ngā iwi mēnā ka tapaina te kaupapa “kotahi anake te ture mō te katoa” i Niu Tīreni?
[Does she agree with the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples, Rodolfo Stavenhagen, that the “one law for all” philosophy is a recipe for making race relations in New Zealand worse?]
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Acting Prime Minister) Link to this
The Government is committed to an inclusive society. This means there is only one standard of citizenship, but there are instances where it is important to recognise the needs of particular groups in law or policy.
Does the Prime Minister believe that the statement she made that the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination sat “on the outer edges of the United Nations system” is helpful to the promotion of good race relations in New Zealand when so many New Zealanders acted in good faith in taking a claim on the Foreshore and Seabed Act to that committee?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
A relatively small number of New Zealanders took that particular claim to that particular committee, but, yes, I believe the Prime Minister’s statement is a statement of fact in relation to the structure of the United Nations.
Hone HarawiraGiven the United Nations’ rapporteur’s advice against the “one law for all” philosophy, that: “If States do not take that into account when they formulate their policies I think things may actually tend to become worse rather than better”, how will the Prime Minister accommodate the varying cultural and ethnic needs within our multicultural society, or will they all be treated the same?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
We already do a great deal to accommodate multicultural and multi-ethnic needs within New Zealand society. But, of course, there are also some fundamental issues of citizenship and, indeed, a great matter of law where we are all exactly the same and treated as such.
Kei te whakaae te Minita ki te Minita Māori, kei mua a Niu Tīreni i ngā whenua katoa o te ao ki te whakatinana i ngā kaupapa tautoko i te mana tangata; nā, he aha ngā rawa i hoatungia e tēnei kāwana itinga, arā, te Kāwana Reipa, kia taea e te rahi me te iti o ngā tāngata o Aotearoa te kōrero, te tūtaki ki te kairipoata mō te Rōpū Whakakotahi Tāngata o te Ao?
[Does the Minister agree with the Minister of Māori Affairs that New Zealand is at the forefront of international efforts to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms for everyone; and given this, how much support did this minority Labour Government provide in terms of time and financial resource to enable ordinary New Zealanders to meet and speak with the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples?]
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
Professor Stavenhagen is in New Zealand at the invitation of the New Zealand Government. It is a broad-standing invitation to the rapporteurs of this particular committee, but from there on, of course, it is a matter for the UN committee to be concerned with how they engage in interactions. My understanding is that approximately 65 percent to 70 percent of the time is being spent with Māori and a small amount of time is being spent with the Acting Prime Minister tomorrow.