Media Release
20 October 2003

Who Is The Real Minister Of
Maori Affairs? Asks NZ First

New Zealand First has asked the Prime Minister to name the REAL Minister of Maori Affairs in her minority government and to explain what that minister actually does for Maori.

Maori Affairs spokesperson Bill Gudgeon said today that it was confusing how the Government’s Treaty “education” programme had become an “information” programme and how the Maori Affairs Minister had been sidelined from fronting it.

“The Government is spending $6.47million on a programme about the Treaty and the one minister who should be expected to know about it has been taken out of the action.

“Perhaps it is because the Prime Minister has no confidence in the Minister taking charge of something that most of us learned at primary school as part of New Zealand history anyway.

“Maori are becoming increasingly irritated at the Government’s twists, U-turns, back-flips, side-steps, about-turns and fob-offs in relation to Maori policies and the Prime Minister should select a minister who can deliver,” said Mr Gudgeon.

ENDS

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