Social Assistance (Future Focus) Bill
Second Reading, Thursday 5th August 2010
Kia ora tātou katoa e te Whare, tātou e hui nei i tēnei rangi. Kua tū ake tēnei nā ki te kōrero mō te taha ki a mātou o te Pāti Māori. I roto i tōku ngākau kei te kī atu, kei te hiahia te Minita ki te āwhina i te hunga e rongo nei i te ngau o te rawakore, o te hiahia ki te hoki ki te mahi. Ēngari tōna whakatinanatanga, kei reira tonu te uauatanga.

I roto i ngā pire ka tae mai ki mua i te aroaro o te Whare Pāremata, kei reira tonu ētahi wāhanga e āhua pai, ahakoa pēhea mai, Reipa mai, Nāhianara mai. Ko te mate kē, kei reira anō hoki ētahi wāhanga he āhua uaua ki te whaiwhai haere. Nā runga i te aha? Nā runga i te uauatanga.

Nō reira, ko tā mātau, ko tā tātau o te Whare nei, he āta titiro ki ngā taha e rua mēnā, āe rānei, he kaha ake ngā painga ki ērā o ngā mea āhua kino nei. Mēnā ko te tikanga o tēnei pire, he whakarite i ētahi huarahi kia tangohia ngā here o te Karauna i runga i te tangata, he mea pai tērā. He mea pai rawa atu tērā. Ēngari, tōna whakatinanatanga pēnei i tāku e kōrero nei, kei reira tonu te uauatanga.

Kua roa te Ao Māori e kōrero ana, kāre e tika ana kia noho here te Māori, me ki, ki te penihana, ki te Karauna. Kua roa tērā e kōrerohia ana, kua roa tērā e wāiatatia ana. Kei roto i ngā waiata a Tuini Ngāwai, kei roto i ngā haka a Tā Apirana Ngata, kei roto i ngā kōrero a John Tāmihere mā; ko rātou te hunga i kī atu, i whakaatu mai ki te motu, kāre te Māori i te hiahia kia herea e ngā taura ki te penihana, otirā ki te Karauna. Nō reira me pēhea e taea ai te tango mai te here kia taea ai e te Māori te hoki ki te tiaki i a ia anō, otirā, kia taea ai e te motu te tiaki i a tātau anō kia waiho ake te taha ki te penihana ki a ia anō, me kī, kia panaia ai ki tāwāhi.

[Greetings to us all, the House, those assembled here today. I rise to express the view of the Māori Party. My heart is saying that the Minister wants to help those experiencing poverty and who want to return to work. But the implementation is really difficult.

There are some provisions in the bills coming before the House that are somewhat beneficial, whichever way one looks at it, be it Labour, or be it National. The real problem is that there are provisions, as well, that are quite difficult to address. And why is that? Because it is difficult.

We propose that we of this House should examine both sides to see whether, yes, the benefits outweigh those aspects that are somewhat bad. If the purpose of this bill is to consider ways of removing encumbrances placed by the Crown on the individual, then that is a good thing—a really great move. But implementing it in the manner that I am saying here still presents a difficulty.

Māoridom has long said that it is not right for Māori to remain tied to the State through benefits. That has been talked and sung about for a long time. It is in Tuini Ngāwai’s songs, Sir Apirana’s posture dances, speeches by the ilk of John Tāmihere, and others; they were ones who revealed to the nation that the Māori people wanted to be unencumbered by systems like benefits and being a State dependant. So I ask how the Māori people can be unshackled so that they and the rest of the country can return to a situation where they care for themselves; and that matters relating to benefits be addressed by them or be driven offshore.]

ENDS

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