MEDIA RELEASE

25 November 2015

Labour & NZF Maori MPs should do homework before mudslinging

“If Labour’s Peeni Henare and NZ First’s Pita Paraone have to dredge for mud to sling at the Maori Party they should at least take the trouble to find genuine mud that has some chance of sticking.” This from Rangimarie Naida Glavish, president of the Maori Party, responding to a recent claims by Messrs Henare and Paraone that the Minister for Maori Development, Hon Te Ururoa Flavell, is failing to develop te reo Maori via broadcasting.

“If those two opposition MPs had done some homework, they would have found that the Maori Party has increased funding for Maori broadcasting. Maori radio had an injection of $12 million over four years in the last budget of former Minister Hon Pita Sharples.

“Then there is the Maori Language Amendment Bill, the biggest reorganisation of te reo Maori since the establishment of Te Taura Whiri, Te Mangai Paoho and Maori Television Service were established. The opportunity for Maori and the Crown to take increased joint responsibility for the future of the language is much enhanced under this Bill. 

“This is a Maori Party Bill and has received wide acceptance in the form of cross party support. It is due to be passed into legislation early in 2016, and we will be interested to see how Peeni and Pita vote on it. Te Maatawai will be the entity that will represent the Maori partner in the joint Maori/Crown collaboration in the promotion, protection and the revitalisation of te reo. This is a key development and investment which acknowledges and gives effect to the Waitangi Tribunal's 1986 finding that Treaty of Waitangi obliges the Crown to recognise and protect theMaori language,” Ms Glavish concluded.

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