Parekura Horomia Must Go
National MP Murray McCully and ACT MP Rodney Hide today said that Helen Clark has no option but to sack Maori Affairs
Minister Parekura Horomia.
"Helen Clark came to power promising a `new era of moderation, frugality and integrity in the public sector'.
"Her Minister of Maori Affairs has overseen waste, extravagance, incompetence and corruption that is unprecedented in
New Zealand. Te Mangai Paho is just one of several slush funds being presided over by this Minister, with a complete
absence of accountability.
"Te Mangai Paho is just the tip of the ice-berg. Tame Te Rangi was being paid, and having trips, courtesy of the
company he was securing taxpayer funding for. Plus he was being paid. He materially benefited from the very contracts
that he was promoting and managing from within Te Mangai Paho.
"And Horomia did nothing.
"Worse, Horomia has obstructed the Opposition in seeking answers. He has spoken in riddles when questions are put, he
has misled Parliament and the public in his replies, and he has failed simply to show up either to Parliament or to the
public. Every step of the way he has acted to protect the wrongdoer and the wrongdoing.
"Horomia's replies to written questions in parliament have been deliberately misleading, incomplete and false. The
attached 14 questions show that one was misleading, three were incomplete and 10 were false. These questions concern
payments to Maori Sportscasting International, Tame Te Rangi's role at Maori Sportscasting International and his role in
securing funding for Maori Sportscasting International.
Parekura has used what little energy he has, not in helping Maori people but, simply defending his wrongdoing
officials.
"The question for Helen Clark is whether this is the standard that she expects of her Ministers - or has she got a
separate standard for her Maori Ministers. Either way, it isn't good enough. It certainly isn't what she promised," Hon
Murray McCully and Mr Hide said.
* Read the evidence yourself at ( http://www.act.org.nz/horomia)