Gerry Brownlee MP - National Party Maori Affairs Spokesman

17 February 2004

Pita Sharples patronising to Maori educators

National Party Maori Affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee is appalled by the suggestion from Maori Party spokesman Pita Sharples that Maori tertiary institutions should be treated differently to those that are non-Maori. He is referring to comments made by Dr Sharples relating to the investigations being conducted into Te Wananga O Aotearoa.

"Dr Sharples appears to believe that Maori education providers should get greater flexibility and face less accountability than other education providers.

"This kind of separatist nonsense is patronising to Maori in the extreme.

"New Zealand will never move ahead if we continue to tolerate two standards of citizenship.

"National believes progress for Maori comes as it does for every other Kiwi, with policies that focus on need, not race," Mr Brownlee says.

ENDS

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