21 MAY 2014; 5PM
Te Ururoa Flavell: Budget Speech
Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Kia ora tātou e te Whare.
These are historic times to be speaking to the 2014 Budget as a strong and independent Māori voice in the Parliament of
this land.
In two days time we celebrate ten years to the day since over 200 people gathered at Hoani Waititi Marae in Auckland. At
that time representatives from Te Tai Tokerau , Ngāti Whātua , Tāmaki-makau-rau , Tainui , Raukawa, Waiariki , Te Arawa
in my area, Mataatua and Ngati Porou , Ngāti Kahungunu , Te Atiawa, Ngāti Apa, Whanganui, Raukawa ki te Tonga, and the
New Zealand Māori Council journeyed across the country. They attended a hui to discuss the need for an independent Māori
political voice.
It was that hui that mobilised over 200 Māori leaders to build on the momentum gained from the hīkoi opposing Labour’s
Foreshore and Seabed Act of 2004. This hui unanimously agreed that the people are ready to act collectively to bring to
the fore Māori interests of value to all New Zealanders. So began the journey of the Māori Party, a journey that has
taken us through a three-year term in Opposition and two subsequent terms in a relationship with the Government.
Today I read a release from the Labour Party that talked about the Māori Party gains in this year’s Budget, and it
described them as being mere crumbs on the table—crumbs on the table. If the $100 million of new money for Māori
development that we achieved in Budget 2014 was crumbs, then the money received in times of surplus when Labour was in
Government equates to a mere third of a crumb—a third of a crumb.
I am thinking of the days of plenty, in 2007, when, theoretically, Māori should have been at the very best we have ever
seen. Times were good. In that memorable year, Dr Michael Cullen announced a mere $35.6 million committed not just to
Māori but also to Treaty-related initiatives—$35 million.
I say memorable because, of course, 2007 was the year the Labour Party chose to vote against the United Nations’
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People , citing opposition particularly to article 3—the right to
self-determination. That happened on 13 September. One month later in the same year, 2007, on 15 October, more than 300
police carried out the dawn raids on a dozen houses all over Aotearoa in response to what they described as terrorist
threats from the indigenous activists. So, yes, in the context of the Tūhoe raids and the rejection of the declaration
on the rights of indigenous peoples, I guess that even a third of a crumb is memorable.
Comparing the two, then—$35 million in 2007 for Māori and the Treaty as opposed to $100 million of new money this year
for the Māori Party initiatives. That is how it stacks up.
But listen, there is a bit more: $35 million in 2007 compared with $300 million across a whole range of votes in 2014—of
both new votes and reprioritised funding, which have tangible benefits for whānau , hapū, and iwi.
The 2007 equivalent is just a little bit over 10 percent of a crumb—10 percent of a crumb. That year was, if you like, a
perfect storm. There was a rare combination of circumstances that came together to convince iwi Māori that the time had
come for a new direction. That direction came some twelve months later with the relationship formalised between the
Māori Party and the Government to form a coalition of the willing to negotiate a more successful future for all to
enjoy.
Budget 2014 reveals that the Māori Party has pushed this Government hard on a number of matters, including
· a commitment to establish the $30 million Māori Information and Communications Development Fund in 2014-15,
· the establishment of a $5 million Te Mana o Te Wai Fund,
· the establishment of the centre of research excellence for the funding of Mātauranga Māori research,
· recognising the relevance and effectiveness of Whānau Ora as a lead social and economic transformation approach for
Māori, Pasifika peoples, and other New Zealanders, through the ongoing funding committed to Whānau Ora, the work of
three new commissioning agencies, and the establishment of a Treaty-based partnership group comprising senior Ministers
and iwi leaders, to provide joint direction, oversight, and promotion of Whānau Ora. I go on.
· Following up on the recommendations of Te Paepae Motuhake, the name of that report was Te Reo Mauriora, through to the
Māori Language Strategy and the proposed amendments to the Māori Language Act that the Hon Dr Pita Sharples hopes to
introduce into this House prior to the House lifting for the 2014 election,
· securing funding to invest in three economic development initiatives that will address some of the outcomes sought in
the Māori Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan, He Kai Kei Aku Ringa,
· the funding secured for Māori radio and Te Māngai Pāho for iwi Māori economic development,
· $16 million for the Māori housing fund, to support the repairs and rebuilds of rural houses and developing Māori
social housing providers,
· $90 million to provide free general practitioner visits and free prescriptions for all of our tamariki up to age 13
and,
· most important and most exciting of all, Moving the Māori Nation fund, which is about investing in capacity-building
and development and support for sporting and cultural excellence.
That is just a start. Do we believe in the collective rights of indigenous peoples? Well, hell yeah—hell yeah.
What is even more exciting about the 2014 Budget is that it shows the maturing of the relationship between the Crown and
iwi—a relationship that has been evident through iwi leaders being now able to be intimately associated with the policy
development process right across key portfolios of the Government.
We are particularly proud of the Budget’s $500 million fund, the package to support children and families as the
absolute foundation of our nation. That is what having influence is all about.
If I can in the last few minutes that are available to me to talk about the Budget, I would like to just angle a little
bit of discussion across to one who is leaving the House today, Mr Shane Jones.
ENDS