Parliamentary and Related Matters
Darleen Tana Removed From Parliament
- This week the Speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee, gazetted (formally announced) that Darleen Tana was no longer a Member of Parliament – effective Tuesday. (Or as a cheeky Wairaraparian put it to us, ‘He pāti whai mana ki te pana i a Tana’.) She was replaced by Benjamin Doyle. Speaker Brownlee’s action followed a request from the Green Party for him to do so, after the party had met (yet again) to discuss the matter, following their inquiry into Mrs Tana’s business practices prior to entering Parliament.
By way of background, the Green Party inquiry considered allegations of immigrant exploitation, and whether Mrs Tana was involved in such matters prior to entering Parliament in 2023, and whether she omitted to tell her party as much, and accordingly broke their party values. The inquiry report – which has never been fully released – led to Mrs Tana resigning from the party – which in turn gave the party legislative mandate to ask the Speaker to remove her from Parliament. So the matter is finally closed. Except of course, not for any potentially exploited immigrants: no support has been offered to them – nor for taxpayers – the party has also not offered to make any financial contribution towards Mrs Tana’s salary paid out since the saga began. Outside of their values base perhaps?
Te Pāti Māori and New Zealand First
- Last week Te Pāti Māori co-leaders, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, sent an open letter to the Parliamentary Speaker, Gerry Brownlee, asking him to address comments made by New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters, in Parliament. They accuse Mr Peters of racism. In turn Mr Peters accuses Te Pāti Māori of being untruthful about what he said during the parliamentary debate.
By way of background, what Mr Peters said was “would students at te reo Maori lessons learn more if they kept their mouth shut and listen to the teacher”. The Te Pāti Māori view is that this comment is an example of ongoing racism against Māori. Mr Peters says it was in reference to a member of the Labour Party, Willow-Jean Prime, interrupting a Ministerial reply about a Māori language programme.
Our view is that in the context of this comment alone the Te Pāti Māori letter of complaint reads as immoderate – we note it uses language like ‘racist assault’, ‘vile’, and ‘divisive’ (see link below). It also does not reference other comments made at the time by Mr Waititi, which present as having some innuendo of a physical altercation. Those observation made, looking more broadly, since the election these two parties seem to be purposely working each other up (which is fine), but then to some degree contesting what it is, or what it means, to be Māori. If that is what is going on our view is that it is unhelpful for Māori katoa and perhaps he take whakamā – we wonder what the non-Māori parliamentarians make of it all? Being Māori – as the census highlights – rests on whakapapa: could it be that neither Mr Peters nor Mr Waititi is more, nor less, Māori than the other?
(Still for balance, at least these Māori parliamentarians haven’t told a member of the public in a group setting that they are a ‘loser’, which was the approach of Minister Andrew Bayly, which he has now apologised for.)
Open letter to the Speaker – Te Pāti Māori
Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers (continued) – New Zealand Parliament
Salient Māori News Items to 01 Whiringa-ā-rangi 2024
- Associate Minister of Education, David Seymour, has announced changes to the school lunch programme will result in savings of $130 million, and allow all students receiving a free lunch presently to continue to do so. (On the surface this presents as a good outcome, which will likely have a disproportionately positive impact on Māori, given differences in child poverty levels, although critics have raised concerns about food quality.)
- The Government has confirmed its public apology for abuse in care is set to take place at 11.30am on 12 November. Aside from the apology being made within Parliament, events (and live streaming) will also be held in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. (Pānui 21/2024 refers.)
Appointments and Awards
- Fletcher Tabuteau has been appointed as Chair of the Te Puia New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) Board.
