Maori Party Maintains Line on Urgency Motion (re Section 59)

Dr Pita Sharples, Co-leader, Maori Party

Tuesday 27 March 2007

The Maori Party today reaffirmed its position on urgency motions.

The discussion emerged after statements that Labour has now withdrawn its support from the proposal for according urgency to the repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act.

The Maori Party Caucus has previously opposed recommendations to support the House according urgency to particular items of business on the basis that such calls are usually called by the Government to satisfy their own interests in pushing through its legislative timetable.

“We believe the debates that have arisen around the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Bill are of huge importance to our whanau, and indeed our nation” said Dr Sharples.

“The issues about how we treat children, how we support parents in their vital roles of caring for the next generation, how we address the chronic levels of violence in our society have been - and should continue to be - uppermost in all conversations and all corners of our community” said Dr Sharples.

“We are happy for the opportunity to be able to share our thinking on such vital issues with our people, when we are out on the road in the next few weeks” said Dr Sharples.

The Maori Party will be honouring its commitment to return to the people in sharing the business of Parliament across its constituencies. The four Maori Party Members intend to travel over the April recess, to create opportunities for people to share with them, their views about ‘the hot issues affecting their communities’.

“We have no doubt that the types of strategies used by parents in their child-rearing responsibilities will be one of these hot issues” said Dr Sharples.

Government Flip-Flops while Opposition Parties Filibuster

“We understand the internal cracks that have emerged within the Labour caucus have forced yet another change of heart amongst the Labour camp” said Dr Sharples. “It appears that the concerns of members that they have been ‘whipped’ in to voting for the repeal to keep faith with party pressures, have been building; hence the original call for urgency”.

"The critical point, however, is that the Labour Government has not withdrawn the call for urgency because of a belief in public debate and democratic participation, but because they knew they did not have the numbers and could not face being defeated."

“All of their filibustering and flip-flopping aside, however, we are pleased, as the independent Maori voice of Parliament, that we now have the opportunity to take the discussion to the people during the April recess” ended Dr Sharples.

ENDS

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