Harawira on State Sector Bill

State Sector Management Bill 2010
Hone Harawira, MP for Te Tai Tokerau
Tuesday 7 September 2010

I am all for holding the state sector to account, particularly in respect of Crown accountability to Maori, but just because a bill says it’s about achieving “gains in terms of financial efficiencies, effectiveness and future viability of agencies”, doesn’t mean there will naturally be any benefit to Maori.

In fact, restructuring of the state sector over the past 30 years has had quite devastating results for Maori – Forestry, Rail, Electricity – so we are not naturally inclined to accept restructuring as necessarily being of any value at all to the wider Maori community.

But we do support annual reporting on the capability of the state sector to achieve outcomes for Maori, because such reporting will highlight the fact that in most cases, what is done for Maori by the Crown can normally be done far better, and far cheaper, by Maori for Maori anyway – whether it be through Whanau Ora, Maori Economic Development, Housing, or Education – because empowering whänau, hapü and iwi to develop their own future is the only model that can lead to genuine and sustainable success, so we are keen to see any outcomes achieved across the state sector which actually improve the situation for tangata whenua.

And so when we look at this bill to amalgamate a number of existing agencies:
- the Ministry of Research, Science, and Technology and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology into a new Ministry of Science and Innovation, and
- the National Library and Archives New Zealand, into the Department of Internal Affairs;
we reserve our support until we see whether it will lead to better performance and better outcomes for Maori.

Government agencies are often restructured in the belief that the change will lead to better performance, but bigger doesn’t always mean better, particularly when considering issues around the management and development of intellectual property issues.

I want to focus here on the proposed amalgamation of the Ministry of Research, Science, and Technology and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, because of the importance of research and development in driving Maori innovation.

In the past, both the Foundation and the Ministry have made very little funding available for the achievement of Maori research goals or the development of Maori research capability, and there have also been some quite glaring inconsistencies in the review of funding for Maori research.

Maori researchers have spoken openly about their frustration with respective Ministers who have either not sought, or ignored the advice from Maori research personnel.

So we will be looking to this bill to see whether or not the interests of the Treaty and both Treaty partners are protected, and to see for example:
whether Maori will get equal access to the $140m set aside over the next ten years for natural hazard funding; and
whether Maori are actively involved in the Water and Energy funding from Vote Research, Science and Technology over the next year.

And if this bill passes first reading, we will raise questions through the select committee about: whether the new funding arrangement includes any Maori specific goals - such as the development of Maori research capability and the development of knowledge of benefit to Maori communities – and if so, how much is allocated to such a goal, and whether or not such funding is ring-fenced for Maori specific goals, or is contestable funding?

As for the other key amalgamation of the National Library, and the National Archives, I will be looking to the submission of Te Roopu Whakahau, the Organisation of Maori Librarians, who have been in existence since 1992, advocating for improved management of Māori workers, Māori material and Māori clients, and the recognition and implementation of Māori intellectual and cultural property rights.

They have a key role to play in the improved management of Māori issues, Māori taonga and Māori clients and Māori staff in the profession; and it is only right that they be specifically involved in any future development of this bill.

I take the point raised by the previous speaker about the importance of the independent status of the National Library and Archives New Zealand, and the need to ensure that their future is not wrapped up with commercial expectations or other expectations of a government department, such as the Department of Internal Affairs.

The Maori Party will support this bill to first reading to allow time for all Maori groups and individuals who have a stake in this matter to tell select committee what they think of this bill and how they think it might be changed to improve services to Maori in the future.

Our vote beyond first reading will be determined by what we hear through the select committee process.

ends