Minister’s Work Praised By Maori Candidate

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30288, 14 November 1963, Page 28

Minister’s Work Praised By Maori Candidate

“Tm not sure whether I’m a fair Maori or a dark pakeha. Perhaps I’m a good example of integration,” the National candidate for Southern Maori, Mr B. Couch, said in Christchurch last evening. Today Maori, people were becoming fairer and fairer, while the pakeha was becoming darker and darker. “Nobody will stop this integration—a pakeha boy, a Maori girl, and vice-versa—love will always find a way,” said Mr Couch. Mr Couch said Maori hopes had never been higher, ‘‘thanks to Mr Hanan, Minister of Maori Affairs.”

Although three years ago all eyes in the Maori world were on this man with scepticism, Mr Hanan had proved his capabilities as an outstanding leader in Maori affairs. He had accomplished more educationally, socially, and occupationally than anyone else and had “totally eclipsed the puny efforts of the Labour Government,” Mr Couch said. “His mana in Maori tanga has never been higher . . . this small man has thought big of us and while thinking big he has never thought us small.” It had been said, said Mr Couch, than in integrating the Maori would lose his identity. This would not happen. The National Party had set up an art and culture centre in Rotorua and was encouraging all Maoris to preserve their culture and customs in their own areas. The extraordinary claim by Sir Eruera Tirikatene that the Maori Education Foundation, called by another name, had been previously set up by the Labour Government was a “gratuitous insult” to the thousands of Maori and pakehas who Had worked so hard in 1961-62 to raise

£600,000 for the establishment &f the foundation which was created by the National Government by a special act of Parliament, said Mr Couch.

The Labour Party was promising a commission of inquiry into Maori problems, and he wondered if the order of ■ reference would include an investigation of why the Labour Government “pigeonholed the Hunn report,” Mr Couch said, adding that the Labour Government had also failed to implement its promise to make Waitangi Day a national holiday. The National Party would be standing on its excellent past record. Labour could not do this as their record “was well bent,” said Mr Couch. “It seems to me that they are using a jazzed up National one. As for Social Credit, they are standing on a theory, while Liberals are just standing.” The National Party had made a substantial improvement in Maori housing, provided increased hostel accommodation in cities and instituted bachelor flats for young women during the last three yeans, said Mr Couch. Other items on its record were Che establishment of the New Zealand Maori Council and district councils, extension of trade training courses, the institution of the Maori Education Foundation, help in expansion of the household budgeting advisory service, improvement of legislation governing trust boards and reserved lands, enactment of legislation to do away with racial discrimination between Maori and pakeha, the publishing of the Hunn report and implementation of its proposals, and the appointment of more Maori welfare officers.