Significant Increase In Intermarriage

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31783, 13 September 1968, Page 26

Significant Increase In Intermarriage

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 12. Intermarriage in New Zealand between Maori and pakeha was increasing at such a rate that it could become necessary to change the definition of the word “Maori” because there would be no Maoris left as they were known today, the Minister of Maori Affairs (Mr Hanan) told Parliament tonight.

Mr Hanan said: “I think the mixture of the two races in this country is something that is working very well to the benefit of both peoples.”

Speaking during the debate on the vote for Maori land settlement, Mr Hannan agreed with the leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) that intermarriage could be a factor in the rapidly improving educational capabilities of young people of Maori blood.

He said, for example, in 1961 only 6.1 per cent of voting Maoris taking school certificate had passed but in 1967 the percentage had increased dramatically to 11.5 per cent. “This is very good news for all concerned,” he said. Mr Hanan said that while the Maori was benefiting by getting a better education through intermarriage, the pakeha was getting the benefit of the Maori’s broader sense of humour, and better appreciation of music and hospitality.

The Minister was strongly criticised by the members for Northern and Southern Maori, Mr M. Rata and Mrs T. W. M Tirikatene-Sullivan. Mr Rata drew the Minister’s attention to a statement he made last year that the Government had no intention of abrogating its position as the chief source of money for the development of Maori land. Separate Items But four separate items under the Maori land settlement vote had been cut by amounts ranging from $20,000 to $91,000. “In fact the total vote is one that clearly shows that what the Minister said last year he did not mean.” said Mr Rata. Mr Rata said: “I believe he owes an apology to the Maori race and to this House. If he did mean what he said then someone in the Cabinet has decided that the Minister of Maori Affairs and his ideals are not worth worrying about.” Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan suggested that the Minister was becoming complacent She also attacked his statement that, the Government would carry out its responsibilities in developing Maori land and said that less had been voted for Maori land settlement this year than was spent or voted last year. Minister Amazed She also said that less had been voted for Maori housing this year. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Taiboys) expressed amazement at the criticism. He said that in fact the vote for advances to settlers was

51.35 m compared with sl.2m spent last year. In each individual item the amount voted this year was higher than the amount spent last year; and members were well aware that it was not always possible to spend the whole of an estimate. Mr J. W. Walding (Lab., Palmerston North) deplored the reduction in the Maori housing allocation, which had been reduced by 8400,000 from 55,675,000 spent last year to 85,280,000 approved this year. Maori Housing “One cannot help but regret the shortsightedness of this policy,” he said. Mr Walding said there was no reason to be complacent about New Zealand’s achievement in Maori housing. Two hundred yards from Parliament, he said, was a single Maori man paying 812 a week for a room in what could only be.described as a doss house. In the next street a Maori couple were paying Sl3 a week—also for a single room, he said. “They are not paying this because they want to—it is the best they can get,” said Mr Walding. The leader of the Social Credit Party (Mr V. F. Cracknell. Hobson) also criticised the reduced land development vote.

He said there were acres of good Maori land in the Hobson electorate alone which were covered with gorse and rubbish.

The Government should get on with the job of developing this land. The Minister of Lands (Mr Maclntyre) said that last year Maori farmers had not taken up all the money that was available to them for land improvement and it was obviously the step of a prudent Government to reduce the amount available this year. This reduction would mean that the vote for Maori land settlement would not be a grossly exaggerated figure. The Maori land settlement vote of $10,600,000 ($10,815,535 expended last year) was approved as was the Maori trustee vote of $498,000 ($476,000 expended last year).