Few new Maori affairs ideas offered

Press, 23 July 1987, Page 3

Few new Maori affairs ideas offered

By

BRENDON BURNS,

in Kawerau

A Maori quotation but few specific new commitments were offered by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, yesterday in releasing National’s Maori affairs policy.

Repeating a Maori saying that what mattered most was tangata or people, Mr Bolger launched the policy at the Rautahi marae in the Bay of Plenty paper mill town of Kawerau. The theme followed on from Mr Bolger’s campaign opening in Hastings on Monday when he said concern for people was central to his attempt to become Prime Minister.

One specific pledge made at the marae appeared to be a late addition as it did not feature in the Maori affairs policy itself.

Mr Bolger promised to review funding for the Maori Council, Maori Women’s Welfare League and Maori wardens, which he said did a superb job. “They should not always have to be holding their hands out as if they were beggars,” he said. A warning of potential racial problems was also given. Differences between the races had to be recognised, said Mr Bolger.

“We must remember our bicultural identity,” he said. “A country which fails to recognise the culture and racial diversity of its people is in danger from divisive forces and intolerance.”

A warm response was given the marae audience to a suggestion by Mr Bolger by that all New Zealanders were descendants of canoes — seven Maori and Captain Cook’s Endeavour.

But there was no mention, as had been strongly featured in Monday’s campaign launch, of National's opposition to a Labour Party call to increase the number of Maori Parliamentary seats from four to 8. Mr Bolger had termed this in his speech on Monday a New Zealand version of apartheid. National’s Maori affairs policy seems to have been overtaken by developments in some areas.

Mr Bolger promised a review of the Maori Affairs Department to ensure it played a full and complementary role in Maori life. The Government recently announced it was restructuring the department. Similarly, National pledged to review coroners’ powers to ensure that the bodies of Maoris are released with regard to tangi requirements. A move to accommodate this has recently been

introduced in Parliament. But some fresher concepts were introduced, such as consulting Maori tribes on their acceptances of responsibility for non-violent young Maori offenders as an alternative to the penalties of the justice system. Mr Bolger said education must be made more responsive to Maori needs and said it was a tragedy that so many unemployed were Maori. This led to crime and community outrage. The fact that of those who lost jobs in the Government’s recent round of corporatisation, 80 per cent were Maori had shocked him.

“That is an unfair cross for one section of the community to carry.”

Unemployment was eating away at the fibre of young Maoris and National’s policy of jobs or training for all was needed, said Mr Bolger, not the dole. Any suggestion of State paternalism for Maoris was rejected. Maori tribal land ownership would be reviewed in consultation with all the tribes, said Mr Bolger. Land for the Maori had a special and sacred meaning. It was a heritage to be protected while to the European it was something to be developed. But so long as neither culture sought dominance, differences could be solved,

Mr Bolger said. The Maori cultural renaissance, as indicated by such expressions as Te Maori, was welcomed by Mr Bolger and a National Government would encourage this.

The desire of many pakehas and Maoris to learn the language was accepted but participation would be on a voluntary basis. Mr Bolger, in accepting the invitation to speak on the marae, said he did not know the language of his hosts so had.to speak the language of the visitor. He said he wished he could speak Maori but the limitations of time prevented his learning it. A tribute to Mr Bolger had been paid in the mihi, or speeches of welcome, on to the Rautahi marae. An elder, Mr Dick Hunia, said, “In Jim Bolger, I think we have a man sympathetic to the Maori cause.”

Mr Bolger also faced his first heckler of the campaign. A local identity, Blue McDonald, entered the marae well into proceedings and demanded to know where Mr Bolger was. He said he wanted to ask questions of him. But Blue’s lack of a response later seemed to fade in importance as he joined the guests for a hearty spread of kai.