REPLIES MADE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 31 August 1945, Page 3

REPLIES MADE

MINISTERS’ VIEWS A certain amount of criticism he felt had been levelled at the Maoris which had not been constructive and was of such a nature as to create distrust between the Maoris and pakehas. said Mr E. T. Tirikatene. member of the Executive Council representing the Maori race. It had been nothing more or less than an invitation to some feeling of insecurity as to whether the Maori's position was that of a British subject or a slave. Opposition members: Oh, rubbish. Mr Tirikatene said he resented remarks that had been made. What was good enough for the pakehas was good enough for the Maoris, and whatever penalties were imposed on the pakehas the Maoris were also prepared to stand up to. The member for Waikato in his outburst against the Maori people claimed that the Maori should not have the privilege of participating in the Social Security benefits because he bought vegetables from Asiatic gardeners. The Maori was not the only one. however, who bought green foodstuffs from Asiatic vegetable gardeners. There were occasions when the Maoris had to make such purchases just the same as other citizens. The member fer Waikato was endeavouring to create a kind of barrier to belittle the actions of the Maori Battalion. Mr Goosman: You misunderstood me. The Labour Government, added Mr Tirikatene, had given the Maori his right position as a citizen and when the Maoris fel down they must be penalised. The Minister of Social Security (Mr Parry) asked why the Maori people should be singled out of all the recipients of benefits under the legislation. He thought the member for Bay of Islands had made an unfortunate statement when he said the younger Maoris were deteriorating. He had heard similar statements about the youth of the nation to-day not being as good as the youth of former times. He did not believe that the Maori of to-day was deteriorating. He was as good a man as ever he had been. The same applied to the youth of the country generally. In dealing with the question they should be careful not to use language which would create difficulties between Maori and pakeha. “We are not free from this problem any more than the Maori people are,” he continued. Difficulties had to be overcome. There must be a sense of responsibility. When benefits were conferred on a section of the community those receiving those benefits must shoulder the responsibility. It had to be remembered that the psychology of the Maori-was different from that of the European. The Government had created equality of opportunity for the Maori and pakeha alike. An Opposition member: Equality but not responsibility. Mr Parry said there was more Maori land being cultivated to-day in a scientific way than ever before. The pakeha could not show* anything like the increase in population that had taken place among the Maoris, which was an .indication of the success attending the Government’s efforts to save the' Maori race. UNFAIR DISCRIMINATION The Minister of Finance. Mr Nash, said he objected to what Mr Goosman had to say concerning the Native race because it meant discrimination against the Maoris. He did not wish.to suggest that the question could not be raised conceiuing the use of public money but it wa3 unfair to discriminate against the Maoris. Referring to the statement by the member for Bay of Islands. Mr Smith, that with equality with the Europeans the Maoris should forfeit their four seats in the House of Representatives, the Minister said the native race had a constitutional right to that representation He was dumbfounded at Mr Smith’s statement. The right to the representation enjoyed tOrday should be preserved for all time. It was not the Government’s job to make the Maori a pakeha. He- was a New Zealander before the pakeha arrived. There were certain features of Maori life not as good as the pakeha life but the Maori had certain characteristics far ahead of the pakeha. The aim should be to ascertain what features of the Maori life the pakeha could cultivate for his good and to help the Maori to cultivate what was good in the pakeha. He hoped equality between the two races would never be reached on the basis of the Maori losing his representation in Parliament. " Mr Nash said it had been suggested that the Maori was exploiting the Social Security Act. That was pretty hard. The pakeha could do it as well as the Maori. Opposition members: And does. “Let us stop both of them,” retorted Mr Nash. “The honourable gentleman has picked out the Maori.” Mr Goosman: Because it is ruining the Maori.