The Minister of Pacific Island Affairs is failing to convince the Pacific community that she followed proper processes when approving $4.8 million dollars of taxpayer money to a private company in this month’s Budget, Labour’s MP for Mangere Su’a William Sio said today.
 
“Georgina te Heu Heu has dodged the hard questions around the awarding of nearly $5 million dollars to the Pacific Economic Development Agency (PEDA),” Su’a William Sio said.
 
“The Minister has refused to reveal who lobbied the Government on behalf of PEDA. Despite being asked for specifics by Pacific media outlets, Georgina te Heu Heu has been evasive.
 
“We know who runs and owns PEDA, so if it was the directors, why doesn’t Georgina te Heu Heu just say so? And if it wasn’t PEDA directors, who then was lobbying very senior Ministers for the funding?
 
“It is very curious why Georgina te Heu Heu has danced around this issue.”
 
Su’a William Sio says the Government’s processes and transparency around this funding has been back to front.
 
“The funding has already been approved but the Minister is yet to sit down with PEDA directors to finalise accountability and objective arrangements,” Su’a William Sio said.
 
“Taxpayers expect much better transparency before a single dollar is committed. With nearly $5 million at stake, Kiwis would have hoped the Government had carried out thorough due diligence before signing on the dotted line.

“For Georgina te Heu Heu to also say PEDA won the appropriation because the Government wants to ‘back winners’ is weak.
 
“Little is known about PEDA and it has little or no track record in delivering social services to Pacific people in Auckland.
 
“Georgina te Heu Heu should stop evading the hard questions around PEDA. The Pacific community deserves answers,” Su’a William Sio said.

I le saunoaga autu a le Minisita o Tupe ina ua folasia le Tala o le Tupe a le Malo mo le tausaga 2010 – 2011, e leai lava ma se vaega o lana saunoaga autu na taua ai tagata Pasefika. E leai foi se taua e le Minisita i lea saunoaga faapea o loo iai se vaega tupe faapitoa e foai ma tagata Pasefika.

Peitai ane, o se tasi o vaega o le Tala o le Tupe na mulimuliane ou maua iai se saunoaga a le Minisita o Mataupu mo Tagata Atu Motu e faapea ua iai se vaega tupe e $4.8 miliona ua foai e le Malo mo le faalapotopotoga ua igoa i le Pacific Economic Development Agency.

Ua faimai le Minisita o lenei faalapotopotoga o le a latou maua le $4.8 miliona mo leisi 4 tausaga oi luma mo le faatupeina o atinae e unai ai le tamaoiga mo tagata Pasefika.

E maua ae foi, o lenei faalapotopotoga ose kamupani tumaoti a nisi o tamaalii Samoa.

Ona ou fesiligia lea i le Minisita poo ai lenei faalapotopotoga, pe na faapefea ona faia lana faaiuga e foai le $4.8 miliona i lenei faalapotopotoga, ao a tonu atinae o le a faatino e lenei faalapotopotoga e manuia ai tagata atumotu uma o le Pasefika.

E lei tali mai le Minisita i au fesili, ae ina ua tulituliloa pea e le Letio Niu Sila (RadioNZ) na ia taua ai e faapea e leai se su’esu’ega auiliili i lenei faalapotopotoga e tusa ai ma tulaga e tatau ona savalia. Ina ua fesiligia pe aisea le mea na le tatala ai le avanoa i soo se faalapotopotoga e tauofo mo lenei $4.8 miliona, ae foliga mai ua le mau tali le tamaitai Minisita.

Ina ua fesiligia foi poo a tonu atinae o le a faatino e lenei faalapotopotoga e manuia ai tagata atumotu o le Pasefika, ae e le manino foi ana tali, e foliga i ana tali e le’o atoatoa lona silafia i galuega o le a fai e lenei faalapotopotoga.

Ae e maofa le mafaufau aua o ia o le Minisita lea na faia le faaiuga e foai le $4.8 miliona, i lenei faapotopotoga.

Ae mulimuliane i se tasi o feiloaiga ma le leito 531pi, sa maua ai le saunoaga a le Minisita ua taumafai e lafo le leaga agai i le Minisita o Tupe, ma o lea o le a tulituli loa le Minisita o Tupe poo lea sona silafia i lenei faalapotopotoga ua ia foaiina i ai le $4.8 miliona, o se vaega tupe ua tele lava.

Ona o tupe a le Malo o tupe faitele a le atunuu e taua tele le sa’o ma le amiotonu o ala e tatau ona uia i le foaiina o ni tupe tetele faapenei.

O le taimi nei o loo faaauau pea fesili i le Malo poo lea tonu le mafuaaga na le tatala ai le avanoa i tua e fai iai tauofoga mo lenei tupe mai le tele o faalapotopotoga o loo faatinoina galuega ma le tautua i le komiuniti, ma iai pine o nei auaunaga.

O a tonu faamanuiaga o le a maua e tagata Pasefika i le foai o lenei $4.8 miliona i le Pacific Economic Development Agency, lea ua mulimuliane faamaonia o se kamupani tumaoti a nisi o tamaalii Samoa?

O ai i latou na talosagaina lenei tupe ua mafua ai le foai a le Malo o le $4.8 miliona e aunoa ma le faia o se sailiiliga auiliili poo se kamupani tumaoti? Poo lea le umi talu ona faavae? Poo a galuega ua maea ona latou faia? Ae pe faapefea foi ona talitonuina e le Malo a latou fuafuaga?

O le upu moni ua aliali ai i lenei taumafaiga le va’ava’a o le Malo i le ave o le faamuamua i kamupani tumaoti ma ana paaga, e aunoa ma le manino o tagata lautele poo lea tonu faamanuiaga o le a faasafua mo le manuia o tagata Pasefika uma.

Ua faailoa foi i lenei taumafaiga, ua le uia ala sao ma ala o le amiotonu e tatau ona uia mo le foaiina o tupe a le Malo, ae ua fa’aauau le Malo i tagata latou te masani ma lagolago i le Malo.

O polokiki leaga lava faapenei e le lelei mo le faavae o Atunuu temokarasi, e le lelei foi mo se atunuu o loo taumafai e saili le amiotonu i le faaaogaina o tupe faitele a le Atunuu.

O le a faaauau pea lenei mataupu i aso oi luma.

Ends.

When the Minister of Finance read out his Budget statement last week there was no mention whatsoever of Pacific peoples. Yet a few hours later, a press statement was sent out by the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, the Hon. Georgina Te Heu Heu announcing that she approved funding the Pacific Economic Deveopment Agency Limited to the tune of $4.8 million over four years.

There was no specific detail in her statement about a process before the funding was approved. There was little detail about what the money was for. The lack of detail in her statement only caused more questions to be asked.

Then on Wednesday, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Director-General Murray Sherwin announced the first allocation of funding to industry from the Primary Growth Partnership fund.

I was heartened to read the statement by the Director-General who provided in an open and transparent manner how the Agriculture and Fisheries community participated in a rigourous and through process, how the Investment Advisory Panel and MAF staff scrutinized the proposals, because it was using taxpayers money.

It was not a political statement from the Minister of Agriculture. It was an open and transparent statement from the Ministry.

An Advisory Panel recommended 3 business plans for funding, collectively seeking $20 million in projects of between five and seven years.

The Director-General said the “three industry groups have gone through a rigorous process to get to this point.”

He said, “These applicants put in proposals in the first application round, which closed in October 2009. Since then, each of the business plans which were subsequently called for has been scrutinised by the Investment Advisory Panel and MAF staff.

“This has been a thorough process, which is critical when investing taxpayers’ money.

“I’m confident these business plans present ideas that will transform parts of the primary sector and that in years to come, 2010 will be seen as the year when a very fruitful partnership between the government and the primary sectors truly took off.”

Investment Advisory Panel Chairman Bill Falconer says the IAP put applicants through a rigorous test to prove their ability to deliver on their objectives and provide benefit to New Zealand. A further four industry groups who submitted proposals in Round Two are developing business plans in their bid for funding, and the IAP will soon review the 11 proposals received in Round Three.

Details of all three business plans are available at www.maf.govt.nz/pgp/

This is the kind of thorough and rigourous process that gives confidence to the public about how a Government, any government, is managing taxpayer funds.

This is the kind of thorough process that the Pacific communities are calling on the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, the Hon. Georgina Te Heu Heu should have taken place before her announcement.

This is the kind of rigorous process that Mr John Key and Bill English should have insisted on before they decided to give taxpayer funds to a private company without calling for a public tender process.

This is the kind of open and transparent processes that we expect in our democratic society for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, senior MPs, need and should adhere to.

Without a thorough and rigourous process critical when investing taxpayer funds, the public begin to ask questions: Does something smell funny in this setup?

Why didn’t it go through a rigorous process? Why is it the Minister doesn’t seem to know much about this group? Why is it she doesn’t know the details of what this group will deliver? Why this group, and not other groups that have strong track records, sound systems and infrastructure, and credible histories?

Minister Te Heu Heu in an interview with Radio 531pi suggests that it was a decision made by the Minister of Finance, not her. If it was Bill English that approved it, then he needs to answer why this group? Why as Minister of Finance did Mr English not demand for a rigorous and thorough open and transparent process before approving the funds?

If it was Mr Key who made the decision, then he should answer the same questions? If as he stated doesn’t know a lot about this group then why would he as Prime Minister approve funding at $4.8 million without going through a rigorous and thorough process, critical when taxpayer funds are invested?

This Minister and her government colleagues needs to come clean and explain all. The public have a right to know the full story.

This is not about money. The money is peanuts compared with the size of the challenges that Pacific communities now face under this government.

This is about keeping the Government honest, open and transparent, a requirement of our democratic system in New Zealand.

Ends.

The attempt by Pacific Island Affairs Minister Georgina te Heu Heu to diffuse a controversial funding decision has only raised more questions around the Government’s Budget processes, Labour’s MP for Mangere Su’a William Sio said today.

“I am unconvinced by the Minister’s claim that the reason $4.8 million dollars was given to a private company to offer services to Pacific people was that they made a ‘convincing’ case to the Government,” Su’a William Sio said.

“Georgina te Heu Heu’s comments simply confirm Labour’s fears that a contestable tender process for the funding did not take place.

“The Minister has revealed the $4.8 million dollars handed to the Pacific Economic Development Agency (PEDA) came about after prolonged lobbying. She now needs to come clean on who did the lobbying and on what basis.”

Su’a William Sio said Georgina te Heu Heu must better explain what she hopes the funding will achieve.

“For a company that made a ‘convincing’ case to grab nearly $5 million dollars, it seems the Minister does not seem to know a lot about what it will achieve,” Su’a William Sio said.

“The Minister has been light on detail and does not yet know how PEDA will be monitored to ensure the ‘objectives’ she was told would be achieved will be met.

“Many other agencies with a long history of serving Pacific communities up and down New Zealand would have been very interested in tendering for such funding. But that is difficult if the process is being run behind closed doors.

“I welcome Georgina te Heu Heu fronting up on this matter. It would now be helpful if she provided some decent answers.”

The Pacific Island Affairs Minister must start answering questions around the nearly $5 million of funding given to a little known company to provide social services to Pacific Islanders, Labour’s Mangere MP Su’a William Sio said today.

“Georgina te Heu Heu has dodged questions around the money given to the Pacific Economic Development Agnecy (PEDA) since it was spotted in the fine print of last weeks Budget announcements,” Sua William Sio said.

“The $4.8 million dollars given to PEDA is a significant amount of money given the size of the Pacific Island Affairs vote.

“Georgina te Heu Heu needs to explain whether there was a tender process for this funding and if there was, why no-one involved in Pacific Social Services seemed to know about it.

“If the Government saw fit to give PEDA $4.8 million then the Minister should front up and tell Pacific people why the funding has been approved, how it was approved and what it will achieve.

“Little is known how PEDA will put the money into action. There are reports that it will only operate out of Auckland, if so, I would have major concerns about the fairness of that for Pacific Islanders living in other areas.

“Georgina te Heu Heu’s failure to answer questioning around this issue is disrespectful to the many organisations that could have benefited from that appropriation.

“PEDA may do a good job with funding it has been allocated but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t know who was involved in securing it.

“Much of what is being said about this Budget allocation is based on whispers and rumours. It’s time the Minister went public about the process and the people involved,” Su’a William Sio said.

O le Tala o le Tupe a le Malo na folasia i le aso Tofi ua te’a, na manino ai lava le ave o le fa’amuamua i pisinisi, ae maise kamupani tetele, faapea pule o kamupani tetele, ma latou e maualuga tupe maua. 

O le a pau lafoga totogi a kamupani ma pisinisi mai le 30 pasene i le 28 pasene e amata i le aso 1 o Aperila 2011.

O le a pau foi lafoga mai totogi o le aufaigaluega e silia ma le $70,001 tupe maua i le tausaga mai le 38 pasene i le 33 pasene.

O ia fuafuaga faataatia e pito i sili ona mafatia ai aiga e maualalo tupe maua.

E ui o le a pau lafoga mo le aufaigaluega o loo maua tupe i le va o le $48,001 agai i le $70,000 mai le 33 pasene i le 30 pasene.  E ui foi o latou e maua tupe i le va o le $14,001 agai i le $48,000 i le tausaga o le a pau lafoga totogi mai le 21 pasene i le 17.5 pasene.  Ma o latou e maua tupe mai le $14,000 agai i lalo i le tausaga o le a pau lafoga mai le 12.5 pasene i le 10.5 pasene.

E ui i ia tupe sefe mai lafoga totogi a le aufaigaluega, o lea o le a siitia le lafoga o le GST mai le 12.5 pasene i le 15 pasene mai le aso 1 o Oketopa 2010.  Ma o le mamafa o le avega i le totogiina o le GST o le a palasi tasi iai latou e vaivai le tamaoaiga.

Silasila foi, afai o le tagata faigaluega o loo maua le totogi aupito maualalo faatapulaia o le $12.25 i le itula, poo le $25,480 na’o le $3 le tupe e sefe mai le pau o lafoga totogi i le vaiaso.  Afai e faaopoopo iai le siitaga o le tau o le soifuaga o le a iai nei, faapea le faaopoopoga o lafoga mo le ACC, e uma a’e lava ua silia atu ma le $12 le tupe faaalu.  O lona uiga e aumia ia te oe le $3 mai le faapau o lafoga, ae totogi e oe leisi $12 tala i le vaiaso talu ai le siitaga o tau o oloa ma auaunaga o le a iai nei.

Ae afai o oe o le pule o le kamupani o le Telecom, lea sa totogi iai le $5 miliona i le tausaga, o lau tupe sefe mai le pau o lafoga totogi, o le $4800 i le vaiaso.

Ona faapea mai lea o le Malo, o le faatulagaina o lafoga ua fai, ua mafai ai nei ona sefe tupe e le toatele o le aufaigaluega ma tele ai mea e fai iai le filifiliga a le tagata lava ia i ana tupe sefe.

O lea faaupuga e aoga iai latou e pei o le pule o le kamupani o le Telecom, ma isi kamupani, faapea ma le palemia.  Ae a fua i tupe maua a le tagata o loo totogi i le $12.25 i le itula, e fiu e faasoa ma faavasega e leai lava se tupe e sefe. 

E alu uma lava lea totogi i mea taumafa pito i sili ona taugofie, e faaaoga i le totogiina o pasese poo le penisini o le taavale, o toniga ma lavalava a tamaiti aoga, o le pili o le moli, o le pili o le suavai taumafa, ae le taulia ai isi gaogaosa o le olaga o le tagata Samoa lava ia.

O le mafuaaga foi lena o loo vivii ai e le toatele o le aufaipisinisi ma latou faalapotopotoga le Tala o le Tupe a le Malo, aua o latou tagata e pito i sili ona manuia i fuafuaga faataatia a le Malo.

Peitai ane faimai isi faalapotopotoga a le aufaipisinisi, e le lava ia mea ua foai mai e le Malo mo latou.

Na fesiligia ai ese tasi o le aufaipisinisi i luga o le TV3 le Minisita o Tupe pe aisea le mea ua le siia ai tausaga mo le au penisione, ae tali le Minisita faapea e faigofie lava ona sii i le 68 tausaga mo le penisione i le lumanai.

O lona uiga o loo iai pea isi suiga o loo fuafua lelei e le faigamalo mo le lumanai ina ia faasafua ai alamanuia a le atunuu mo latou o loo maua mea.

E leai lava se vaega o lenei Tala o le Tupe e lelei mo tatou aiga mo le lumanai, seia vagana o oe o loo iai sau kamupani poo o oe ose pule ose tasi o kamupani, poo o loo maua sou totogi e sili atu ma le $100,000 i le tausaga, ma o oe ose tagata e ola toatasi e leai sau fanau, leai ni ou aiga, leai se ekalesia.  

Ends.

Held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, Mangere

To welcome His Excellency Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan’s new High Commissioner to New Zealand

You excellency, my parliamentary colleagues, distinguished guests, friends, ladies and gentlemen

I am delighted this evening to join with the Chairman, President and members of the Pakistan Business Forum to be part of this significant occasion.

It is my pleasure as the local MP to join with friends and leaders of the Pakistan community to formally welcome you to my place, Mangere the Gateway to the Nation and the centre of the galaxy.

I have greeted you in some of the different languages that are spoken by over 180 ethnic groups that live side by side in Mangere, in Manukau City and throughout the Auckland region.

That will give you a taste of the diversity of cultures and languages that exists in this wonderful place of ours.  It is one of the strengths of this region to speak different languages, and we are comfortable with it, and accommodate one another in our communications.  I have even used Maori to welcome you even though I myself am not Maori.

I call Mangere the Gateway and the centre of the galaxy because the local international airport enables New Zealand to touch the rest of the world, which is good for international business links as well as strengthening links with families and friends who visit us from all over the world.

The diversity that exists in Mangere provides the depth of richness that does not exist as strongly anywhere else in New Zealand.  The Pakistan community is one community that contributes significantly to the richness in this region and indeed throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. 

It does so through the Pakistan business sector trading not only between New Zealand and the original homeland, but the growing trade between New Zealand and some of the Pacific island nations.

It also contributes through culture, language, food and personalities like my friend Pakistan born Dr Ashraf Coundhary who is a member of the Labour party.

Your excellency, I hope you get the opportunity to visit some of the sites in Mangere and around this region.  We have Villa Maria an internationally renowned winery that has won many international awards for best wine, just around the corner from here.

Not too far from here are the local Otuatua stonefields which provide evidence of Maori occupation in the local area for the past 200 years, and contains a record of over 100 years of European farming.

There are many good eating places in the area with that particular spice you may be craving for as well.

But if you simply want to buy a car I would recommend you to Mr Ghulam Murtaza Chouldhary the owner of GM cars, or to Mr Nadeem Ashraf the owner of Tarnica Cars.

I could also recommend you to a good Pakistan business that can assist you with buying a house in Mangere or better still to design and build your own house.

Your excellency, before I sit down I want to share with you and the Pakistan New Zealand Business Forum a dream I have been promoting in our local schools. 

For many years, Papalagi people have been trying to assimilate us into European culture.  In this region, we have assimilated Papalagi people into our own culture through our sons and daughters marrying their sons and daughters.  Their children, our grandchildren, are beautiful and gifted, and will become future leaders of this country.  One of them will become Prime Minister of New Zealand.  Another could become Mayor of the new Auckland supercity.

Who is to say that in the year 2030 that one of your sons will not become Prime Minister of New Zealand?  Why should it not be that one of your daughters will become the Mayor of the Auckland supercity in the year 2030?

There is nothing to stop your children and mine to achieve these things.  Our children will become the future leaders of this country of ours, and we must prepare them for this role and responsibility.  I sincerely believe this.

It cannot be the National MP Mr Kanwaljit Bakshi, as after last Thursday’s budget, his government will become a one term government.

And although my colleague Dr Ashraf Choudhary is a senior MP to both myself and Mr Bakshi, it cannot be him either, as he is in the twilight hours of his life.

It will be one of our children.

Your excellency, welcome once again to Mangere the Gateway to the Nation and the centre of the galaxy and I wish you good health and an enjoyable evening.

By the time inflation, GST increases and increased costs in childcare are passed on most families in Manukau will be worse off under National’s tax swindle,” says Labour MPs in Manurewa, Manukau East and Mangere.

Hon. George Hawkins, MP for Manurewa

 ”This budget has meant middle and low income earners will at the end of the day be significantly out of pocket. This isn’t the tax step change John Key promised it’s a tax swindle,” says Hon. George Hawkins, MP for Manurewa.

“A family with 2 young kids even end up $55 per week worse off after GST, inflation and ECE charges‬ are all taken into account.

“The reality is the people on very high incomes are, much better off following yesterday’s budget, people on average incomes are worse off,” says Ross Robertson, MP for Manukau East.

“This year ACC premiums have gone up, health services are being cut and now GST has been increased, as has childcare costs. That is simply not fair that the majority of New Zealanders are paying for the tax cuts of a few people on very high incomes.

“Labour strongly opposes the increase on GST, the cuts to health services and the increase in costs of childcare to parents.

“Kiwi families realise that while National have offered them tax cuts, price increase will mean they will be no better off.”

“The 81% of people in Mangere earning $40,000 or less will continue to struggle to make ends meet and are actually worse off under this budget.”

Contact:

Hon. George Hawkins – 021 969 444

Ross Robertson – 0274 923 245

Su’a William Sio – 021 243 0464