Flavell: Immigration Advisors Licensing Bill

te-pati-maori

Wed Mar 28 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Flavell: Immigration Advisors Licensing Bill

Wednesday, 28 March 2007, 10:14 am
Speech: The Maori Party

Immigration Advisors Licensing Bill

Te Ururoa Flavell; Member of Parliament for Waiariki

Tuesday 27 March 2007

I nga rima tau kua hipa, i te putanga o te Komihana Whakatau Tikanga Tangata ara o Greg Fortuin; nana te korero, he wero tonu a hunga manene nei, mo te noho i Aotearoa nei. I korero ia mo tona mana tuku iho mai i Awherika i te Tonga a, e penei ana tana:

"“My heritage is a gift I had no say in. I’ll always be proud of who I am, but I’ll embrace the identity of my new homeland. It’s just damn difficult to know what the identity of my new homeland is”.

Koia nei kei te putake o tenei take. I te wa i korero te torangapu Maori i te panuitanga tuatahi, i korero tonu matou mo te hunga manuhiri e haere mai ana ki Aotearoa nei, mai i marakiraki, i matongatonga, i nga topito katoa o te ao. Ko te korero i korerohia, ara ko tera o roto i nga whainga matua o te torangapu Maori e kii ana, mena ka whakatuwherahia te kuaha ki taua hunga, me kaha tiaki, me kaha tautoko tatou i a ratou.

Ka mutu, i a tatou e manaaki ana i a rätou, kaua tatou e whakatuutuu i nga taiapa ki te hunga manuhiri kia kitea pu nei e taua hunga i te ahua o to rätou kainga hou.

Ko ta matou ke, e penei ana. Ko te tiaki, ko te manaaki i te tangata, he mea tuitui kia noho tahi i runga i nga kaupapa me nga tikanga kei roto tonu i te taonga nei o te motu, Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Kei te putake o tenei Pire, ko nga korero rangatira nei hei awhi i ënei manuhiri kua tau mai ki Aotearoa nei.

Kati, me pehea e taea ai te whakakaha nei te i ingoa o Aotearoa hei wahi noho, ki te kore tatou o Aotearoa nei i te mohio ko wai hoki tätou?

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Kua oti ke i a James Chang tenei take te titiro. I haere mai ia ki Aotearoa nei i a ia e tamariki ana. Kua ata tirohia e ia ko te noho o te hunga Ahia i tenei whenua. Hei tana mahi rangahau, ko te wahanga tuatahi hei tirohanga ma te hunga Ahia, ko tera e pa ana ki te noho i Aotearoa nei, me te noho, ano nei no tenei whenua tuturu koe.

Me noho ko te Tiriti o Waitangi ki te pukake o to tatou paoho ki te ao, ae, he whenua motuhake te whenua nei.

Ae ra hoki

- ko taua tiriti tonu, i tangohia mai ai e te Minita Matauranga i te marautanga o nga kura

- ko taua tiriti tonu, na te waimarie, i whakahokia e teTumuaki o te Tahuhu o te Matauranga

ko taua Tiriti tonu, i te 26 o Hongongoi i te tau kua hipa, i puta te whakatau o nga mema rima tekau o Reipa, me kii ko te katoa o nga Maori o taua roopu tonu, kia ukui katoa i nga ture o te motu.

Kei reira tonu kei Hansard’s te korero i te marama o Hongongoi i te tau kua hipa, ara, kotahi rau tekau ma tahi i whakaae ki te ukui i nga whainga matua o te Tiriti o Waitangi, ko Reipa - rima tekau, Nahinara wha tekau ma waru, Aotearoa Tuatahi e whitu, United Future e toru, Act e rua, Progressives kotahi, a, tekau noa iho i whakahë. Ko nga Kaakaariki e ono, me te tokowha o te torangapu Maori.

Koia nei te tiriti i korerohia e Takuta Ranginui Walker me tana kii, koia nei te whainga matua tüturu ake mo nga take kaiheke.

Hei ta Ranginui Walker, ma te Tiriti, ka taea e nga manene o täwähi te uru mai ki Aotearoa ahakoa no hea rätou.

Ko te hohonutanga o te tiriti hei momo kirimana o te noho ngatahi o nga tikanga e rua ara ko te Karauna me te Maori.

Kei tona putake, ko te tümanako tonu, ko tera e kii ana, ko te tikanga a Tiriti nei, ka korero ngatahi te Maori me te Karauna mo nga take katoa e pa ana ki te noho o iwi ke ki Aotearoa nei.

Kei te noho tino marama te tangata whenua ki nga whakatau o te hunga, na ratou te tiriti i tamoko i te tau kotahi mano, waru rau, wha tekau.

I te marama tonu nga hoa haere e rua i nga panga nui ki te whenua, ki te ao Maori.

I te mohio tonu te hunga hanga i te tiriti i tona timatanga, ka whakatauria e taua tiriti ko nga kawa a noho mo nga uri o te whare o Wikitoria hei whakanui i nga tikanga, nga ture nga taonga tuku iho o te tangata whenua hei karo i nga mahi taurekareka ka whai i muri mai.

Ko ta tenei pire, he whakariterite i nga tikanga mo te hunga e tuku korero nei mo nga take kaiheke.

Hangai tonu ana te Pire nei ki nga Kaitohutohu i Aotearoa nei, i tawahi ranei kia orite o rätou tikanga whakahaere.

He mea nui tera ara, kia örite nga tikanga whakahaere, ka mutu, hei te wahanga Komiti nei, ka kökiri mätou ko tëtahi pepa hei whakapiri atu kia pümau tonu te whakaaro kia kaha tautoko nga kaiäwhina i te hunga kaiheke i to rätou möhiotanga ki Te Tiriti o Waitangi me ta rätou ako mo nga tikanga me te reo Maori.

Ki ta mätou o te törangapü Maori, he timatanga pai tenei, pënei i ta James Chang e korero nei, kia hanga i tëtahi wänanga a noho, a tikanga hoki hei äwhina i te hunga kaiheke, ara ki te hunga korero i tëtahi reo i tua atu o te reo Pakeha, ki te ähuatanga o te ao Maori.

Tera pea he whakaaro pai tënei mo ëtahi atu o nga iwi kua noho ki Aotearoa nei mo nga whakatupuranga e wha, e rima ränei.

Hangai tonu ana ta mätou titiro i tënei Pire kia pümau te wahanga o te Tiriti o Waitangi i roto i nga tohutohu a te Tari Hekenga a iwi.

Ehara i te mea ko te tangata whenua anake e hiki nei i te Tiriti ki töna taumata. E ai ki ta te Komihana Whakatika Tangata rangahau, kei te tupu tonu te märamatanga me te tuturutanga o te tiriti i te ngäkau o Aotearoa whanui.

Engari kei te rongo ano hoki mätou i nga nawe, i nga äwangawanga o te hunga tuku korero ki te komiti whäiti ara, ki te komiti Transport and Industrial Relations.

Araa nga mäharahara nui mo te koretake o nga tohutohu ki te hanga tono, ko te noho mäharahara, rangirua ränei na nga mahi huna o nga kaiäwhina, tae atu ki te tono kia whakaritea tonu i nga taumata örite.

Ko töna tümanako, ka ata titiro te Roopu Tohutohu a Kaiheke nei ki ënei nawe, ki ënei mäharahara i a ia e whakahaere ana i nga tikanga whakaäe, ko te hanga me te whakamatau o nga taumata örite tae atu ki tëtahi kawa mo nga kaiäwhina.

Hei ta te Kaunihera Wahine a Motu i ta rätou tuhinga, me kaha tonu te whakawhitiwhiti korero me te wänanga i ënei taumata.

I täpirihia atu te Komiti whäiti i tëtahi atu korero ano, ara he tütohu tonu kia tu he tira whakatau nei i nga nawe, me nga tikanga whakahau.

No reira ka whakatüria e te Pire, tëtahi Taraipiunara whakatika nawe, whakahau ano hoki hei ropu i töna ake mana.

I te Taraipiunara me nga wänanga mo nga taumata örite, ko ta te törangapü Maori e kii nei, me rongo i nga tümanako me te reo o te tangata whenua.

No reira, koia nei kei te pütake o tëtahi korero täpiri nei ka whakatakotoria e te törangapü Maori. Ko ta mätou ko te whakarite i tëtahi Kaunihera Maori hou a, ko tana mahi ko te ata wherawhera i nga take e hängai tonu ana ki te haerenga mai o nga manuhiri me tona panga ki te Maori.

Ko tëtahi wahanga o nga mahi o tenei Kaunihera Maori hou ko te ata arotake i te ture hekenga e ai ki ta Te Tiriti o Waitangi titiro, ka mutu na tona piringa ki te roopu Kaitohutohu a Hekenga nei, ko tana mahi ko te tohutohu i a rätou i roto i te ähuatanga o te Tiriti me te reo.

Ma te Kaunihera nei, ka mähea ake nga mäharahara o te ao Maori, ara ko era kua roa e noho tärewa ana. He aha era? Ko te aukati o te ao Maori i nga korero tautohetohe i nga wänanga mo te noho a ëtahi atu i tënei whenua.

I nga tekau ma rua tau kua hipa, neke atu, i puta te whakatau o te Kaunihera o te Kötahitanga o te hähi Weteriana me te Perehipitiriana, e penei ana tana:

“Recognising that Maori Treaty rights have had no place in the development of this country’s immigration policy, Conference request the Government to place an embargo on further immigration until te iwi Maori have a partnership say on future immigration policy”.

Kia kitea mai ai i nga painga o te nohotahi, me whai wahi nga hoa haere ki te korero, kia rongo ano hoki tetahi i tetahi.

Ko tenei Piri, he mea pai tonu hei whakatika i nga uauatanga o nga kotahi rau, ono tekau tau kua hipa, ara, ko nga mahi aro kore, mahi aukati, i nga whakatau a kaiheke nei.

Ko tënei Pire, he mea kua roa e taria ana, kia tau noa nga maharahara e hia ke nei, ara ko era e aukati nei i te Maori i nga whakatau a Hunga Manuhiri, kore korero ki te Maori, kore paku aro mai.

Tera pea, koia nei te whakatinanatanga o tënei mea o te rangatiratanga, he whakaaturanga o tenei mea o te manaakitanga, me te wa tika hei whakanui, i te wairua o te nohotahi e tumanakohia ana i roto tonu i te Tiriti o Waitangi. No reira, ka tautoko matou i tenei Pire, ka mutu, ka akiakina tonu i etahi wahanga, i te wänanga a komiti nei.

English Interpretation

Five years ago, the outgoing Race Relations Commissioner, Gregory Fortuin, described the challenge, as an immigrant, of being a good citizen in Aotearoa. He talked of his birthright as a South African, and I quote:

“My heritage is a gift I had no say in. I’ll always be proud of who I am, but I’ll embrace the identity of my new homeland. It’s just damn difficult to know what the identity of my new homeland is”.

And that, Mr Speaker, is the crux of the immigration issue.

When the Maori Party spoke to this Bill at its first reading, we talked about migrants coming to Aotearoa from the four winds, from all corners of the world. We talked about the policy of the Maori Party which is that, if we open the door to migrants we should also work hard to look after them.

And looking after them, is not to make it ‘damn difficult’ for our manuhiri to know what their new homeland is.

Looking after them, is to be united and bound through the values and aspirations embedded in our foundation document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

This Bill, takes as its focus, the provision of quality immigration advice to assist the passage of immigrants to Destination Aotearoa.

Yet, how can we enhance the reputation of New Zealand as a migrant destination, without promoting and recognizing the crucial matter of national identity?

University of Auckland graduate, James Chang, who emigrated to New Zealand in his early teens, has studied the relationship of Asian immigration within this land. His research pointed to a constructive first step being for Asian immigrants to become more educated about issues related to New Zealand and what it meant to be a New Zealander.

Central in the marketing of our unique destination, must be the consideration of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

That’s right –

- the same Treaty that Education Ministers took out from the school curriculum;

- the same Treaty that, fortunately, a brave and responsible Education Chief Executive put back into the school curriculum;

- the same Treaty that Health Ministers watered down in health specifications;

- the same Treaty which on the 26th July last year, all fifty Labour MPs, including Labour’s entire Maori Caucus, voted to delete from legislation.

- The Hansard records it in black and white on that fateful July day last year: 111 votes in favour of deleting the principles from Te Tiriti o Waitangi: New Zealand Labour 50; New Zealand National 48; New Zealand First 7; United Future 3; ACT New Zealand 2; Progressive 1; and just ten votes against – six Greens and four Maori Party.

This Treaty is also the same Treaty that Dr Ranginui Walker has described as the original charter for immigration.

Dr Walker has referred to the Treaty providing the source for all immigration to Aotearoa from Europe, Australia and the United Kingdom. Te Tiriti o Waitangi guaranteed a developing social contract, a partnership of two cultures.

And at its very core, were expectations that as a Treaty partner, Maori should be consulted on every aspect concerning migrants who wish to reside here.

Tangata whenua understand the intentions of the Treaty signatories in 1840 very clearly. Both parties recognized that immigration was having a significant impact on the land and Maori culture.

The architects of the Treaty know that what the Treaty represented would establish a precedent in terms of how the British Empire recognised the culture, rights, traditions and way of life of indigenous peoples against the onslaught of immigration.

The Immigrants Advisers Licensing Bill sets up a licensing regime for all people providing immigration advice. The Bill will apply to advisers, both resident and off-shore, setting benchmarks.

It is the critical importance of establishing benchmarks, that will lead us to introducing, at the committee stage, a Supplementary Order Paper to ensure that advisers are equipped to support migrants in understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and learning about tikanga and te reo Maori.

We, the Maori Party, believe a constructive first step, as James Chang concluded, would be to develop a social and cultural programme which would assist prospective migrants, specially second language speakers of English, to understand Maori values.

Come to think of it, it’s not just a bad idea for other New Zealanders who may been here for four or five generations as well.

Mr Speaker, we have focused in this Bill, on ensuring the provision of immigration advice, reflects the significance this nation places on Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

And it's not just tangata whenua who hold the Treaty as important. Human Rights Commission research shows a growing knowledge of and commitment to the Treaty for New Zealanders generally.

But we also acknowledge the issues that many of the submissions referred to the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee.

That is the prevailing concerns with the poor quality of advice given, the risk to clients who are being left unnecessarily vulnerable by the actions of unscrupulous advisers, and the consistent call for the establishment of competency standards.

It is hoped that the Immigration Advisers Authority will address these concerns through the administration of the licensing regime, and the development and monitoring of the competency standards, and the creation of a code of conduct for advisers.

The National Council of Women in their submission, suggested that it would be essential that a robust consultation process occurred around the development of these standards.

The Select Committee added an extra layer, recommending a governance entity for complaints and disciplinary proceedings.

So the Bill will set up the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal as an independent body.

In both this Tribunal – and in the consultation process around the competency standards, the Maori Party would suggest that there be specific and mandated consultation to involve, liaise with and include Tangata whenua views and voices.

This, therefore, will be the substance of another Supplementary Order Paper that we will introduce to the debate. We will be looking to create a new Maori Immigration Council which will examine all issues related to immigration and its impact on Maori.

As part of this brief, the Maori Immigration Council would review immigration legislation from a Tiriti o Waitangi perspective, and, through direct representation on the Immigration Advisors Authority, advise them on matters of Treaty and te reo education.

Such a Council will go part of the way to resolving the longstanding concerns that Maori have had in being locked out of any debate and dialogue about who else should live upon our land.

A dozen or so years ago, the Council of Conference Joint Methodist-Presbyterian Public Relations Committee concluded that, and I quote:

For a relationship, any partnership to work, there must be an opportunity to be heard.

This Bill, the Immigration Advisers Licensing Bill, gives us our best opportunity to right the wrongs of over 160 years of being ignored and shut out of immigration decisions.

This Bill may be the chance we have been waiting, to finally address the long-standing concerns that immigration policies have been made at the expense of Maori, without consultation with Maori, and of unproven value.

This Bill may be the moment to demonstrate the respect for sovereignity, the desire for the expression of manaakitanga; the time to honour the spirit of partnership explicit in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In this light, we will support the Bill, and eagerly anticipate the opportunity to further enhance its provisions at the committee stage.

ENDS

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