Turia: Telecommunications Amendment Bill, 2nd reading
te-pati-maori
Tue Jun 14 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Turia: Telecommunications Amendment Bill, 2nd reading
Tuesday, 14 June 2011, 4:14 pm
Speech: The Maori Party
Telecommunications (TSO, Broadband, and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, 2nd reading
Hon Tariana Turia; Co-leader of the Maori Party
Tuesday 14 June 2011
Tena koe Mr Speaker, tena tatou katoa
I am proud to speak to this bill, which is ostensibly about supporting a range of measures to facilitate the deployment of broadband.
The Government has a very clear goal in sight for the Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative and that is, that 75% of New Zealand households will be connected.
That goal has become advanced for and on behalf of tangata whenua, by the establishment of Nga Pu Waea – the Maori Broadband Group.
As a result of that group – and the advocacy of the Maori Party, we can be assured that marae, kōhanga, kura, wānanga, iwi runanga, Maori health and social service providers throughout Aotearoa will benefit from the rollout of ultra-fast broadband.
This is, of course exactly how it should be – but far too often Parliament falls short of the mark in achieving anything near a treaty based solution.
This Bill has been different and the Maori Party wants to ensure the Hansard records the contributions and the difference made from having Maori voices at the table.
The concept that ‘information is power’ is never more so, than in understanding how the internet can provide us with instant access to information at our fingertips, as well as improving communication and connectivity.
In this Bill, Maori will have access to the knowledge, access to the power, access to the connectivity that links us through to an enormous and influential social network.
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So how did it occur, that Ngā Pū Waea will oversee the roll-out of Ultra-Fast Broadband and Rural Broadband Initiative?
During the select committee process there were some very strong submissions put forward by Maori, which helped set a new context.
Te Huarahi Tika Trust – the Maori Spectrum Charitable Trust paved the foundation for a new approach.
As background, Te Huarahi Tika Trust was incorporated as a charitable trust in 2000 to enable Māori a right of purchase over the third generation spectrum radio frequency being auctioned by the Crown that year.
By virtue of that experience, Te Huarahi Tika Trust challenged the Crown that it had missed an opportunity to partner with Māori to provide substantially better outcomes for all of Aotearoa with the Rural Broadband initiative.
They also argued that Māori have suffered the consequences of poor regulation in the past and have no confidence that it is likely to change.
The second key submission was that put forward by Anthony Royal, on behalf of Torotoro Waea.
Torotoro Waea shared much the same view as Te Huarahi Tika Trust that in their view, they believe that the Crown has overlooked an opportunity to work with Māori in building a better future for our next generations.
There were three key platforms that they put forward for consideration:
They argued, firstly, that the Crown should be confident in working with Māori, given the extraordinary outcomes that Māori have been able to achieve for all New Zealanders over the last twenty years- an argument we endorse completely.
The second view was that derived from a Treaty perspective– and that is that the Crown is failing in its obligation through Kawanatanga to manage the development of our Telecommunications Infrastructure for the benefit of Aotearoa.
The third plank in the submission, was to suggest that the Crown has failed in not developing a vision for Telecommunications in New Zealand that has as its primary goal, what is best for our communities, nor has it involved Māori in developing that vision and nor has it communicated it with industry and the public of New Zealand.
Mr Speaker, these perspectives and challenges, laid out in submission, provided a vital context to ensure that Maori can maximize the opportunities and that Maori views are represented as the rollout of broadband progresses.
So what is the litmus test to demonstrate success in opportunities for all Maori to be digitally literate and connected; what measures will be introduced to effect Maori-targeted initiatives in the broadband sector?
Inevitability, the increased scope and coverage will have a direct benefit in Maori communities. As a result of this Bill,
• 93% of rural schools will receive fibre, enabling ultrafast speed, with the remaining 7% to achieve moderate speeds and
• Over 80% of rural households will have access to broadband.
•
We know that strong connectivity to the outside world is important, and that economically it is a key infrastructure.
But there are some specific initiatives that has come about through the select committee process that particularly relate to, and are influenced by Maori input.
For a start, there’s the amendment to clause 18A to require the Minister to consult with interested parties, including Maori; industry participants, the Commerce Commission, and consumers, when conducting the review.
A particularly significant development from the negotiations with the Maori Party, resulted in the lifting of the ten year forbearance period, exempting companies who won the tenders from Commerce Commission oversight.
Our negotiations to remove the forbearance period will help to ensure lower costs for the end consumer – something which is an enormous achievement that will have direct benefits for all our constituents.
Finally, I want to mention the significance of connecting Marae to broadband which could, over time, be crucial to Marae retaining their role as the hub of the community – or indeed restoring that vital role if lost.
If Marae become the ‘digital hub’, particularly in rural communities, the results could be really exciting – leading to increased participation in the economy, improved educational outcomes, and ultimately more resilient communities.
In the community and voluntary sector I have been delighted to secure additional funding of another $3.3 million dollars over three years for community based initiatives to increase digital literacy and connection.
This new funding builds on the $8345 million I announced at last year’s budget –which has given life to an amazing collective of over one thousand families who have access to the Computers in Homes programme. The funding will also contribute towards the development of a further Computer Clubhouse – another fantastic community initiative.
I truly believe that broadband is crucial to the future of Aotearoa – whether it is in greater IT access in schools, linked up communities or greater connectivity for our marae.
I am so proud, too that as a result of our negotiations to remove the forbearance period the resulting policy will help to ensure lower costs for the end consumer.
The development of Information and Communication Technologies within a country is seen as vital. The Maori Party has fought hard to ensure that Maori will benefit from and be directly involved in shaping an information based economy. We are very pleased to support this second reading of the Telecommunications (TSO, Broadband, and Other Matters) Amendment Bill.
ENDS
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