Parliament study won't stop abuse: Tau Henare

National Party list MP Tau Henare: 'I just wonder whether we're getting anywhere.' Photo / File

A parliamentary committee has agreed to conduct an inquiry into the wellbeing of Maori and Pacific children - but the National MP who chairs the committee says it will be a waste of time.

The inquiry, by the Maori affairs committee, was approved last week by a majority of committee members from the Labour, Maori and Green parties as the first initiative of a new cross-party Aotearoa Equality Group.

Maori Party MP Rahui Katene, who co-chairs the group with Green MP Metiria Turei, said she hoped the inquiry would open people's eyes to the fact that many Kiwi children lived in poverty.

The Social Development Ministry reported last year that a sixth of European children, a quarter of Maori children and a third of Pacific children lived in households earning less than 60 per cent of disposable median incomes after housing costs.

"Maori and Pacific kids are most affected by poverty," Mrs Katene said. "If we can deal with poverty in those groups we are going to be able to deal with poverty across all groups."

She wants the inquiry to be similar to the committee's high-profile inquiry into the effects of tobacco on Maori people, which led to last year's Government decision to raise tobacco taxes.

Labour MP Louisa Wall said the Opposition MPs chose the Maori affairs committee for the inquiry because it was the only one where they have a majority. She hoped it would recommend extending the public education system to preschool years, where Maori and Pacific children miss out more than others.

But committee chairman Tau Henare said the committee did not have time to do a proper inquiry before the election due in November.

"We'll take part in it, that's democracy. I'm the chairman and I'll chair the meetings to the best of my abilities," he said.

"But in the last 15 years there have been umpteen dozen reports. I don't think we are going to get anywhere if we continue to sit on our arses and do reports.

"I think if you look at child abuse, people have to stop abusing their kids. There's a lot we can do, but then again there's nothing we can do, save giving everybody a job, and I just wonder whether we're getting anywhere. It's like paralysis by analysis.

"I think you have to just go out there in our community groups and educate people. We have hundreds of community organisations and it's time we let them do their job."

Maori anti-child-abuse lobby group Te Kahui Mana Ririki has drawn up draft terms of reference for the inquiry to investigate the health, education and welfare of Maori and Pacific children, the social factors affecting them and how public funds could be used better to ensure their wellbeing. Final terms of reference are expected to be approved next week.

Children in poverty
22 per cent of all children

One in six European children

One in four Maori children

One in three Pacific children