Audrey Young: Maori Minister right on button

COMMENT

"Parekura" and "PowerPoint" are not words one would expect to see in the same sentence.

But a trim and energised Maori Affairs Minister yesterday treated members of the Maori Affairs select committee to a smartly designed presentation of how the Ministry of Maori Development, Te Puni Kokiri, had transformed itself after a critical State Services review.

"Keep up, Richard," Mr Horomia ordered the slow-coach official who fell behind the minister's pace of changing images.

He zapped through point after point: "Shifting the profile," "Key drivers of change," "Future directions for Maori," and "Where are we heading?". The answer? "Aspiring to be healthy, wealthy and wise."

So quick was the pace that Mr Horomia skated right past "Key achievement", including Maori unemployment at its lowest in 20 years, over 40,000 more Maori in work and an almost doubling of Maori participation in tertiary education since 1999.

The illustrated talk was a neat device to harness Mr Horomia's spirit and to contain his propensity for wandering around the margins of logical thought and speech.

The minister was bolstered by chief executive Leith Comer and the three new deputy secretaries under the restructuring: former National Party candidate Hekia Parata, responsible for policy; former Nga Puhi Runanga chief executive Alison Thom, responsible for relationships and information; and Craig Owen, overseeing support services.

Mr Comer was plainly infected with the same going-forward-with-passion bug, and gave a PowerPoint show about changes in the past six months.

"We have clear direction, we have a clear sense of purpose and I think we have renewed sense of worth. Next, Richard."

A breathless New Zealand First MP Pita Paraone responded at the end: "I actually thought I was at a revival meeting, minister"

But he had reservations that the presentation had summarised Maori aspiration to be "healthy, wealthy and wise".

"I would be much more excited if we said we were headed to be much healthier, wealthier and wiser ... It implies that Maori are not wise now."

That was an invitation for the minister to wander around the language borders.

"No, -er, -er. Wise, -er," the minister insisted. "The continuum. Let's get it clear. We want to play around with the idiom. This is all plus stuff. This ministry is about plussing and adding on to the shortness of the Westminister language. It's about -er. We're going to be better -er." National MPs Georgina te Heuheu and Gerry Brownlee shattered the feel-good fever.

Mr Brownlee thanked Mr Horomia for addressing the committee, knowing how precious his time was.

"I know how busy you are because I have been waiting five months for a briefing from you," Mr Bownlee said.

Mrs Te Heuheu objected to suggestions that the ministry should encourage private Maori trust boards to invest in education. She complained that the ministry did not come with sufficient information for the committee to scrutinise.

Mr Horomia did not appreciate the fact that the Opposition did not share his enthusiasm.

"I will not sit here and have my ministry bandied about," he objected.

But by the time he left the meeting he had regained his pride, if not his perspective.

"Can I, on behalf of this great ministry, thank you for your effort and your questioning this morning."