Heat on Horomia over absence of Budget bid

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia has been condemned for failing to seek any increase in this year's Budget for Maori Affairs.

But Finance Minister Michael Cullen defended his Cabinet colleague from attacks which followed the revelation, saying many ministers don't put in bids in particular areas.

Mr Horomia made the admission at the Maori Affairs select committee yesterday which deteriorated into a shouting match.

He said he did not put in a bid for new spending on the advice of Leith Comer, the chief executive of the Ministry of Maori Development, Te Puni Kokiri.

"Our priority this year was about reprioritising our budget," Mr Horomia said.

Dr Cullen said Mr Horomia had been more interested in re-allocation of spending.

"We have more than doubled spending in that area since becoming the Government."

Asked what message it sent that a minister did not seek extra funding, Dr Cullen said: "What it says is he might have got the message that it was a reasonably tight Budget and there were lots of priorities we were already committed to.

"And I'm sure that will be true for next year as well."

National MP Georgina te Heuheu said Mr Horomia's admission made him a laughing stock and her colleague Tau Henare, a former Maori Affairs Minister, called it "reprehensible".

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples said Mr Horomia's performance was "no longer tolerable".

"I cannot believe that the minister and the department - and indeed the Government - could be so complacent to ignore the persistent call by the people to support their ongoing advancement," Dr Sharples said.

Mr Horomia and Mr Henare shouted at each other during the Maori Affairs committee hearing.

Mr Horomia ended his appearance with a plea for the committee to show some respect to Te Puni Kokiri.

Mr Henare accused Mr Horomia of attacking the committee.

Mr Horomia later said the committee had been "a bit of a bugger's muddle".

"Most ministries didn't get increases - there were actually decreases - so we have done well to hold on. Some people in the committees just want to stymie and make us just be the servant. Those days are over."

Labour colleague Shane Jones, who also chairs Labour's Maori caucus, attempted to make light of the shouting match, saying that something might have been "lost in translation" given that Mr Horomia was a Ngati Porou Maori and Mr Henare and Dr Sharples were what he termed urban Maori.

Mr Jones said Mr Comer's advice was a "prudent and sensible approach to get the best bang for the bucks" the ministry already had.