Gloves come off over school closure u-turns

By KEVIN TAYLOR political reporter

Race dominated Parliament yesterday as Prime Minister Helen Clark told the Opposition she would "fight to the death" its policies of privilege.

Under pressure after two shock polls showing National ahead, Labour came out punching during question time and the ensuing general debate.

The Government this week announced a u-turn on school closures and a review of Maori policies to ensure they are based on need. In a mini Cabinet reshuffle after immigration minister Lianne Dalziel's resignation last Friday, Trevor Mallard was appointed to a new post of Co-ordinating Minister for Race Relations.

National deputy leader Gerry Brownlee asked Helen Clark yesterday if, given the Government's "spectacular u-turn", she stood by her statement to Parliament last week that she would fight to her last breath a policy designed to pit white against brown and rich against poor.

Clark replied: "I certainly will fight to the death against those policies of privilege preached by the Opposition. I happen to have a vision of a society where we go forward together and don't see policies based on privilege for the rich leaving a large marginalised brown underclass in their wake."

NZ First leader Winston Peters asked the Prime Minister whether National leader Don Brash had ever raised Treaty of Waitangi or race issues before the Orewa speech.

"I've been round politics a long time," said Helen Clark, clearly relishing the chance Mr Peters had thrown her. "And I can certainly remember no such previous interest by Dr Brash - never."

Two parliamentary questions later Act attempted to pin down Health Minister Annette King on health policies targeting race. Ms King, in turn, lashed out over the threat "new right politics" posed to the health of the poor.

Act MP Heather Roy questioned her over funding methods for primary health organisations that grant an extra 20 per cent funding for Maori people.

Ms King said the formula took into account age, gender and need, as well as race.

Mrs Roy then cited a comment by senior ministry official Colin Feek that the weighting was a "slightly arbitrary figure" and there was no science behind it.

Ms King conceded the point but repeated that the funding formula was not just based on ethnicity. Later in general debate Mr Mallard accused Dr Brash of "dithering" on whether he would appoint a Maori affairs minister, axe Maori television and abolish Maori scholarships.

Mr Mallard said he could not understand why Dr Brash could not now answer some of those "fundamental questions".

Meanwhile, both the Government's sometime allies - the Greens and United Future - issued advice to Labour through press releases on how to handle the race issue.

United Future leader Peter Dunne said a royal commission on the treaty should be appointed to "set markers in the ground" on its future role and relevance.

In addition, all treaty claims should be resolved within five years.

"Dr Brash's Orewa speech has pointed to the problems we face in dealing with the Treaty of Waitangi and related issues, but not the solutions."

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