'Leper status of treaty' appals Willie Jackson

By AUDREY YOUNG

Alliance MP Willie Jackson has attacked his Labour coalition partner for according Treaty of Waitangi issues "leper status" in the Budget.

"Why will Labour not properly fund and resource the Waitangi Tribunal?" he asked in Parliament yesterday.

Labour's treaty policy was "one of avoidance rather than resolution".

Mr Jackson, the leader of Mana Motuhake, said tribunal funding should have risen by $1 million a year for five years to clear a backlog of claims.

Its funding has increased $130,000 to $6.29 million.

"Mana Motuhake is disappointed. We wonder why treaty issues have been accorded ... leper status in this Budget."

Maori were mentioned only once in the Budget speech, in relation to a Maori trade training programme.

National's Maori affairs spokeswoman, Georgina te Heuheu, said two years ago the Budget trumpeted Closing the Gaps and it had now "sunk without trace".

Labour MP and Maori affairs select committee chairman John Tamihere rejected Mr Jackson's criticism. He said the Government had outlined a four-year programme of expenditure in its first Budget.

"We were very well looked after in the first Budget. That money is starting to bite into my communities right now and we are starting to see the lowest Maori unemployment, lowest suspension rates in schools."

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