Point of Order: Ministers bray about the millions being dispensed for housing (subject to ethnicity) and cultural venues

While the Minister of Housing and her Māori Housing associate were dispensing favours as part of a race-focussed housing initiative for which they are responsible, Kiri Allan was inviting appropriately cultured oinkers to a trough replenished with $13 million of slops.

She described it as a contestable fund, which means there will be some jostling for a share of the goodies, but first in will not necessarily be served.

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan was of a charitable disposition, too. She announced that following a comprehensive review of the Charities Act, the Government is moving ahead with changes to modernise the legislation that will increase transparency for the public, improve access to justice services and reduce the burden on smaller charities.

Mike Butler: Labour’s land-grab claim shows cracks in claimed treaty settlements consensus

The Labour Party’s sudden opposition to a bill that would enable some Auckland reserve land to be used in a treaty settlement for housing appears to show cracks in the claimed cross-party consensus on treaty settlements.

Anyone who dares to criticise treaty settlements, whether the dollar amount of financial redress or the shaky basis of many of the claims, is told that “everyone agrees” that these settlements are “the right thing to do”.