Stewart Barbara: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — In Committee Procedure 
Stewart Barbara: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — In Committee Procedure 
[Volume:621;Page:17169] 
BARBARA STEWART (NZ First) 
: 
 What a pleasure it is to follow a member like Ken Shirley! He is erudite he is intelligent and he is totally wrong when he comes to interpreting this legislation. What an interesting debate members have had. In this House there are the two extremes yet neither leader of those parties has taken a call. It is very important that the leader of the National Party has not come and taken a call and the leader of the Maori Party has not taken a call either. Both members have sat very very quietly. However I will go back to the title.  
A title should always leave the reader in no doubt as to what this legislation is about and this title definitely leaves the reader in no doubt. This bill sets out to vest ownership of the foreshore and the seabed in the Crown on behalf of all New Zealanders and it protects customary rights for everyone. This legislation achieves what New Zealand First set out as our position in June last year. It is fair to all New Zealanders irrespective of race and all are treated equally before the law—not like some of the speeches we have heard here today and last night.  
Nobody is disadvantaged with this legislation and Maori have lost nothing. This new law confirms what everybody has already believed—that the Crown owns the foreshore and the seabed and the existing situation is exactly how it should be. It means that the foreshore and seabed can never be sold off to anybody. It is really important too that the customary rights of all New Zealanders are protected. That is significant and only New Zealand First has pushed for that. The process is outlined to ensure that that is very clear. This legislation ensures that all New Zealanders are treated equally. There has been a lot of grandstanding over this particular legislation and that is really sad. The other parties should put aside their perceived differences and act in the interests of all New Zealanders. By the time the Christmas and the New Year holidays come all New Zealanders will still be enjoying the beaches and the sea with their children and their families— 
Hon Member 
: And their grandchildren. 
BARBARA STEWART 
: —and their grandchildren—in exactly the same way that we have done for many many years and they will be wondering what all the fuss was about. We will be supporting this legislation totally and we cannot see what all that fuss is about. 
GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Madam Chairperson. We are interested to know what the proportion situation is with regard to speeches at the present time. We know that the Chair keeps good records. It is of interest to us because we have noticed that normally after this period of time the Government starts moving closure motions. But for some reason it has been strangely silent although it has put up two members it would appear to filibuster its own bill. Can you give us an indication of how many—[ 
Interruption 
]  
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: I remind the member that the member on his feet is raising a point of order. There will be silence. [ 
Interruption 
] Does the member want to speak to the point of order? 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I have not finished. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: The member has made his point. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: No I have not made my point. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: I say to Mr Brownlee that I have ruled that he has made his point.