Mahuta Nanaia: Waka Umanga (Maori Corporations) Bill — First Reading 
Mahuta Nanaia: Waka Umanga (Maori Corporations) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:644;Page:13876] 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Customs) 
: 
 I do not intend to take a very long call on this bill but it is worth mentioning that it should be sent to the Maori Affairs Committee. If ever there was a reason to speak on a bill that advantages Maori this is the one to speak on. That member of the Opposition—the member who has just resumed his seat—is a stark example of the difference between the Opposition and the Government. The Opposition wants to lock Maori into a way of thinking that there is only one type of law that should apply to everybody and not recognising that with property law—property law of all the laws the member points to—the fundamental difference between Maori and Pakeha is collective ownership of land. That is the fundamental difference. So he is showing his ignorance in huge magnitudes in this House tonight and that shows that the National Party at no point in time will ever recognise fundamental differences in the way that Maori operate in this land and that is sad. It is sad because there have been two speakers from the Opposition—Georgina te Heuheu and Tau Henare—who frankly should know better. What they are saying tonight in this House is that Maori should lock themselves into governance structures that do not meet the needs of current-day development aspirations. 
What is the fundamental difficulty with the Maori Trust Boards Act? Who are Maori accountable to? They are not accountable to their people but to the Minister of Maori Affairs—to the Crown. That is the shackle the National Party wants to perpetuate and that is a shame. It is a shame that two National Opposition members in this House who are Maori want to perpetuate that type of governance structure. But there is more than that. There are a number of models which the good member for United Future spoke about that do not quite fit the current-day aspirations of Maori collectives and Maori iwi organisations who want to modernise the way in which their governance entity operates. 
The other myth perpetuated by the Opposition was that this bill was solely driven by the Government. It was not. This was a considered piece of work that was done through the Law Commission. It was led by Justice Durie someone who is well known to the Opposition and well known across this House who has a standing well beyond that of the parliamentarians in this House. To perpetuate the myth that this bill has not been at all consulted on throughout the country I think is dishonest. It makes me so concerned about the type of leadership that National members might provide to Maori that we really have to expose them for who they really are and that is dishonest and not able to achieve the aspirations that Maori want to achieve now. 
The other part of this debate that concerns me is in part the argument put up by the Maori Party. Although there is widespread recognition of the collective benefits and interests of Maori as they exist within their iwi and hapu and their need to develop their own aspirations and ways forward the reality is that in order to bring them into today’s world and to help their economic development aspirations they have to have an entity that can actually take them forward—a vehicle for today. That is all this bill is. No one has said that this vehicle would be compulsory. No one has said that this vehicle would determine the way in which Maori have to operate in the future. However it is a vehicle that should it fit the desires of iwi and of Maori organisations could be looked at. 
It is worth picking up on a point that Metiria Turei raised in respect of Treaty settlements. I hope that once this bill gets to the select committee the select committee will consider the way in which a waka umanga model will help the transition for iwi who are currently organised as either trust boards or incorporations so the transitional provisions might be well considered by the select committee. But the other part is in respect of those iwi who are currently in negotiations over their Treaty settlements and whether the establishment of a waka umanga could cut across the types of negotiations that are currently happening with the Crown. It is certainly not the intention but should the select committee concern itself with investigating this matter then it would be time well spent. 
Can I say that of all the discussions that have gone on tonight—and at 5 to 12 at night some of them may have been from a bit of an intoxicated rabble—one thing we on this side of the House cannot stand is plain dishonest mistruths. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I will raise this point of order but I rather hoped that you might have noticed what the problem was. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ann Hartley) 
: I ask the member to withdraw that remark. 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA 
: If the cap fits wear it. I withdraw and apologise. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ann Hartley) 
: Please be seated. The member needs just to withdraw that remark with no other comments. 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ann Hartley) 
: Thank you. 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA 
: One thing that cannot stand in this House is the perpetuating of an argument that simply is not the truth. Really what this legislation aims to do is to free up Maori to be able to look at a model—a new vehicle if you like—to be able to go forward. That is all it is. It is not compulsory; it is voluntary. 
Should Maori want to amend the charter to better fit and suit their needs there is provision in the bill to do that. There are transitional provisions that enable their current entities to move into a waka umanga type of vehicle. Perhaps the best opportunity here is the opportunity to better reflect where the benefits of any sound economic development model should go and that is back to the collective back to the iwi and this bill provides for that. It is not about shareholders. It is about ensuring that one’s collective aspirations can be advanced. It is about modernising opportunities for Maori. It is about ensuring that they are better able and geared to enter into economic development opportunities which we will see will advantage not just Maori but this nation. 
I think that all parties in this House should support this bill’s referral to the select committee if for no other reason than to have a very robust discussion about the way in which Maori will continue to advance their interests for the benefit of all New Zealanders. I commend the bill to the select committee.