Goudie Sandra: Māori Trustee Amendment Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeGoudie Sandra: Māori Trustee Amendment Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 05 May 2009. Volume:654;Page:2865. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SANDRA GOUDIE (National—Coromandel):I thank the Hon Pita Sharples for his excellent contribution for being such a magnificent Minister of Māori Affairs and for seeing the passage of the Māori Trustee Amendment Bill through the House. His explanation of Part 2 was exemplary and was much appreciated by all those listening in so I thank him for that. I certainly appreciated his contribution just to expand my own understanding of the bill. Part 2 of the Māori Trustee Amendment Bill is largely procedural as previous members who have spoken on it have said. I recall the comments from the Hon Tau Henare about beneficiaries and about actually finding beneficiaries because there are multiple beneficiaries. That is problematic enough but I have to say that judging from the recent attempt to find Jon Traylen who is one of just two trustees of a trust and who would appear to be its sole beneficiary it is very difficult to find just one beneficiary let alone a whole lot of beneficiaries. It was extremely difficult. I think that because of the investigation by Fair Go he is probably trying—so far successfully—to evade its attempts to find him and make him accountable for the lack of services he is providing.When looking at the Māori Trustee Amendment Bill I am mindful of clause 29A which is about taxes and duties. The clause “applies for the purposes of the Inland Revenue Acts and any other enactments…”. I will pause here because the one thing we have not really done much of in the Chamber today is speak slowly for the benefit of the interpreters. I wonder how many people are aware of the fact that it is really important to speak slowly and clearly for those people who are signing for others who cannot hear what we are saying. I acknowledge Sign Language Week and the fact that the interpreters have been working all day to interpret what is being said in the Chamber. That is why it is so important to speak slowly. I do not know how many members understand sign language; I do not understand anything very much at all. But it is relevant because whatever we say about the Māori Trustee Amendment Bill—and in particular I am looking at clause 29A “Taxes and other duties”—is being interpreted. That is why it is so important. It is as important for those people who cannot hear as it is for those who can.I will go through what clause 29A “Taxes and duties” actually states. It states: “This section applies for the purposes of the Inland Revenue Acts and any other enactment that imposes or provides for the collection of any tax duty levy rate or other charge.” When reading that particular portion I am very mindful once again of Jon Traylen a particular trustee of a particular trust who uses donations in what appears to be a coercive manner. Donations are contributions that are given willingly. Donations are something a person gives freely. People choose to give a donation. I do not know whether donations have any relevance to this clause but they certainly had relevance for those people who provided money to Jon Traylen. Whatever was left over from the services he provided to them he claimed as a donation. He would state on the registration form that a donation was a non-refundable part of the fee. But I do not see anything in this particular clause that relates to donations. It is quite extraordinary how some people can use that particular aspect of a trust.Clause 29A goes on to talk about the commencement of this bill. I will refer to what the Minister said before: the bill is about disbanding the Māori Trust Office and establishing more comprehensively the Māori Trustee as a separate entity. I think that is really commendable. I think it is fantastic what the speakers have had to say in the Chamber tonight. I do not know whether the enactments that will be amended by clause 30 have been covered to any great extent.