Jones Shane: Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill — In Committee 
Jones Shane: Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:671;Page:17511] 
Hon SHANE JONES (Labour) 
: 
 Tena tatou katoa. Today we saw an assemblage of kaumatua and rangatahi predominantly from the north bringing their nawe about the seabed and foreshore to Te Upoko-o-te-Ika. In that group today—and this does relate to the title of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill—was Selwyn Murupaenga. It is extraordinary that Selwyn Murupaenga was here in 1975 accompanying Dame Whina Cooper in the Matakite march and that he should find it necessary to come back many years later and repeat his message. Unfortunately the bill does not settle the issue.  
The name of the bill is rather interesting. I will not steal any more of the thunder that Hone Harawira characteristically laces his speeches with. Unfortunately his loudness of voice is inversely related to his impact on policy process and legislation which voters will note and make a very sensible decision about on 26 November.  
The Takutai Moana Bill uses the word “marine”. I want it noted that the original Marines were soldiers. They were sent on vessels at a time when the sailors and other people working on those vessels were press-ganged. What was necessary because of this level of authoritarianism and eventual type of slavery was that the Marines needed soldiers to keep them disciplined. The fact that the bill unwisely uses the word “marine” in the title has little to do with the vegetation that grows in that part of the world’s environment but everything to do with the absolute loss of autonomy free thinking and personal sovereignty on the part of the Maori Party. 
The Maori Party has had visited upon it the effect of the National Government in the form of some sort of Marine Corps insisting that it votes toes the line and passes this foul legislation. Another thing about the word “marine” is the quality of navigation that is necessary to sail through treacherous seas avoid the shoals and keep away from the reefs etc. The Maori Party’s navigational abilities have failed it. It has unwisely sailed blindly behind Captain Bligh otherwise known as the Attorney-General. He has unleashed his whip and today in that somewhat waspish sense that he generally addresses people with he said he got wet. Of course we say he is wet behind the ears. The Attorney-General has actually demeaned and weakened the position of the Maori Party permanently and fatally. All will be revealed after the World Cup delivers a result to the Golden Oldies rugby team and the All Blacks. 
I come back to the bill. An element about being successful as a Marine is the ability to be amphibious. During the course of the debate as I dwell upon the full meaning of the title of the bill I see we have had amphibious-like behaviour from one or three members of National. They have managed to sink themselves into the surf. Now and again they pop up and then as they take a gulp of oxygen and are allowed to actually offer their views about Maori politics and legislation they are quickly pulled down by an undercurrent emanating from the top of the National Government. You see the Maoris in National are not allowed to speak. They were given 10 15 or 20 minutes to debate the bill last Thursday at a time when most people were thinking about the next day in Otautahi. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: Going to sleep. 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: When Tau Henare speaks no one goes to sleep because they are reminded of what it is like at 1.30 in the morning when children who have earache or are teething are bawling. Those memories are very threatening which is why when Tau Henare speaks no one unfortunately is able to sleep. 
There is a Supplementary Order Paper that deals with the commencement clause. To the best of my knowledge it represents an opportunity to bring the law into full legal effect in a far less circuitous fashion. It was the subject of some debate during the course of the Maori Affairs Committee’s deliberations so in that sense there is not an inordinate amount of criticism that we can ladle upon the Attorney-General for that other than for Hilary Calvert’s names and titles. Not only is she worsening her own cause but she is wrong to come to this Chamber and be a parrot for the Coastal Coalition and Muriel Newman. There is an underlying current of banality hurtfulness and open plain bigotry and ACT members are wrong to be parrots and amplifiers for it. That quality of contribution has no place in this debate. 
This debate is about whether a person’s right ought to be determined by having the ability to argue in court in a broad unfettered fashion or whether they should be constrained and strait-jacketed. That is a decent public policy issue to argue. It ought not to be clouded or undermined by the very sad and quite frankly un-Kiwi views that have been expressed by ACT members. Fortunately 26 November will wash them away in the ebb of the tide and we will be free of their contributions for the foreseeable future. 
Labour members do not agree with the title of the bill. Hone Harawira aptly named it. I want my friend and distant relative from the other side of the Chamber Tau Henare to bear in mind that he was press-ganged along with Rahui Katene. They witnessed mutiny in the form of our whanaunga Hone Harawira the Fletcher Christian of Maoridom. Kia ora tatou.