Brownlee Gerry: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — First Reading 
Brownlee Gerry: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:617;Page:12734] 
GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) 
: 
 Is it not extraordinary that we can have perhaps the most important legislation to come before this Parliament and we hear nothing from the Prime Minister? New Zealanders have come to this Parliament from all across the country to hear the views of their politicians and we hear nothing from the Prime Minister. 
This is extremely divisive legislation. It is fascinating that we can have the National Party opposed to it the ACT party opposed to it New Zealand First supporting it but showing reservations United Future supporting it but showing reservations— 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: We’re opposing it. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: —my apologies United Future opposing it the soon-to-be-independent member Tariana Turia opposing it and Nanaia Mahuta opposing it. All of us have very different reasons for doing so. That must surely tell everyone here that it is very poor legislation and should not go any further. But it will progress today because John Tamihere and his cohorts—the other Maori MPs in the Labour Party—will support it. They could have stood up in their caucus and said: “We have listened to the people. We have listened not only to our own people but to all those New Zealanders out there who have concerns and we’re not prepared to vote for it.” But they have said: “No we’re scared of Helen Clark so we will do as we are told.” That will be the electoral end of them and their Labour Party. 
Why should someone like me vote for this bill? I feel very very strongly about this bill for the simple reason that people like me and like most in this Parliament are effectively being told with the passing of this legislation that no matter how long we live in this country no matter how many generations back us we can never feel the same way about the whenua as a Maori. I want to tell this House and anyone who cares to listen that I fundamentally reject that concept. 
My family has held a property in Pelorus Sound since the 1870s. Today my 98-year-old grandfather his 10 children his 42 grandchildren and his 57 great grandchildren all have an interest in that place. It is in every way and in every sense a standing-place for our family. Yet we are told that we cannot have the same interests the same love or the same connection with the coastal strip along the front of that property as Maori can. Even though we know and history reports that Maori who lived in the area were cleaned out by Te Rauparaha in the 1830s those remnants—never seen in my lifetime—can come back and claim a greater connection to that part of the coast than my family and I. 
Dail Jones 
: But they won’t get it. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Well it is not possible to dispossess New Zealanders of the birthright they have by virtue of being here and expect that this legislation will not be seen as totally divisive and setting up a separatist regime in this country. Anyone who says: “Well there’s never been a problem with this stuff.” and the Winston Peters’ line: “This bill’s perfectly fine; it won’t cause any problems.” should have a look at Delaware Bay not far from my family’s place in Pelorus Sound. On the day this bill was introduced to the House the gates were put up by Ngati Tama a price was put on access and the local council simply said it would do nothing because the seabed and foreshore legislation would make that a legitimate activity. That is a fact. That is the sort of division in our society that Helen Clark has sanctioned and been supported in by Parekura Horomia and his fellow Maori MPs. So people should not expect someone like me to support legislation like this. 
There are concepts for the management of the foreshore and seabed of this country that could be unique to this country. I personally think there is enormous opportunity to develop management around our coastlines along the lines of taiapure. It is not an exclusively Maori concept but Maori—and indeed New Zealand—could look to the interpretation of that as a solution. What is wrong with taking some time over that? 
Could I further ask all those who want to say that there are treaty rights involved here what the treaty guaranteed to non-Maori on the day it was signed? It guaranteed equal citizenship in this country and I am tired of being told that I am part of a group that somehow has a greater obligation to Maori than Maori themselves have as part of the community. 
Parekura Horomia talked today about styles and understandings of ownership. He told us it is not about fee simple; it is about all of those other ethereal things. If those things are to be held and preserved in this country surely they are to be so by virtue of the Treaty of Waitangi. If that is the case—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: —I ask Mr Horomia why my rights under that treaty are being so kicked about by that member. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I am not prepared to have my speech interrupted by that man. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If the member does not sit down his speech will be terminated immediately. I called a point of order. Now the Minister must not interject in the second person because he is bringing me into the debate. He has been doing that constantly and he will stop. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I want to make it clear that I consider that interruption to my speech totally unacceptable. I was unaffected by the Minister’s barrage but I am the only speaker today to have had my speech interrupted by the Chair and I resent that deeply. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Let me say that I was—[ 
Interruption 
] The member is very close indeed to trying my patience; I was trying to protect him. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Oh! 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I was because the Minister was interjecting and the interjection was wrong. I was trying to protect the member. However I have taken note of what he said. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I will again ask the questions for people to think about. Why cannot a non-Maori claim protection under the guise of the Treaty of Waitangi and why do we have Maori members standing up in the House and talking about the Government as though it was something separate from Maori? Why do we have Maori constantly wanting to talk about the obligations of Government to them as though they were members of some third-party group who had no responsibility themselves? 
I want to say to those Maori members on the Government benches that if they put the tick today in favour of this legislation then the legacy left behind by their term in this Parliament will be the start of deep deep racial division in this country. There is no question about it. The National Party knows that in less than 18 months’ time we will need to pick up the mess left behind by the outgoing Labour Government. We are prepared to do that but we are not prepared to buy into some of the myths and nonsense being put before the House today by Maori members who frankly have forgotten whom they represent.