Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 17 June 2009. Volume:655;Page:4431. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill 
First Reading 
Debate resumed. 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker. A kati huri noa i to tatau Whare kia ora tatau. Ki te hunga kua tae mai i tenei po ki te tautoko i tenei o nga kaupapa ka nui te harikoa kua tae mai koutou ki te whakarongo ki nga korero. Koinei te mihi o te ngakau ki a koutou otira tatou e noho nei i roto i te Whare tena koutou tena koutou kia ora tatou katoa. Me mihi ra ki a koutou katoa nga kaikorero i te po nei i te mea orite o tatau whakaaro. Ae he take nui tenei me korero i te take nei me wananga i te take nei na runga i te mea he take kua roa e noho tarewa ana. Ko te harikoa i roto i toku ngakau kua mau pai i a tatau te tikanga o tenei pire. Ehara i te mea kaore tetahi i te paku mohio ki tona tikanga kua marama katoa tatau ki tona putake ki tona aronganui a me ki ki te paerangi. 
Ko te mea pai ki a au ehara i te mea no roto i te Pati Maori nga tauira. Mai i tena i tena i tena tenei taha tera taha i muri nei kei a tatau nga tauira e whakaatu nei i te kino o te putake o tenei pire. Ko te mea pai ano hoki kua marama tatau ae he take nui tenei me whai atu i tetahi huarahi hei whakatikatika i te he o tenei pire. I nga tau kua hipa kua puta nga mahi arotake a wetahi o roto i te Whare o roto hoki i te Taraipiunara o Waitangi ki te ata titiro i nga nawe o roto i te pire engari auare ake. Ko te ahua nei ana kua orite o tatau whakaaro ka anga whakamua te pire nei ki tona taumata. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Greetings Mr Assistant Speaker and indeed to us all throughout the House greetings. To those of you who have come here tonight in support of this one of the policies I am overjoyed you have come to listen to the addresses. I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to you and especially those of us seated about the House greetings to you greetings to you and greetings to us all. I must acknowledge all of you who spoke tonight because we were of the same mind. Yes this is an important matter and we should discuss and debate it because it has been on hold for quite some time. The pleasing aspect is that we have a good grasp of the intent of this bill. There is no lack of understanding and awareness of its intent. Let us say we are fully aware of its rationale direction and focus.  
The pleasing aspect for me is that negative examples of this bill have come not just from within the Maori Party but also from that one and that one from this side and that side and from the back. We have all come up with examples. A positive aspect as well is that we have an understanding. Yes this is an important matter and we should pursue an avenue that will amend a flaw in this bill. In the past some in the House and the Waitangi Tribunal have undertaken reviews to examine flaws in the bill but nothing came out of it. It appears that we are unanimous that this bill should progress to its ultimate conclusion. 
] 
I say in closing on behalf of myself and the Maori Party to all our supporters across the House that I appreciate their support. Clearly people understand the issues and they have examples and therefore I look forward to the bill going to the select committee for the debate to continue. I acknowledge National our coalition partner in the sense that it would have been all too easy for National to move towards a financial veto and I am pleased to say that National has managed to leave that one to the side. 
I close with a little bit of insight in that today is a spiritual day. I say that because 2 years ago—and we know how hard it is to get a bill drawn out of the ballot—the Maori Party put the Foreshore and Seabed Act (Repeal) Bill into the ballot and as soon as it went in it was drawn out. That bill has now been referred to a select committee. The second bill we put in the ballot was this bill the Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill. We know that the chances of putting a bill in the hat and having it drawn out on the same day are pretty slim. But what happened? Well I did a very good karakia on that day because out came the bill! And 2 years on here we are tonight debating this bill. 
I say also that today of all days I was asked to speak at a Treaty forum—and what should be on the agenda for me to speak about? It was this bill to amend the Public Works Act. It was this day—not yesterday not tomorrow but today. So I say to Mr Assistant Speaker Barker that he is a lucky man. He is a part of the spiritual history and the spiritual realm that this bill will travel through easily smoothly right to a conclusion that will be to the happiness and joy of my people. Na runga i tera kei te harikoa te ngakau kua penei rawa wa tatau korero. Ki te reo karanga Ngati Rangiwewehi ka nui te mihi. Koutou tatau kua tae mai i tenei po tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. Kei raro. 
[ 
Because of that I am overjoyed that our speeches were of this tenor. I acknowledge Ngati Rangiwewehi greatly and those of you who came here tonight. And to each of you and to all of us greetings greetings greetings. I resume my seat. 
] 
Waiata 
Bill read a first time.  
Bill referred to the Local Government and Environment Committee.