Quinn Paul: Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill — In Committee 
Quinn Paul: Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:655;Page:5051] 
PAUL QUINN (National) 
: 
 It gives me pleasure to take a second and final call on the Port Nicholson Block (Taranakai Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill. I will canvass a couple of issues in a bit more detail but before doing so I admit to my friend and colleague Grant Robertson from the Opposition benches that perhaps I do not have the extraordinary diplomatic skills that he may have—I do have some—but I do have patience. I have patience and let me tell you Grant— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Full name. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. The honourable member has been here long enough to know that he must refer to a member by his or her full name or title rather than by his or her Christian name. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I thank the member. I am sure that the member will observe that rule in the continuation of his speech. 
PAUL QUINN 
: I am pleased to be able to get on to my hind legs and accept the member’s correction. I say to my friend and colleague Mr Robertson that I have patience. I have been involved in a Treaty settlement much longer than you have and it took over 20 years— 
H V Ross Robertson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I know what the member is going to say— 
H V Ross Robertson 
: I have not said it yet Mr Chairperson. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I can anticipate what the member will say. I will let the member have his say first and I think we will probably agree. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I hesitate to interrupt the honourable member again but he needs to learn the rules of debate in this Chamber. All of us here know that one cannot refer to someone as “you” because that refers to the Chairperson or the Speaker at the time and not to a member on the other side. I urge the member to read the Standing Orders and to get to know what the Speakers’ rulings are. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I am sure that the member for the second time will recognise the importance of maintaining decorum in the Chamber and of observing which words are to be used and which are not to be used. 
PAUL QUINN 
: It is with great humility that I again rise on to my hind legs. All I can say is that after more than 20 years and four court cases—all of which were won I might say—the settlement was finally settled on 30 June this year in order for the final transaction to occur. But I want to— 
Grant Robertson 
: A lot of work done by Michael Cullen. 
PAUL QUINN 
: No it was not actually; it was not. It was done by the wonderful new Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and the wonderful new Minister of Finance. 
I will turn specifically in Part 1 to clause 9(1)(b) which refers to clause 8.2.3 of the deed of settlement. The Minister in his opening remarks referred to it and this is commonly what has become known as the opt-out clause. Let me read it to members. It is notwithstanding the best efforts of the previous administration an example of Labour members’ desire in the rush to try to win in my view some of the Maori sympathy vote towards the end of their tenure having turned Maori off when they rushed through with a number of settlements. The previous Labour Government ended up with some sloppy drafting in various places and my colleague has spoken about this sloppy drafting in relation to Ngati Tama and the opt-out clause. As a consequence one of the difficulties we had in dealing with this bill when it landed on the desk of the Maori Affairs Committee has been in working our way through the sloppy drafting around the purposes. If Labour had put more effort into it then we would not have reached the position of having an opt-out clause for Ngati Tama. Under this clause they can opt out and choose to run their own historical process if they do not like the fundamental outcome. 
I assure members of this Committee that under the direction of the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and the Prime Minister this Government will ensure that such sloppy drafting will not occur. It will be up to the people and the iwi to resolve their differences before we finalise a mandate. It is with pleasure that I support this part.