Peters Winston: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — In Committee Procedure 
Peters Winston: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — In Committee Procedure 
[Volume:621;Page:17137] 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 I have been listening to ACT party members this morning and I have come to the conclusion that they are a miserable sad lot. There they are. They put up one of their junior members who said she would not be able to go to the beach this Christmas. That is an extraordinary claim. Then she started to talk about a group called the Maori wardens whom she clearly understands nothing about—nothing whatsoever. [ 
Interruption 
] Yes she did. They say that the malady of the ignorant is to be ignorant without knowing it. But there they are knowing full well that there has to be somebody who is policing the law. That is the way the law works. [ 
Interruption 
] No no. Some will be Maori and some will not be Maori—OK? Members should just relax.  
 That party’s members are getting up and making extraordinary claims not one of which is true. I will recap— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: They must have learnt a few. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Young Nick Smith is at it again. He cannot keep his mouth shut. He has a penchant for saying the most idiotic things and not being able to handle issues when he is under pressure. 
Stephen Franks 
: Tell us about the $5000. 
Opposition Member 
: Caught out! 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: No no. What was said by the member was that whereas in the past she used to be able to go to the beach this year she will not be able to.  
Mita Ririnui 
: Rubbish! 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: It is worse than rubbish; it is disingenuous nonsense it is deceit it is misleading people and it is designed to get a vote that it will not get. That is why that party is going to the floor. It will not be back in 2005—it will be gone.  
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Will you resign if anyone is denied access this summer? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: How can anybody be denied access to public property?  
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Why don’t you read the bill then? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I have the read the bill. In fact New Zealand First was largely responsible for drafting many parts of it. That is why the country can have enormous confidence that this will be right—because we have been involved in the drafting of the bill.  
A previous speaker said that there will be a gravy train. Quite the converse is true. Georgina te Heuheu must know that we deliberately did not allow for the provision for legal aid in this bill. So how can there be a gravy train? These are not the bad old days of National. These are not the bad old days of the Labour Party—ACT in the old days. There is no gravy train at all. But here is the most amazing thing. Which one of the members from ACT raised any concern about the sale of Westhaven Marina by the former National Minister John Banks? Did we hear a murmur or mutter from National? No. Did we hear a murmur or mutter from the ACT party? No. The Westhaven Marina was being offered to the whole world and neither ACT nor National would say a word about that when their old mate John Banks was about to flog it off to foreigners. The Government had to intervene and buy it in order to keep it in New Zealand ownership. The ACT party did not say a word about Westhaven Marina. The National Party would not say a word at all. It should have because it might have saved John Banks’ skin. He might still be the mayor had he not been so foolish. So when we talk about preserving these assets and resources in the name of New Zealanders parties should have a care for their own record. In the case of the National Party it ain’t got one—it has an appalling record. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: What about the member’s policy on Auckland airport?