12. Māori Development—Government Initiatives and Te Ture Whenua Māori BillNUK KORAKO (National) to the Minister for Māori DevelopmentMāori Development—Government Initiatives and Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill12. NUK KORAKO (National) to the Minister for Māori Development: What specific legislation has she introduced to advance Māori in the first hundred days of this Government?Hon KELVIN DAVIS (Minister for Crown/Māori Relations) on behalf of the Minister for Māori Development: The Minister has not introduced specific legislation but this Government has put into legislation the Families Package which introduces the winter fuel payment Best Start and increases paid parental leave. This package alone will help thousands upon thousands of Māori families across New Zealand.Nuk Korako: Why has the Minister removed specific Māori legislation that would have enabled a greater utilisation of Māori-owned land?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: For multiple reasons. Māori don't want it. It was bad legislation. We can do better. And if I recall the consultation hui that I attended last year there was almost rioting in the streets because of how terrible the legislation was.Nuk Korako: Does the Minister accept the statement in the briefing to incoming Ministers from Te Puni Kōkiri who advised that that Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill increases the ability of Māori land owners to use their land by empowering them to make decisions by and for themselves—so why has the Minister disregarded the advice from Te Puni Kōkiri?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: For the very same multiple reasons: that Māori don't want it it's bad legislation and we can do it. Good luck to that member for as we say in Māori E hiahia ana ia te whakaaraara taua tūpāpaku."["He wants to rouse that deceased."]Willow-Jean Prime: What is the highest legislative priority for the Minister?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Dropping the previous Government's changes to Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993. We all know that it was a poorly-thought-out process handled badly. The Minister is focused on delivering practical benefits for Māori land owners whānau hapū iwi and Māori collectives.Willow-Jean Prime: And how will the Minister ensure there is a strong emphasis on improving outcomes for Māori?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: This Government is committed to improving the lives of our Māori whānau through the creation of the Crown/Māori Relations portfolio; through regional development that has a focus on local partnerships which would include iwi and Māori collectives; and through improving the outcomes for Māori in housing. We've been in Government for only just over 100 days but we have delivered more for Māori during that time than the member [Points at Nuk Korako] did in the previous nine years.Nuk Korako: How does her decision to discharge Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill advance Māori interests in developing over 20 percent of Māori land that remains landlocked?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: As I've said we can do a lot better. The big thing about Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill is that it actually caused the demise of the Māori Party because it was such bad legislation that Māori collectively said they did not want it but the previous Government would not listen.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can I ask the Minister as to whether the Government's view was in part formed by the fact that not one Māori Land Court judge supported that legislation?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: The member is correct. In fact Māori Land Court judges were very dismissive of the proposed legislation from the previous Government."