Wong Pansy: Maori Fisheries Bill — In Committee 
Wong Pansy: Maori Fisheries Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:620;Page:15632] 
PANSY WONG (National) 
: 
 I support the Hon Richard Prebble in his call for the Minister— 
Sandra Goudie 
: I have already asked the Minister. 
PANSY WONG 
: Of course the Hon Richard Prebble is supporting the call from my learned colleague Sandra Goudie that the public would really want the Minister of Fisheries to take a call to clarify that position. I was reading a newsletter put out by the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission that seemed to support the point raised by my National Party colleague Sandra Goudie and the Hon Richard Prebble. It said in effect that the Inland Revenue Department believes that these entities will be paying a tax rate of 19.5 percent. 
 I think the Minister should take a call to explain to the commercial sector as a whole the reason for this preferential treatment being dealt to this big business. We are not talking about small business; we are talking about big business. The Labour Government likes to claim that this Maori Fisheries Bill in effect champions the ability of the Maori community to compete in an entrepreneurial way and be treated the same as any other commercial entity. The Minister should take a call to explain seriously this taxation position. I certainly believe that very unfair generalised statements have been made and they are reflected in these transitional provisions as well as in the rest of this Maori Fisheries Bill. It is as if the Maori community and Maori organisations cannot front up and compete on an equal footing with any other organisation. In effect the sentiment of this bill is to a certain extent patronising and an insult to the Maori community. I am always very proud coming from Canterbury of what NgaiTahu has been able to demonstrate in managing the settlement process in a very commercial and competitive manner. It is now one of the largest employers in Christchurch. This bill should really aim to reflect that position. I am still waiting for the Minister to get up and answer that point. 
I want to raise another issue relating to the transitional provisions in Part 6—more to the point what has not been included in the transitional provisions. I had a discussion with the incoming Minister of Fisheries the honourable Phil Heatley—next year he will be the Minister of Fisheries—and he says that he will address what is not being included in these transitional provisions. For example these transitional provisions should cover the fact that the Maori Land Court will be handed the additional responsibility of settling disputes but no resource allocation is being made to the Maori Land Court. That is hardly fair and will not make sure that any dispute gets a speedy resolution. I want the Minister to take a call to assure us that the Maori Land Court will be appropriately funded so that any disputes arising from this legislation are dealt with expediently. That is another matter I invite the Minister to take a call on. 
The other question I would like the Minister to answer is why he will not propose an amendment to the transitional procedures that provides a sunset clause in terms of the provision that restricts these entities from selling their quota etc. on a commercial basis.