Smith Nick: General Debates 
Smith Nick: General Debates 
[Volume:610;Page:7920] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (NZ National—Nelson) 
: 
 We know how effective the Leader of the Opposition is when every single Labour member who speaks in the general debate insists on giving a speech about him. That is a credit to him. The previous speaker asked what unites the National and ACT parties. It is wanting to get rid of stupid Ministers like Pete Hodgson who wants to put a tax on the most silly of things: the flatulence of sheep and cows. That is unbelievable. 
The member asked what National stands for. Well we stand for one standard of citizenship. One of the key issues before the public of New Zealand right now is who owns the foreshore and the seabed. Members on the Opposition side of the House are absolutely clear that the Crown—the public of New Zealand—owns the foreshore and the seabed. I challenge Mr Hodgson to tell us where Labour stands. Can Mr Hughes tell me Labour’s position on who owns the foreshore and the seabed? 
Darren Hughes 
: Keep your diary free for Monday! 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Oh I see. Well the problem is Mr Hughes that we were told 7 weeks ago by Helen Clark that legislation would be introduced to state that it is owned by the Crown. The Government does not know what to do; it is confused. In the very polls that Government members are so keen to quote 68 percent of New Zealanders believe the Government has flunked that issue. 
Then we have the disgraceful conduct of the Minister for Land Information. As Helen Clark’s little helper he hopped out last week and made the extraordinary claim that thousands of kilometres of the foreshore are in private ownership. He repeated that on Wednesday on Thursday and again on Friday. Even yesterday in the House the Minister for Land Information stuck to his line that huge amounts of the foreshore are privately owned. Why was that significant? It was significant because the Government’s spin was this: if private New Zealanders own the foreshore what is the big deal if Maori own it? That was the devious strategy of the Minister for Land Information but we caught him out. 
Finally even the Prime Minister had to admit that her own Minister had got it all wrong. I do not think there is a member in this House who now has any doubt that for 7 days the Minister for Land Information has been telling porkies about the ownership of the foreshore. Last Tuesday he said we should wait for the land access report to come out which would show all that foreshore was in private ownership. We have looked through all 111 pages of that report and I ask Mr Darren Hughes where it refers to Mr John Tamihere’s claim that one-third of the beaches are in private ownership. It surely is not in those 111 pages. The Minister for Land Information and even more extraordinarily the Minister of Statistics has it all wrong. 
Thirty-eight claims have now been made through the Maori Land Court for exclusive titles to areas of foreshore. We now have over 6000 kilometres claimed and still we have no answer from this Government as to how it will prevent huge areas of New Zealand beaches from going into private ownership through the Maori Land Court. I simply challenge the next Labour member to back up what Helen Clark and Margaret Wilson said which was that they would legislate for Crown and public ownership of those beaches and foreshore. Seven weeks ago National said that that should occur; National has been saying that over and over again. That is what 68000 New Zealanders have said in responding to our electronic petition. This Parliament should get on and do that. 
I challenge the Government to stop fudging. I ask Helen Clark where all her strong leadership is when it comes to standing up to the Maori caucus. How come 7 weeks ago we were told that we would get legislation to fix this issue— 
Jill Pettis 
: We just don’t stand up; we consult and listen. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Oh well if those members consult and listen perhaps they would like to talk to Margaret Wilson and get her to explain why she said 3 days after the Court of Appeal ruling that the Government would legislate for Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed. The member has shut up now. I would too because the Prime Minister has messed things up. This Government does not know where it stands. The Prime Minister has shown an appalling lack of leadership on an issue of fundamental importance and the member needs to explain that.