Tamihere John: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Tamihere John: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:621;Page:17093] 
JOHN TAMIHERE (Labour—Tamaki Makaurau) 
: 
 I rise to support Part 4 of the bill and to make the following observations particularly in light of some of the comments made by the member who just resumed his seat. The member reflected on clause 56A: “In this Part group of natural persons with a distinctive community of interest and group does not include persons whose only connection to the group is as successors in title to any land.” 
He went on to talk about “the white folks”; I am sure I heard that terminology. Does Pansy Wong have anything to say about what that member just said about her? Is she excluded? Are the Chinese populations that came to this country to mine in Otago and the South Island and to work in this country excluded just because they are in the National Party? Is that what that member said to Pansy Wong? 
I ask him about Georgina te Heuheu who is another member of the National Party. Is she a white folk? Has she been classified in that regard by the member from the National Party who just resumed his seat?  
But there is an even worse aspect. A “community of interest” is what the National Party used to be but it is all over the place now. Those members are all rising to take a call in this debate. There is no discipline no argument and no substance—it is outrageous! 
I rise to support this part which is actually the New Zealand First part. It is the “We love all Kiwis” part. It means that under this legislation there is one rule for all Kiwis—for everyone. It is called the 1840 rule. If one cannot hit the 1840 rule and if one cannot ensure succession and assignation through the 1840 rule one gets nowt. It does not matter whether one is white folk brown folk yellow folk or any folk. The reality is that under Part 4 by care of New Zealand First 1840 is the deadline. It is the cut-off point. 
Gerry Brownlee stands up in this Chamber as a fifth generation Kiwi and says: “Oh I don’t make the cut because of the 1840 rule and I don’t like it.” That is what Gerry Brownlee says. He says: “I’m a greedy little fellow and I want a part of the action.” But New Zealand First says: “Sorry Gerry. You haven’t made the cut-off date.” 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member’s full name is to be used. 
JOHN TAMIHERE 
: Of course. He is the honourable Gerry Brownlee and Gerry Brownlee cannot make the cut-off date. Why? Because New Zealand First has said that 1840 is the date. If one does not make the date it does not matter whether one is black white or brindled or whether one is white folk or brown folk. If one does not make the cut-off one does not make the cut-off. 
Part 4 is for all those folk over on the Opposition benches and for most of my colleagues on the Government benches and I say that that is great. I say that it is one rule for everyone. 
I have to acknowledge Dail Jones and his colleagues from New Zealand First. There are six Maoris in New Zealand First and they have all lined up and accepted it. We Maoris are real Maoris too. [ 
Interruption 
] Yes that is right.  
Opposition Member 
: We will watch them. 
JOHN TAMIHERE 
: There are a few of them around even though Georgina te Heuheu has been made an honorary white folk by the member for Whangarei—but he is good at handing out honorary titles and degrees. I came down to the Committee today to honour and accept the New Zealand First position even if for no other fact than they have thirteen votes—and we need them! 
However putting that to one side I acknowledge that we now have those rights and as we move forward as a disciplined wonderful nation forging ourselves together with great tolerance and respect towards one another I say to Mr Brownlee that this is the “Save Gerry Brownlee” provision. The reality is that Mr Gerry Brownlee cannot make the 1840 rule—[ 
Interruption 
] Well he should not sit here with a vested interest in an attempt to blackguard everybody else and the justifiable rights that have been expressed in this document within this particular legislation. 
I put it to members of the Opposition that the safeguard is here as one rule for all people. There is no doubt about that—absolutely no doubt about that—but we all have to hit the 1840 rule. If one cannot hit that 1840 rule it will not matter whether one has five generations of succession. Now Gerry Brownlee is getting very upset. We can save the whale and save Gerry Brownlee but this bill does not do that. 
I also wanted to indicate a couple of other matters that are very important to do with the jurisdiction of the whole bill.