Eagle PaulPAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai): Thank you Madam Speaker and it's a pleasure always to talk in the House. Just can I acknowledge our Minister of Local Government the Hon Nanaia Mahuta for bringing this to the House and getting traction because this isn't about a race-based philosophy. What this is about is reducing barriers. I know when I see Māori land around Aotearoa New Zealand—1.4 million hectares much of it unused undeveloped—and owners who have aspirations for the use of it being unable to develop this land facing an array of challenges unique at that—but the worst thing is that they are subject to rates and they go into arrears because these things just have not got the use and the potential of it for them at ease to make the land profitable or usable in whatever way that they feel fit. So these legislative changes are part of a wider programme to support Māori land owners trustees and their whānau to realise their aspirations. The pinnacle of this or the essence is that it will eliminate the problem of rates arrears accumulating on land that really derives as I said no benefit and at the most no economic benefit. I'm hopeful and the bill sets this out that it will enable owners of Māori land to discuss development opportunities with their council—and you know local government at the moment mm-mm—without fear that they will be asked to pay rates first. This isn't about having your conversation with your local authority about paying the pūtea first; this is about having a conversation about what can your land—and if you were a local authority with some decency and dignity regardless of any use of land you would see potential for your community of that and think What can we use this land for? How can we help landowners realise potential?" Because what's good for them ultimately should be good for the district city or region where that land is I feel. I think that this bill does that. Look I travel around parts of my electorate where there is land that fits this and it is riddled with issues. I am hoping that this piece of legislation goes some way to supporting the conversation not to be about how much you owe us—people are sick of local government having those conversations—but about what your land can do for your whānau your community your city or district. Being on local government myself I have seen land all over the place wondering what the potential of that land could be. Often I don't know who owns it what the ownership structures look like but for Māori-owned land here is a solution legislatively that will make it possible. I sit on the Māori Affairs Committee. It's a warm and welcoming select committee to all views but I know that despite a few barriers in other parts of the kaupapa of that select committee—with Māori wards for example—this has got hopefully full support from—I can see the MP for Bay of Plenty nodding his head looking at me saying "Yes yes and yes."Todd Muller: No I'm not nodding. I'm "hmm"-ing.PAUL EAGLE: Oh OK. Sometimes you get confused without your glasses on but I'll put them back on. This is a good piece of work. It's well overdue. Others will traverse the history of this and how it has impacted whānau iwi hapū over the years—in fact over the last century. This brings this process to a halt. It pulls the conversation into realising potential rather than having a conversation about moni and pūtea and I'm hopeful that in the years to come we will see that aspiration is realised. I commend this bill to the House."