Potaka TamaTAMA POTAKA (National—Hamilton West): Thank you for this opportunity to speak to the Spatial Planning Bill at the third reading. As mentioned National supports reform of the Resource Management Act (RMA) and endorses spatial planning as a concept but respectfully opposes this very readable bill and also the legislative ram-raiding that has resulted in the bill accelerating through this House.The bill continues to be negligent with illusory and ill-defined commitments to Māori concepts: legislative chicanery at its finest. A proverbial Pied Piper of resource management has emerged and there is a clamouring of consultants lawyers academics and potential committee members awaiting their hungry feast. I've previously socialised what I believe is the Government's unreasonable stumble to maximise kāwanatanga often uncosted at the expense of rangatiratanga and common sense. This bill does nothing to allay my concern.Kāwanatanga takes over more here except we call it regional planning committees". On a Treaty theme can I refer to clause 5 which mirrors clause 4 of the Natural and Built Environment Bill. The bill doubles down on that powerful clause in reference to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and thanks to the Minister who confirmed there is no intent to confuse those applicants and decision-makers who are affected by its provision. But the problem here that I respectfully signal again is that the interpretation of Treaty principles have often generated more hope and a lot more dissatisfaction. The Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Tribal Trust and Department of Conservation decision at the Supreme Court reinforces this observation: lots of resource years of effort a major judicial decision and no genuine partnership between the Crown and Ngāi Tai. Kakī hōhonu; pāpaku uaua e hoa. [Deep throat; shallow muscles.] A Treaty reference is useful when it results in action and I'm sceptical about how regional planning committees in some regions will genuinely accommodate and deliver on the diverse aspirations of iwi and Māori outside tribal narratives place names and some tree-planting programmes for planning purposes. The regional planning committees set out in this bill comprising individuals that are appointed not elected appear to just be another layer of bureaucracy. It will have the effect of convoluting planning and decision-making and compromising rangatiratanga further because there are not enough seats for all the iwi and Māori organisations that might wish to be on them. The democratic principle of one person one vote—which we heartily agree with—is gone; gone by lunchtime and further shadowed by appointing more and more bureaucrats to join more and more and more committees and make more and more decisions. Who's going to pay for them? Nowhere have I heard what the actual costs for these kumu on more seats in the corridor of decision-making actually constitute.As drafted these planning committees have more than a symbolic and cursory function. Through my uneducated and thick lens they look like they're overtaking the responsibilities of councils—who should be really delivering on these issues? They seem under-democratic time-consuming faceless and unreflective of communities of interest. Hamilton City Council—which by the way sports three oxen two pūkeko and the Waikato River on its coat of arms—opined in their submission that their own decision-making process will be severely compromised with the current drafting. Actually what will our council do David Bennett if 10 waters RMA reform and other Government objectives are legislated? Hosting more world rugby finals and more darts nights is simply not enough to keep our mayor and councillors happy.Hon David Bennett: Bring the V8s back. TAMA POTAKA: That's right the V8s—that $40 million question. We've opined previously on section 7 which refers to mana but we're none the wiser about what mana means in this third reading. Honourable use of the terms yes; unclear use definitely. During a previous incarnation of this speaker I spoke to the wisdoms of the wisdoms of that well-known Labour legislator Geoffrey Palmer former Prime Minister and his concern with our law being too fast. Sir Geoffrey Palmer referred to New Zealand lacking the checks to prevent constitutional slippage—slippage and ambiguity is the hallmark of this triplicate legislation.If we can't get these terms clear like "kawa" and "tikanga" and "mana" how do we expect the Māori gold and pounamu miners the Māori corporate dairy farmers and the Māori aquaculture specialists to actually get things done and get the country back on track? If we can't get those terms clear how do we expect to rely on the reliable independent bench to actually get our country moving? I don't know; I don't know Mr Smith. But at the moment what I'm looking at is a series of terms a series of planning committees a series of concepts and terminology that have been rushed through a process that's determined to fail—Angie Warren-Clark: Five years!TAMA POTAKA: That's what I see. Five years. And with that Madam Speaker I'll take alight and sit. Kia ora."