te Heuheu Georgina: Maori Purposes Bill (No 2) — In Committee 
te Heuheu Georgina: Maori Purposes Bill (No 2) — In Committee 
[Volume:646;Page:15818] 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) 
: 
 I am pleased to follow upon the heels of the completion of the second reading of the Mauao Historic Reserve Vesting Bill with the Committee stage of this bill. Part 1 deals with changes to the Maniapoto Maori Trust Board Act. This of course is an omnibus bill that amends several pieces of legislation from the portfolio of the Minister of Maori Affairs. As I say the Maniapoto Maori Trust Board Act comes under scrutiny here with some changes to the legislation. There are four changes but the two most important are the name change for the Maniapoto council of elders and the proposals to formalise a new regional management committee for Kawhia Harbour. The name change issue is dealt with under clauses 4 and 7. 
These amendments give effect to a request from the Maniapoto Maori Trust Board to update its trust board legislation by reflecting a name change for its council of elders. I touched upon this in my second reading speech yesterday but I think it bears commenting on here. The Maniapoto council of elders requested these changes. It was concerned that the current name Te Mauri o Maniapoto as the council is currently referred to under the Maniapoto Maori Trust Board Act suggests that it holds the mauri of Maniapoto. As Maori members and others in the Chamber will appreciate this is an unusual use for that word. The council of elders is of the view that the mauri of Maniapoto is instead held by all the marae of Maniapoto and it requested of the Minister or his ministry maybe both that the name be changed to Te Kaumatua Kaunihera o Maniapoto—the Kaumatua Council of Maniapoto. All of the board obviously was in agreement with that. 
This in essence appears like a housekeeping change but when we go to the thrust of why the board members wanted that change in terms of the use and the embodiment of all of the meanings behind the word “mauri” it is understandable that this is more than housekeeping for them—it goes to the very heart of the way their elders want to describe themselves. As I say both clauses 4 and 7 effect this name change. 
The other issue of note in Part 1 is in clauses 6 and 13 which see the establishment of a new Maniapoto Regional Management Committee. Again these amendments give effect to a request by the Maniapoto Maori Trust Board to formalise a seventh regional management committee for Kawhia Harbour. Maori trust boards are empowered to establish committees. The Maniapoto Maori Trust Board currently has six regional management committees that represent the interests of 43 Maniapoto-affiliated marae. Under section 6 of the Maniapoto Maori Trust Board Act a representative from each of the regional management committees sits on the trust board and has full voting rights in trust board matters. 
In 2003 five Kawhia Harbour marae came together to request a separate regional management committee to represent them. This proposal grants that request. Although the committee was asked to look more closely at this change because a couple of submissions were made to us that would suggest the change was not appropriate all was well when we asked Te Puni Kokiri to have a look at the matter again. As it turns out the proposal will go through so the Maniapoto Maori Trust Board will have its membership increased from 14 to 15 and the number of regional management committee representatives on the trust board will increase from six to seven. 
These amendments will formally provide for the representation of the new regional management committee on the trust board. With that representation of course comes first of all a representation on behalf of one’s constituency; second access to funding; and third the right to vote on all Maniapoto Maori Trust Board matters. So it is very important for this group of five representatives from the Kawhia Harbour marae that this change is effected because as I say it adds to their representation on the tribal trust and gives them a voice in the overall affairs of the trust. 
My colleague Chris Finlayson yesterday mentioned how he and I had recently spent a very pleasant and productive afternoon with the Maniapoto Maori Trust Board—it very kindly hosted us—and this legislation being before us was obviously a matter for some small discussion. It also gave a plank for us to touch on other matters that are in the trust board’s domain right now including its Treaty settlement negotiations or maybe the lack of them.