Finlayson ChristopherHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (National): Mr Speaker can I begin by congratulating you and making a few observations. I am delighted that you've resisted the temptation to acquire from the Rt Hon David Carter that very odd fur thing and that you're wearing a black gown. I do think that now that the Chief Justice has ditched her full-bottomed wig in favour of that rather odd outfit that the Supreme Court judges were wearing today you should borrow her full-bottomed wig because I think you would look very distinguished. I also observe I'm delighted that you've changed the Speaker's procession back to what it was in the old days.Mr SPEAKER: Not quite.Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: Well I certainly hope you will. But other than that I won't make any further nice comments because if I made too many nice comments about you Mr Speaker you'd know I was being insincere and you'd refer me to the Privileges Committee.But I'm very interested in one piece of legislation that I hadn't expected to be reinstated—but it has been and I would be very grateful to hear from the Leader of the House about the future disposition of the bill—and that is Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill because when the 51st parliament came to an end in August that bill was in its committee stage. There are about 16 parts of the bill; I think we had debated about eight and I'm hoping that the opposition to the bill was if you like political theatre rather than substantive opposition. Certainly the former New Zealand First member of Parliament Pita Paraone observed to someone that he thought it was a good bill but the opposition was political and I certainly hope that is the case because I say to this House and to the Government in particular that this represents the most fundamental reform of Māori land for many many generations.There was a Ministry of Primary Industries report that said if we can get the legal settings right for Māori land then it is potentially worth $8 billion to the Māori economy. Even if it was only worth $4 billion it would be worth the effort. That is why at the request and the urging of the late great Api Mahuika of Ngāti Porou as Associate Minister of Māori Development I began the process of reform and we established a group of experts including the now Governor-General. There were any number of hui and consultations around the country. Almost unbelievably there were about seven or eight exposure drafts which I as the former Attorney-General approved of and there were very valuable discussions.The fact that it's in the reinstatement motion gives me hope because it's such an important topic. I would like to think that in the words of the Prime Minister there could be a bipartisan approach to dealing with this issue given that it's so well advanced". So I would very much like a commitment from the Government that it will be progressed. I'd like to know how fast it's going to be progressed and what if anything can be done to ensure that we can get unanimity on this hugely significant subject.Secondly I'd like very much to know what the attitude of the coalition partner is. As I said Pita Paraone had made that remark to someone that it was a good bill and opposition was purely political. Mr Jones as the Minister for Regional Economic Development has quite an exciting programme for doing all sorts of things with Māori land to help it achieve its potential. But the reality of the matter is I can say to Mr Jones if he wants to plant all those trees on Māori land under the current settings he will have one hell of a problem: it won't be possible because the 1993 legislation is far too restrictive.I would be most grateful to hear from Mr Jones just how he would propose to do it under the 1993 legislation and I say to his colleagues in New Zealand First "Now the election is over let us forget about the purely political opposition to this bill. Let's see what we can do to knuckle down and if it needs improvement improve it but none the less get it into law as quickly as possible because it's going to be of so much benefit to the Māori community." When I think of what Treaty settlements have done over the last 25 years it certainly has been a very positive development for our country but it is nothing compared with the potential for economic development through reformed Te Ture Whenua Māori legislation.These are important questions. As I said when I first read the motion for reinstatement I expected to find that the Te Ture Whenua legislation would be taken from the Order Paper so I'm really pleased it's there. But these are critical questions that I would invite honourable members on the other side to address.The other piece of legislation—and I say this to my successor Mr Little—concerns the Tauranga Moana legislation. There are important overlapping claims up there and I think he will do a good job in sorting them out. But before the election both Ngāti Ranginui and Mita Ririnui's iwi were very much opposed to that legislation being progressed because of what they saw as unjustified incursions into Tauranga Moana territory by Hauraki iwi. I hope that that legislation will be able to be progressed very quickly now that the election is over and I hope that he will be able to get together with his former colleague Mr Ririnui and with Charlie Tāwhiao who organised all sorts of protests against the Hauraki deed of settlement so that that deed of settlement can be concluded as quickly as possible the seven or eight deeds that are currently in the system can be concluded and that we can then get that Tauranga legislation through the House.So those are simply the matters that I wish to raise as a former Associate Minister for Māori Development. I have to say I invested a lot of time and effort in reforming Māori land law. I always remember my former colleague the former member for Bay of Plenty the Hon Tony Ryall when I first raised this saying to me "You'll fail. You'll fail because everyone fails to reform Māori land law." He was like a parrot on my shoulder.But I have to say we've come so far. It would be a dreadful tragedy for Māori and for this House if we were unable to progress that very important piece of legislation and I hope that given that it is reinstated back in the committee stage and as I said Part 7 or 8 has been looked at—notwithstanding all the sound and fury that took place in the period leading up to the dissolution of the 51st Parliament—we'll be able to sit down and work this out because as I said I come back to two final points: first that the 1993 legislation is not fit for purpose and secondly that this bill if enacted potentially with appropriate inputs is worth many billions of dollars to the Māori economy. It's worth the effort. It's worth a bit of consultation between Government and Opposition so that this prize can be achieved for the benefit of all Māori."