Mapp Wayne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Mapp Wayne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:616;Page:11833] 
4.  
Dr WAYNE MAPP (National—North Shore) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Justice 
: Will Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed include a Maori customary title given her statement that “Maori already have customary title over the whole coastline.”? 
Hon MARGARET WILSON (Associate Minister of Justice) 
: 
 The proposed bill will give an option for the recognition of ancestral connection. With regard to the final wording to be used in the legislation the member will have to wait until the bill is introduced. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Does the Minister still stand by her statement that Maori will have no more rights under the Government’s proposals than they already have under the Resource Management Act given that on 17 December the Government said it intended to legislate a menu of enhanced participation options including devolved management membership on hearing committees and the establishment of whanau hapu or iwi committees? 
Hon MARGARET WILSON 
: With regard to the details the member will have to wait until the bill is introduced into the House. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked a specific question about whether she still stood by her statement. She simply told me to wait for the legislation. How does that address the actual question asked which was: does she stand by her statement? 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: The answer is simple. Since the policy is yet to be finalised in its detail it is not possible to answer questions about the final detail. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am put in a position where I have to judge whether the question was addressed. It was. It might not have satisfied the member but that quite frequently is the case with answers. 
Mita Ririnui 
: Will the legislation give Maori the right to pursue their customary rights? 
Hon MARGARET WILSON 
: Yes it will. 
Metiria Turei 
: Does the Minister consider that the award of a symbolic customary title and the ability to participate in decision-making processes is a fair exchange for the loss of both property rights and rangatiratanga; if so why? 
Hon MARGARET WILSON 
: The matters that the member has raised are important and fair and the way in which they will be expressed in the legislation will soon be known. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Will the Minister concede that the term “customary title” has attracted some confusion given that the real power will rest with a customary right; if so is the Minister—as part of the ongoing policy-development process—looking at alternative ways in which the concept that underpinned the original idea of a customary title might be better expressed? 
Hon MARGARET WILSON 
: Yes. That is correct. The term “title” is of course understood within the land transfer system in a different way than it is understood within customary title jurisprudence under customary lore. It is true that confusion has arisen because of that. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Will the Government’s proposals for the consultation whatever it might be amount to the co-management that was apparently envisaged by the Minister of Maori Affairs just 2 weeks ago? 
Hon MARGARET WILSON 
: As I understood the Minister of Maori Affairs he said that discussions were taking place and of course we would have to wait until the bill is introduced to see how those ideas are expressed in the legislation. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Is the Minister able to give the House any clear indication of when that legislation might be expected? 
Hon MARGARET WILSON 
: It could not come too soon for me; but yes in the very near future we will be able to clarify precisely what is in the legislation. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Will this legislation that is to be introduced very shortly include powers for the High Court to investigate Maori customary rights and will such power include the granting of Maori customary title? 
Hon MARGARET WILSON 
: The legislation will address issues of jurisdiction relating to the High Court and the Maori Land Court.