Samuels Dover: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — First Reading 
Samuels Dover: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:617;Page:12742] 
Hon DOVER SAMUELS (Minister of State) 
: 
 E Te RopuKaihikoi a kei te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. A irungai te huarahi a hoki atu koutou ki o koutou wakaingama. Te RungaRawa koutou e manaaki. Ngakaumatua ngakuikuia a tena koutou tena koutou tenaano hoki tatou katoa. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
To the hikoi gathering I acknowledge you all. May the Almighty above look after you on the road as you return to your homes. Greetings to the elderly both men and women. Greetings greetings and greetings indeed to us all as well.  
] 
I am glad that the whanau and hapu have come here to share the contributions of the parties here this afternoon in terms of this bill. I think they would have learnt a lot. They have seen the differences of opinion between and the different contributions that have been made by different people in terms of the process. Furthermore they have seen the National spokesperson on Maori affairs the shadow Minister in the National Party say that National does not support this bill because it gives too much to Maori. That is the future for Maoridom. “There is your future” says the shadow National Minister—if at some time somewhere the National Party ever becomes the Government in this country. Let us be clear that that is an example of what we will get if National ever becomes the Government. That member of Parliament refuses to recognise Maori customary rights. I say to our people that I hope that tidal wave will never reach the shores of New Zealand. The audacity of some people to suggest that I should cross the floor and sit with that member! Pigs might fly! Me rere te poaka! A ngahunga e meaana me whakawhiti atu au ki te noho ki tera taha: e moemoeana pokarekareana! 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
And as for those of you who are saying that I should cross to the other side and sit there: dream on stir on! 
] 
I refer to current legislation that confirms Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed—that is the area that is covered by the sea and the areas that are uncovered by the sea according to the rise and fall of the tide. No. 1 was the Territorial Sea and Fishing Zone Act of 1965. No provision was made in that Act for Maori customary rights. The second piece of legislation was the Territorial Sea Contiguous Zone and Exclusive Economic Zone Act of 1977. Once again it is silent. Nothing in that Act refers to Maori customary rights. The third piece of legislation was on the foreshore and seabed. Members should listen to this one. We had the Foreshore and Seabed Endowment Revesting Act of 1991. Again that Act does not mention one word about Maori customary rights. I want to ask the House if it knows who passed those three pieces of legislation. It was National. It passed the three pieces of legislation that confirm Crown ownership but have no reference to Maori customary rights. 
Things will change. The winds of change will come about. It is no wonder that the National Party does not support this bill. Then the ACT party says that it does not support the bill but that it supports property rights. I was here in the House when ACT asked all its farmer mates in Taranaki to come down to Parliament with their tractors to oppose the Maori reserve legislation. They came here. The property rights we were talking about were Maori rights but ACT opposed that legislation. Why? Because it gave Maori the rights that they should have duly had in terms of the Maori reserve lands. There is the Clayton’s approach; there is the forked tongue. We heard Dr Brash oppose this bill. I ask our people why he opposes this bill. It is because it gives Maori the mana to their takutai moana. 
I tell our people that when they go to the court then they will be successful. Tihei mauri ora!