Okeroa Mahara: Maori Purposes Bill (No 2) — Second Reading Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
Okeroa Mahara: Maori Purposes Bill (No 2) — Second Reading Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:607;Page:4812] 
MAHARA OKEROA (NZ Labour—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 I am sufficiently inspired to say about the previous speaker the honourable member of the Opposition that he referred to the Minister of Maori Affairs as his Ngai Tahu brother. [ 
Interruption 
] That is fairly close. One of the unfortunate things about our whakapapa is that we cannot do anything about it. I look forward to a response from my electorate of Te Tai Tonga as to the putative claim of the member’s Ngai Tahu - tanga and whether that iwi greets that with the fond reminiscing that that member over there on the Opposition benches so often indulges in. 
Having said that most of the technical aspects of this bill—Part 1 Part 2 and Part 3—have been more than covered. However as well as being the chair of the Maori Affairs Committee I stand here as someone closely involved with one of the claims that is in this bill. There are three there: the Kaipara Hauraki and what is commonly known as the Te Atiawa claim but is essentially the Port Nicholson claim. 
As people have alluded to there has been a significant time-lapse between this legislation being mooted in 1996 and finally entering this House in 2003. As the honourable member Bill Gudgeon said the concerns surrounding the membership of the Waitangi Tribunal were first mooted by the then deputy registrar. I must say that this legislation was in 1996. Having been mooted in 1996 it has taken as long as this to reach the second reading. But since we have been in Government we have moved to introduce the bill in 2002 and now to progress it in 2003. I fully support all the measures and provisions that have been taken in the part of the bill that deals with the Waitangi Tribunal’s membership. In doing so I compliment not only the Minister of Maori Affairs but my colleagues on the Maori Affairs Committee for ensuring that this legislation goes forward. 
With regard to the trout fishing licences the only thing that concerned me was that that matter was last visited in 1926. In that respect I do not think there was very much disagreement from the select committee. 
Again I will refer back to the previous speaker. After speaking in such glowing terms about the Minister of Maori Affairs and his absolute bent towards transparency and accountability and his undertaking to review maybe—that may be the wrong word—the actions of both the agencies mentioned by the member I fail to understand how Mr Hide can now be against the bill. After all he has just extolled the virtues of the Minister of Maori Affairs. There seems to me to be an apparent contradiction between Mr Hide’s presentation and his objection to the bill. Maybe that draws some notion of the confusion in your ranks. [ 
Interruption 
] I prefer to say “confusion in your ranks”. We understand what is happening over here on the Government benches as has come to the media. What is happening over there in the Opposition? 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I know it is unusual to do this through a point of order but the member on his feet has asked me a question. He did not quite understand why the ACT party objects to Part 1. I thought I had explained that in terms of natural justice. If Mr Speaker wants to point out that the member can yield the call and give me 2 minutes I will make an explanation and answer his question. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: That is perfectly normal. It can be done but it is not often done in the New Zealand Parliament. 
MAHARA OKEROA 
: That was quite a significant judgment there Mr Speaker; I give you my congratulations. 
In conclusion therefore I stand unreservedly as a Te Atiawa member. If members are talking about natural justice then they are talking about natural justice from a particular perspective. The design of this bill is about speeding up the process. It is about affording natural justice to the claimants so there is a two-sided coin. No reira i runga i nga korero nei. Tena koutou tena koutou kia oti pai tenei taha. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Is the member just going to ask for an interpretation? 
Rodney Hide 
: Sure. 
MAHARA OKEROA 
: Having regard to his Ngai Tahu ancestry and the difference in dialect I assumed that that member fully understood what was going down. For the benefit of that speaker I will translate on my behalf in the sense of drawing to a close. I think it has been a very good outcome and I thank the select committee. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I pointed out that the member could yield the call and I notice that the member did not take the full allotment of his time. I just wanted to ask given that he asked me two questions during his speech whether he was yielding me the 2 minutes that remain of his time. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No. 
Rodney Hide 
:Is the member prepared to yield that? It is up to the member. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No. The member will be seated. The member has already sat down and I now intend to call the next member. 
Rodney Hide 
:Oh so he did not really want answers to the questions. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member will be seated.