Brown Peter: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — In Committee Procedure 
Brown Peter: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — In Committee Procedure 
[Volume:621;Page:17181] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
:  
All New Zealanders can go down to the beach this summer when this legislation has passed knowing that they will have no problems. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: Even Arsenal supporters. 
PETER BROWN 
: Even Arsenal supporters can go down to the beach and wave the flag for the “Gunners” particularly after they have thumped Spurs 5-4. As a result of this legislation New Zealanders will sit on the beach enjoying their barbecues without this seabed and foreshore issue hanging over them. New Zealand First is exceedingly pleased that this legislation is about to pass. It has largely occurred because this House has gone into urgency. I have to say though I wonder why we went into urgency in that we will finish this afternoon earlier than normal. [ 
Interruption 
] 
I say to the member that we believed National Party members when they said they would fight this bill with every breath in their bodies. We actually believed them. But I say to the member who wants to keep interjecting that the more he goes along that line the more embarrassed he will become. I point out to this Committee that usually the Government does not take terribly many calls when the House goes into urgency. It is usually only Opposition members who speak. Had that been the case with this bill—no calls from the Government and no calls from New Zealand First to support it—we would probably have finished last night. I can say that the National Party has been hot air and hot wind—but not much of it. 
There have been some snipes and I can hear a few now. I personally regret that the leader of the National Party has not seen fit to take a call in this debate. There is a particular reason why the Leader of the Opposition should have taken a call. He has a very calming influence over this House. The last major speech he made in this House on a social issue was exceedingly calming I can tell members. I say to members that from time to time the National Party could have done with a bit of calming influence. 
Tariana Turia has interjected quite a few times in this debate. She went to the Business Committee and sought an additional call and I think every party supported that. But I had not heard one syllable from her officially through the microphone until she took a point of order a little while ago. Why does the member not take a call? She supposedly represents a lot of Maori people and she has not taken one call in the Committee stage of this bill where possibly she could have had some influence. 
I would like to refer to United Future. That party I believe is fairly close to supporting this bill and I am disappointed that it could not move that little bit closer. I think United Future’s opposition is hanging on the thread that we did not recognise the concept of public domain. I tell United Future members to go and ask the public what the words “public domain” mean to them. If they ask 20 people they will get 20 different answers. If they ask any New Zealander what Crown ownership means they will get one answer that everybody understands and everybody believes in. I am absolutely proud and delighted that my colleagues in New Zealand First supported the Labour Party Government in having Crown ownership thoroughly recognised. 
I say to National Party members that I have listened to all their public utterances and their statements and I have come to the conclusion that they like this bill very much but their pride will not let them vote for it. Pride has got in the way of their doing the right thing by all New Zealanders. 
If I do have one disappointment about the bill and about the tone of this debate it is that it has from time to time tried to divide this nation—Maori and non-Maori. I say to people and I say this with some sincerity that if they think we will bridge the differences between Maori and non-Maori by being patronising to Maori then they are wrong. If they think we will bridge the differences between Maori and non-Maori by taking a rebellious attitude as perhaps the Maori Party wants to take then they are wrong. If they think they will bridge the differences between Maori and non-Maori in this country by being superior then they are wrong.