Power Simon: General Debates 
Power Simon: General Debates 
[Volume:610;Page:7235] 
SIMON POWER (NZ National—Rangitikei) 
: 
 I trust—[ 
Interruption 
] Well Government members have finally woken up. After listening to Ruth Dyson who put them to sleep they have finally woken up. I hope that members on this side of the House will also be granted an hour each because that is how long that speech seemed to go for. I say to the member who has just sat down that she was about as sincere in that speech about Maurice Williamson as she was when she was president of the Labour Party defending David Lange and Roger Douglas around New Zealand. I have to say there is a member who could do much better than that; and there are members opposite who sat through that speech looking like they were watching their cat being spayed: “It was something you have to do but you just don’t enjoy it.” Steve Maharey spoke. Nobody chipped in; nobody was behind him on that. 
I tell the House the reason is pretty simple. That caucus knows that it is on a hiding to nothing over the foreshore and seabed issue. Let us see whether Georgina Beyer who represents a general electorate rural seat turns up to the Federated Farmers meeting tonight to talk about the flatulence tax. Let us see whether Georgina Beyer is walking around Wairarapa talking to the constituents of Wairarapa about seabed and foreshore rights. I bet a pint those words have not come out of her mouth while she has been walking around the Wairarapa electorate. 
Although Darren Hughes the member from Otaki sits there and is busy telling us the foreshore issue will be solved we on this side of the House know that another devious slippery deal is getting done behind closed doors about that issue and we will be monitoring that right from start to finish. 
Parliament can legislate to fix this issue very very quickly. What we have seen from this Government is the proposal to do that—a back-down; other MPs saying that it will not happen; other MPs on the radio saying that it will happen. I say this to those members opposite sitting in those Government benches that talking about the possibility of mooting things like “dual title” or “honorary title” or “guardianship” will buy one thing for that Government—that is an election hiding like they have never experienced before. 
I want to follow the comments made by my colleague Dr Scott and say that any compromise this Government thinks it can put into place using terms like “guardianship” or “honorary title” will only result in this issue coming back to bite them in a big way when we are standing on the platforms around this country during the next election campaign. 
We have as my colleague Dr Scott pointed out spent some time finding out what the public of New Zealand is saying about the Government’s oscillation on this issue. At 11 o’clock on Monday we set up a website to monitor what New Zealanders had to say. Since that time 10000 hits have occurred on that website. I say to members who represent general constituencies that 10000 hits is big trouble for those of them sitting on majorities of 5000 or less. It is big trouble indeed. 
Comments like this have been flowing in: “Labour stands for hidden agendas. I don’t trust their management of our natural assets at all.”; things like: “I’m a long-time user of the sea seabed and beaches and it’s a great shame not to be able to use certain pieces because this Government wants to let us down.” The foreshore and seabed issue is the last straw constituents say and another says: “I’d be prepared to fight for the right of myself and my family to freely wander on beaches and fish in waterways.” I say that members opposite have badly misread the New Zealand public if they think that members on this side of the House will not represent those views right to the bitter end. The slipperiness that the deputy leader of the Labour Party and the Attorney-General have indulged in over the different use of terminology relating to this issue will come back to haunt them. There is no consistency in the approach that is being taken from members opposite and New Zealanders have had an absolute gutsful. 
As one visitor to the website said: “One country one law for all with the same rights for everyone. It is time for this nonsense to stop.” One further submitter to the website had this to say: “I am European Ngai Tahu but most important of all I am a New Zealander.” I believe that New Zealanders all over this country are appalled by the slipperiness and deviousness with which this Government is undertaking this issue and we will hold it to account.