Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:614;Page:10713] 
7.  
GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Will the Government’s proposals to address the foreshore and seabed issue include any provision for Maori to establish a mana whenua title; if so what will be the scope of such a title? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 The Government’s proposals will be released tomorrow and the member will just have to wait until then to hear the details. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Noting that last week in the House the Prime Minister said that yes there would be mana whenua title issued and that there are now some 8700 kilometres of New Zealand’s coastline subject to seabed and foreshore claims currently before the Maori Land Court how long will it take to investigate who holds mana whenua over these areas and who will decide? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I think the member is noting things that I do not recall saying at all but he will have to wait until tomorrow to hear the details. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek two things. Firstly I seek leave to table the  
Hansard 
 reports of last week in which the Prime Minister did indeed answer as I have suggested; and secondly to re-ask the question since her memory will then be refreshed. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table the documents and to re-ask the question. Is there any objection? There is. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. This is an extremely important issue that will exercise the minds of New Zealanders over the coming months. In the House last week Dr Cullen answering for the Prime Minister— 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Answering what? 
Gerry Brownlee 
: With all due respect I say to the Prime Minister that we went through this exercise with the Speaker. I specifically asked him—and it is in the record—whether we were talking to Dr Cullen or the Prime Minister and he said we were talking to the Prime Minister so we take his word. He is a very honourable man. The answer was “Yes”. Therefore if the answer is “Yes” why can we not have an answer to who will decide who gets these titles and how it will be decided that they have mana whenua over those areas? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: We took leave of the House as to whether the question would be re-asked and objection was taken. If the member wants to ask another supplementary question he can do so. 
John Carter 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. We are now in a real difficulty with regard to Ministers or the Prime Minister in this case answering questions that have been put quite legitimately by the deputy leader of the National Party. If a reference was made last week as it was to a particular matter that has been raised in the question and the Minister cannot remember that is not the questioner’s fault; it is a matter for the Prime Minister to be aware of and to answer. Otherwise we will have a situation where the Opposition will want to put questions down and the Minister merely stands up and says: “I can’t remember” and that is the answer. That is just not good enough. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is an interesting point of order and I respect him for raising it. I thought the Prime Minister said that she did not recall making remarks. That is not a point of order. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why is it that she is prepared to treat this House and the public with so much contempt and that their democratic institution is not to be told what the Government’s policy is until it is told in such circumstances where she cannot be questioned which belies the statement that she is a person who front-foots issues? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The whole subject has been extensively debated in this House and I am sure it will be again next year. 
Gerrard Eckhoff 
: Will the Prime Minister rule out allowing Maori to fish camp or squat in areas where or when all other New Zealanders cannot; if not why not? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: If the member checked the law covering customary fishing regulations he would find there are already rights conceded under them that are not available to other New Zealanders and that long predates this Government. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Given that some 8700 kilometres of New Zealand’s coastline is now subject to a seabed and foreshore claim currently before the Maori Land Court how long will it take to investigate who holds mana whenua and who will decide? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The member is trying to anticipate what may or may not be in a proposal tomorrow. As I have told him it will be released tomorrow and he can examine it at length. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Noting the Prime Minister’s comment that this subject has been widely debated in the House and recalling that in her absence there was no debate on the issue I now seek leave for there to be a debate on this particular issue immediately upon conclusion of question time today. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought for that. Is there any objection? There is objection.