Smith StuartSTUART SMITH (National—Kaikōura): Thank you Madam Chair. Well I've just arrived into the Chamber and I heard the end of a very fine speech from Hamish Walker and then I heard a rather confused rant from the other side from a new member. The only positive thing he had to say—you would think that an ambitious member clearly ambitious trying to climb the greasy pole would really glow positively about the Government's policies. But we didn't hear anything positive about their policies at all. But we did see you know a quite embarrassing currying up to the Minister in the hope that that will elevate his pitch further up the ladder. You never know; there could be a little titbit in the upcoming reshuffle. But anyway it was quite embarrassing.Then we heard a talk about GE from the Green member who clearly doesn't understand genetic engineering whatsoever. It is a wonderful opportunity for New Zealand and it should be something that we pursue. Agriculture would be the main beneficiary of it as would climate change. But no science they believe in only when they agree with it. We already have 70 products on supermarket shelves that are genetically modified something that seems to be forgotten. Anyone who's ever been to the dentist or had an operation will most likely have had cotton wool in their mouths or in their body wiping things up which will almost certainly be genetically modified. And the number of medicines in this country in use that are genetically modified is quite a long list. So we have it here we should be pursuing it we have excellent grass potential with it. That ridiculous situation where the apple had to go to the USA to be tasted—it couldn't even be tasted here; the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act needs to be upgraded.But I want to talk a little bit about mātaitai and the issue that has happened with mātaitai that was gazetted last year. But the process started back in 2015—they've been working through the process. Mātaitai is for a customary fishing reserve which is over South Island fishery waters. However in Kaikōura 450 square kilometres of land has been identified privately owned land within a boundary of a mātaitai. Now it can't be in a boundary but that's identified in the maps. None of those landowners were consulted; not one.I met with the Minister Mr Nash and I wanted to know why they had chosen not to notify those members. They advertised in newspapers that are not circulated in the area where these people live: a clear gap in the process. The Minister said Well do you expect us to go and knock on everyone's door?" and I said "Well I at least expect you to write to them." And the Minister said "Well how am I going to find out who they are?" I said "Well I know and I have far less resources than you do." And that is a clear breakdown in process. Not only that there's a legal opinion saying that the whole process is ultra vires. It will be challenged and the Minister will not look good as a result of this.If you step over people's property rights without consulting them then that's a very dangerous road to go down and yet the Minister has gone down that road. I think what is partly to blame is when the Minister signs off on it he has to check that all of those processes have been followed as the law requires and that wasn't the case. So there are some very angry people quite rightly. I have no issue with mātaitai. I think they're a wonderful vehicle and it's a great process for customary fishing that should be adhered to. But the process is all important. You don't right one wrong by creating another and that is what's happened.I also want to touch on the billion trees as has been talked about clearly while I haven't been here. But the important issue here is around property rights as was talked about quite extensively in the banter across the Chamber. Actually the issue is this is a separate property right to the forestry interests as to everybody else. They have up to a thousand hectares without virtually any process to go through whereas any other land holding in New Zealand is a fraction of that. Foreign investment has been good for New Zealand but we have one sector favoured over the other and it's going to kill rural communities. And we know who's done it and the rural sector know who has done it and it really is an appalling process. Thank you."