Court Simon; Salesa JennySIMON COURT (ACT): Thank you Madam Chair. I have a number of lines of questions—firstly this concept of Te Mana o te Wai statements. Te Mana o te Wai for those who don't know is a concept that puts water as a spiritual entity the value of water above the needs of people and communities. That's what it says if you go on to the Internal Affairs website and look up Te Mana o te Wai—water is a spiritual concept that is more important than the people and communities that it serves. I know it's amazing—2022 hundreds of years since the scientific enlightenment enabled us to grasp concepts such as the Earth going around the sun not the other way around and yet this is the spiritual nonsense which is being forced on New Zealanders and councils and communities rather than the obvious problems to solve which is to fix water pipes pump stations and waste-water treatment plants.So Minister I want to ask you in relation to the Estimates: the Government has spent millions on engaging with Māori with iwi with hapū with mana whenua groups about three waters and in the Estimates there's even more budgeted. Now with these Te Mana o te Wai statements the way they will relate to the water services entities under the three waters reforms is that anyone of Māori descent will be able to submit a Te Mana o te Wai statement to a water services entity these new corporations giving their thoughts about the water what it means to them—and clearly that's a spiritual dimension based on the testimony that we've heard at the select committee hearings—and these water entities will be required to not only engage with them but to respond to and give effect to these statements. In answers to written questions Minister you have confirmed that.So firstly how much money is going to be spent by water services entities giving effect to spiritual essentially animist religion-based Te Mana o te Wai statements? And will these water services entities give the same rights to communities and to councils who want to ask the water services entity Will you please fix the pipes in my local neighbourhood? Will you please stop the sewage pump station overflowing next to my boat ramp?"—which is what's happening at Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek right next to the waka ama club and the multi-sports club. Waste water over flows on a regular basis. Will they be allowed to put in a statement to their water services entity asking them to fix it or does this apply only to people who are of Māori ethnicity or descent which is what it says in the bill Minister? I think New Zealanders deserve to know whether that is true and if it's true whether communities will be given an opportunity to ask their own questions.The second thing I want to ask the Minister is about the $2.5 billion three-waters support package. It's a slush fund that councils can apply for to bankroll all kinds of projects. They don't need to include three waters; they could be for anything. They could be for a dog park or a set of swings. Treasury has warned the Minister against this slush fund. They said it was intended to increase local authority goodwill toward the reforms. Now in any other country that could be described in a very negative way and I want to know why the Minister has decided—Simon Watts: Sounds like a bribe.SIMON COURT: Sorry what was that? Did you say "a bribe" Mr Watts? Simon Watts: Sounds like a bribe.SIMON COURT: It sounds like a bribe. I don't know. Could the Minister please explain that because if the Minister has got $2.5 billion to use to fund swings and dog parks and then apply $1.5 billion of that money the debt to the water service entities without building a single waste-water treatment plant or fixing a pipe what is the justification for that Minister? Aren't we here to solve the problem of three waters—of waste-water over flows sewage pump break downs? If that's the case why won't the Minister simply apply the funding that is for swings and slides and dog parks used to bribe councils to actually fixing three-waters infrastructure?So I would like to hear your response to my questions about Te Mana o te Wai statements. Why can't communities and councils have the same rights as iwi hapū Māori anyone of Māori descent? And why on earth if there's $2.5 billion the Minister thinks should be spent on making councils feel better about the reforms couldn't that $2.5 billion be spent on actually fixing three-waters assets Minister?CHAIRPERSON (Hon Jenny Salesa): Before I call on Simon Watts I do want to warn both Simon Watts and Simon Court that we cannot make allegations of a bribe in this Chamber."