Quinn Paul: Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
Quinn Paul: Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:662;Page:10265] 
PAUL QUINN (National) 
: 
 I firstly join with other speakers who have extended their good wishes and recognitions to those who have been responsible for the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Bill from the Waikato—particularly Lady Mahuta and Tuku Morgan but also the others who have been responsible for getting this major milestone before us. It is in fact a new and exciting way forward both for Waikato iwi and in my view for New Zealand. I will also add my support for most of the speeches that have been delivered today including that of the previous speaker up until the last 2 minutes of her speech when she seemed to be joining Rodney Hide’s level of debate—unfortunately. 
I will comment on a couple of minor aspects about this bill and the first is about the vision and the strategy. A number of comments and concerns have been expressed by some parties in relation to the vision and strategy and the implications of those for the planning process particularly in the Waikato; I believe that those fears are misplaced. In schedule 2 the bill sets out the vision and strategy to the extent that the vision statement sets out a goal for the restoration and protection of the health and well-being of the Waikato River. I think that that is laudable and I do not think that anyone should oppose it at all. To have a long-term goal of that sort of magnitude and to have the other sorts of things set out in the vision creates a sense of combined purpose for all involved to strive for. 
The strategy is the process by which one might go about implementing a vision. Again it does not actually lock in things for ever and a day which I think is very important to understand and comprehend because there seems to be a view that the strategy will be locked in once and for all and will drive absolutely everything. But that is not the case. It just sets out some guidelines for achieving the vision. Then over and above that in schedule 3 there is a process for review and revision. The process has to be agreed on before the strategy and vision can be moved forward should there be some concern about that review. So that is the first point about the strategy and the vision. 
The second aspect is about the change in this particular deed and the bill as opposed to the 2008 deed and bill in respect of representation. Under the previous arrangement or the previous deed five different statutory bodies were proposed to be set up. So if ever there was going to be a bureaucratic nightmare in my view it was that. Instead as part of the process of review that has occurred in terms of the new deed one of the big changes is that we will go from five different statutory bodies to the one statutory authority that will be responsible and the Waikato River Authority will be the body servicing the administration and delivering on the strategy. That is a significant and major step forward. 
The only other comment I will make is in respect of Mr Hide’s speech. I make no personal comment about my views in respect of democracy. I do not claim to be an expert but for someone to give me a lecture about local authority democracy and then behave in completely the opposite direction I think is galling—to be kind about it. With those few words I commend this bill to the House.