Copeland Gordon: Maori Fisheries Bill — First Reading 
Copeland Gordon: Maori Fisheries Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:614;Page:10481] 
GORDON COPELAND (United Future) 
: 
 I rise on behalf of United Future to lend support to the passage of the Maori Fisheries Bill at this first stage. Much that was conveyed in the speech made by the Hon Richard Prebble I agree with actually but I do not see the logic in our deciding ahead of the examination of this bill by a select committee to make up our minds right now not to support it. We are very happy to allow the bill to go to a select committee but we do so with some of the comments that have been made by Richard Prebble. 
We would like the select committee not just to be a rubber-stamping body. I have read the document that was given to the Minister of Fisheries in May of this year. It is a very complex document. It involves for example a lot of arithmetic and as has been pointed out a lot of measurements and maps and a whole range of things. I do not think we should simply kiss goodbye to and ignore 11 years of work and go back and start again at this point in time. I do not think that is a wise thing to do at all. So that is one thing—I do not think we should rubber-stamp the bill. We should look at it but I do not think we should be relitigating the whole thing. 
So we need to strike a kind of middle way—an attitude one would expect from United Future— to make some progress. We have to keep in mind the big prize and that is to get this matter settled so that the benefits can flow through to the people who have been waiting for a long long time to see something of consequence flow from this process. 
I want to make another comment that Richard Prebble made: I think the comments of Justice McGechan made on 17 December should be taken into account by the select committee. I refer to the one that he calls the judicial bay line which he has mentioned already and also the appraising of grass-roots appreciation of the benefits passed down to Ngai Tahu. I think those two issues should be relooked at. 
I also agree with him—and I think John Tamihere does as well—that further consideration should be given to an equitable allocation to urban Maori beyond that which is currently on the table. This settlement process somewhat reminds me of the historical situation in some of the old countries of Europe where over time an aristocracy grew up because certain people in certain families owned land and assets to the exclusion of all others. Over time one’s success and opportunities in life actually depended on the family one was born into. I have a bit of a fear that with the way this model works that is going to be the future of Maoridom as well. One’s future prosperity and one’s future opportunities in life will depend on which family one is born into. That I think is completely against the whole ethos of New Zealand as a nation. We have a very strong “Jack is as good as his master.” ethos in this country. We believe in every child and every human being regardless of race getting a fair go in this country and I would certainly want to see that for all Maori as we move forward. 
In view of the time constraints this evening I am not going to say much more than that at this point but will just say that United Future wants to see this bill go forward to a select committee. We wish the committee well in its endeavours and we look forward in due course to its report coming back to this House.