Ngarewa-Packer DebbieDEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader—Te Pāti Māori): Tēnā tātou e te Whare. Look it is not surprising that the coalition Government on my left to our right got less than 10 percent of Māori votes. We stand here today enjoying and supported with not only six of the seven Māori electorate sets but also the mandate of 30 percent of those Māori who did vote. We're really clear on the messaging that we're wanting to make sure that this coalition Government of lots of things understands. First of all this is something that's really important. It's something that is about our role as kaitiaki that we enjoy and do for everyone. No matter what your individual perception is this isn't something that should be rushed and certainly rushed on—I mean cripes even breakfast shows are off at the moment.But what we have is a repeal of the Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 (NBA) which was implemented last term to replace the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The NBA provided an integrated framework for regulating both environment management and land use. It was something that was extensively consulted and engaged with at grassroots certainly in their own regional levels and also in the National Iwi Chairs Forum. There was extensive engagement about what needed to happen. This bill aimed to provide iwi hapū and Māori with opportunities to participate at all levels of the RMA system. That included providing proactive monitoring of Te Tiriti performance by the National Māori Entity; that de-complicated the use of current tools within the RMA which is the Mana Whakahono ā Rohe; transfers of power in joint management agreements; and providing for a minimum of two Māori appointed members on regional planning committees or RPC out of a minimum committee membership of six. Te Pāti Māori opposed the reforms last term on the basis that they did not adequately honour Te Tiriti's rights or protect the environment. So you can imagine what we think about this one which is not only rushed but also takahēs the mana of mana whenua of tangata whenua of kaitiaki. So we oppose this bill on the basis that it is once again the Crown ripping up progress that was achieved in good faith; again incremental good faith but relationships that mattered to tangata whenua. We have been contacted extensively by Māori by iwi leaders by grassroots leaders by hapū by whānau those in regional and local communities and they are basically saying that the Crown has no mana and you are backtracking on commitments that were made as soon as it suited you and politically you have reneged on what it is that you committed to those communities. We also push back for resource management legislation to implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi and acknowledge Māori rangatiratanga and kaitiakitanga in aspects of all legislation. You're continuously changing the resource management law which makes it bad for planning. A whole lot of people have put a whole lot of things on hold because there's just no certainty about what's going on. We need to think about making mokopuna decisions and look at tangata whenua leading a development of legislation—legislation that for the most part has been locked in—and able to be part of effective long-term planning. This bill repeals the reforms of the RMA undertaken by the last Labour-led Government. I don't know where you're going with some of the decisions that this Government is making but one of the things that's been really important is the status of settlements the status of Te Tiriti the status of legislation and the relationships that are indeed going out on the ground between iwi and local and regional government. I put to you that your fast-tracking is compromising some of those relationships which you will need—which you will all need. So we oppose the reforms for several reasons. There's huge work that was put in by te ao Māori particularly iwi analysts. We have tried to improve legislation and make it as strong as possible from a tangata whenua perspective. There's nothing to be fearful of there. There's still massive gaps and weaknesses and this repeal means that all that work done last term has gone to waste. The deficiencies with the original RMA will remain. So we've gone round and round in circles. In some ways the reforms were worse particularly from an environmental protections standpoint. But what we have effectively is an area where the setting environmental limits that prevent ecosystems degrading from their current states will continue. So regardless Te Pāti Māori - led resource management law would look significantly different to the original RMA and the 2023 reforms. What we tend to be focused on is tangata whenua ownership management of natural resources and strong environmental practices and protections. Kia ora rā.