Henare Tau: Third Readings — 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Henare Tau: Third Readings — 
[Sitting date: 15 May 2008. Volume:647;Page:16040. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 I too want to in the first instance turn my head to those in the gallery and welcome them here today—amongst a flurry of activity out of the Minister’s office. But let us cut to the chase. The Minister said that this is the second Maori Purposes Bill since 2006 but there was no mention of the fact that he took over the job in 1999 or 2000. There was no mention that he has been in the job some 8-odd years.  
Although we are feeling very proud of ourselves because we have done these things let us not forget that they are only small amendments. They mean a lot to the people out in our community but they should have been done a long time ago and they should not have been put in legislation that is essentially wash-up legislation. Personally I am affronted that the only Maori purposes legislation to hit this floor in the last 3 or 4 years is wash-up legislation. Why was the Maniapoto Maori Trust Board Amendment Bill not a separate bill with its own mana? Why was the issue of Tuwharetoa not dealt with in its own bill with its own mana? 
I say—and I echo some of the comments that have been made in the House this evening—the Maniapoto Maori Trust Board Amendment Bill is not never has been and never will be about a boundary grab as some out in the Maniapoto territory would have us believe. Purely and simply it is an amendment to recognise the work being carried out there by some pretty capable people. I might add that it brings me to the issue of recognition of iwi. If iwi want to have their own encompassing way of doing their own business then National will not stand in the way of iwi going about their business in their way—instead of the paternalistic and patronising manner that this Government is about to foist upon Maoridom with the Waka Umanga (Maori Corporations) Bill. 
Christopher Finlayson 
: No one wants it. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: But that is another story. I turn my eyes now to the Treaty of Waitangi Amendment Bill and congratulate the Minister on achieving the unachievable on achieving a huge step forward for Maori—the appointment of four extra people on the tribunal. Done and dusted that will sort out the logjam that is in the tribunal at the moment. If we believe that then we are sadly mistaken. We are sadly mistaken because the tribunal itself cannot function because of its infrastructure and lack of personnel. It is not as the Minister has tried to point out that these Treaty settlements before the tribunal will be done any faster by an increase from 16 members to 20 members. Let us not forget what the legislation actually says. It is not a move from 16 to 20; it is move that allows 4 extra people to be appointed. If the Minister wants to appoint one person he can but the legislation does not tell him that he has to. It will take a bit more than fiddling to get the settlement process back on track by 2015. 
I turn now to the Maori Trust Boards Amendment Bill. I question why this bill is before the House now and why it was not before the House in 2004 at the passing of the Maori Fisheries Act. When this House passed the Maori Fisheries Act of 2004 it had a chance to tidy up some other legislation but it never did. The issue of Tuwharetoa gives effect to an agreement between that great body of people and the Government. But why do we have this bill now? I can only suggest to the nation that it is to show it that the Minister is busy with the aspirations and business of his people because I have not seen it before. The House has not seen this sort of flurry of activity from the Minister before this term. He has had enough time— 
Hon Parekura Horomia 
: Unemployment’s down Tau. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: There he goes. Somebody please tell the Minister that 29000 people lost their jobs last quarter. The people at Oringi have just lost their jobs. I suppose the Minister remembers the song “Here We Go Again”. I remember some of my mates who used to work in Westfield and for Hellaby’s who were singing that tune there too. They were saying “Crikey redundancy.”—just like the people at Oringi. When members of the Government stand up and take credit for the reduction in numbers on the unemployment list they should also take responsibility for the increase in unemployment. They cannot have it both ways. I will congratulate— 
Hon Annette King 
: And neither can you! 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Absolutely! I do not know why the Minister is bringing the Speaker into the debate. Maybe she has not been here too long. Maybe she has been under pressure lately. 
Let us turn to the Maori purposes legislation—where we should be turning. This Government is on its way out. This legislation is the sum total of the Government’s programme for Maori since 2000—and we are already into the fifth month of 2008 just 5 or 6 months from a general election. That is the sum total— 
Christopher Finlayson 
: There’s Waka Umanga. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I am sorry there is the Waka Umanga legislation. What is that? You see they thought they were going to get away with it. They thought they were going to get away with the whole House being nice about these amendments. But the fact of the matter remains that they have not done a good job. It behoves us on this side to keep them honest. If this is all that has come out of the Minister’s office in 9 years—9 years of hard toil 180 grand a year and a BMW— 
Hon Parekura Horomia 
: That is a lie. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Well they are on their way out. This is the sum total of the flurry of activity—four pieces of legislation with tiny little amendments that should have been made a long time ago instead of mucking around. When the Minister brought this to our attention we saw that one piece of legislation that is not here is the Maori Trustee and Maori Development Bill which is legislation where he wants to steal $35 million off Maori people. These are the only legislation that we have seen in the last 9 years. For goodness sake! Of course we will support it. We would be stupid not to. 
Hon Annette King 
: You are. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Oh well that is right. We will see who is stupid on the day of the election. 
Christopher Finlayson 
: They called you the “L” word. That is worth a point of order. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: That is right. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That is the third time since question time that that member has called somebody a liar. Other members may like it and for some members it may be water off a duck’s back. But I do not particularly like being called a liar especially from that member. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member is quite right it should not happen. I must say that I did not hear it but if the member was referred to by that word I ask the member to please withdraw and apologise. 
Hon Parekura Horomia 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: All I want to say is that we will support this legislation. But I can guarantee that the day after the election when we are in office we will get to work and start running; we will not laze around.