Davis Kelvin: Maori Trustee Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Davis Kelvin: Maori Trustee Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:653;Page:2773] 
KELVIN DAVIS (Labour) 
: 
 The Labour Party supports—we do indeed—the Maori Trustee Amendment Bill. We support changes to establish the Maori Trustee as a stand-alone organisation. At present the Maori Trustee is an office conferred on an employee of Te Puni Kokiri as many people have mentioned already this evening. The bill will establish the Maori Trustee as a stand-alone organisation and we all support separating it from Te Puni Kokiri. This will underline the independence of the Maori Trustee in carrying out the position’s fiduciary responsibilities. I refer to clause 5 “Independence of Maori Trustee” which states that “the Maori Trustee must act independently free from any direction or instruction from the Crown.” I support this in that it ensures the integrity of the Maori Trustee. It is important that the integrity of the Maori Trustee is not jeopardised just by direction or instruction from the Crown but also by direction or instruction from any organisation. Just by carrying the name “Maori Trustee”—or the name “Maori”—means there is responsibility on the Maori Trustee to be seen to be highly independent and existing right away from any sort of undue influences. There is a saying that Maori have to work twice as hard as other people to be seen to be half as good so it is really important that the Maori Trustee is seen not to have any bias or favouritism in what it does. 
New sections 26 to 26B substituted in clause 11 relate to money held in the common fund being invested in the fund and in part section 26(1) states: “and any income derived from investment of the money forms part of the Common Fund.” I want to talk about investing this fund because particularly at this time of global recession I think that Maori need to be seen to be investing in Maori initiatives. Our tupuna were entrepreneurs. When Europeans first came to New Zealand it was our ancestors who grew the crops and exported them and who created an economy that sustained the people. So we have a history of being entrepreneurs but there are a number of Maori initiatives and Maori businesses that could do with support from the Maori Trustee fund. 
We heard today about a really exciting Maori business development in the information technology and broadcasting industry that has been successful internationally but to sustain the business research and development investment is needed. It would be really cool if the Maori Trustee were able to invest in that business and help to sustain it and grow it further. A number of Maori businesses up north could do with investment through that fund. I think specifically of relations of mine who are in the honey industry. They are looking for ways to expand and grow their business to develop it and spread it further and to look for new markets; the Maori Trustee would be a great way of investing in this Maori-owned business and enterprise. Other successful Maori industries such as the oyster farms up north are in jeopardy. They are very successful but the Northland Regional Council is asking for a $22000 per hectare bond on those oyster farms. That affects our relations up north and I can think of one relative in particular who has had to fork out $250000 just on bonds.