te Heuheu Georgina: Protected Objects Amendment Bill — In Committee 
te Heuheu Georgina: Protected Objects Amendment Bill — In Committee 
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Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) 
: 
 I am very pleased to take a call on the title and commencement. I hope a number of New Zealanders are listening to this debate—this might be one debate they are interested in. I know from comments I get from outside in real New Zealand land that in terms of a lot of the debates that go on in here a lot of our fellow citizens have no idea some of the time what we are going on about. But I think each and every New Zealander has a stake in the Protected Objects Amendment Bill. The things we seek to protect and to forbid the illegal export of and the penalties we make sure we have for people who deal with our things of value in ways that are not amenable to the protection of our heritage are I am sure of importance to each and every New Zealander. It might be for a change that those listening will appreciate what we are doing this evening. 
The bill will become the Protected Objects Amendment Act which will replace the Antiquities Act 1975. I guess when we think about it the word “antiquities” is in itself a bit of an antiquity. As long as we have made sure that nothing that was protected in the original Act has been left out by our changes in the current bill then hopefully we will do ourselves as New Zealanders and our fellow countrymen and women a favour. So it will be good when this legislation finally comes into force. 
As I have already said I commend the Government for bringing this bill forward. Our heritage culture identity and sense of nationhood are all tied into the underlying principles of this legislation. I made the comment in an earlier speech that in a time of globalisation when we are all suddenly becoming as one—but thank goodness we are not—those things that we consider unique to ourselves as New Zealanders become all the more important and it becomes all the more important that we take proper steps to protect them. 
I look at schedule 4. The Minister in the chair Judith Tizard made some mention of it in giving some level of comfort to my colleague Sandra Goudie who expressed concerns. I may not get this right but she seemed to think that all things Maori were protected and she asked about all things other. As a person who descends from both heritages—my mother’s father was English—I feel proud and privileged to be the inheritor not only of the Maori tradition but also the great tradition of the British. Some people may think since most of my speeches to this bill have concerned Maori custom and taonga Maori that I am worried only about taonga Maori but that is not the case. I was at the opening of the Constable exhibition as well. It is such a splendid exhibition. I urge those colleagues who are able to go and see it during the time it is at Te Papa to do so. I consider that exhibition to be part of my heritage and my culture vis-à-vis the good fortune of having had a Pakeha—English—grandfather. If that collection belonged to us I would be as equally concerned that it be protected under this bill as I would be about any of the taonga Maori that I am also fortunate to be a part of through my Maori heritage. 
Schedule 4 “Categories of protected New Zealand objects” refers to archaeological ethnographic and historical objects of non - New Zealand origin that relate to New Zealand and to art objects including fine decorative and popular art. Those are all included and protected in this legislation. I say that just so that my colleague Sandra Goudie feels a measure of comfort. The schedule also refers to documentary heritage objects and nga taonga tuturu which latter have been the subject of a lot of the discussion tonight. 
Hon Judith Tizard 
: And incunabula—they are in schedule 3. I want Sandra to be sure of all of them. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: Yes that is in schedule 3 as well. Sorry I have gone straight to schedule 4. Absolutely schedule 3 and schedule 4 set out very very clearly that all those things we—or presumably most of us in this Chamber—inherit are to be protected. It is so difficult at first when members are just brought in as cling-ons to make speeches and have not actually sat in select committees—I did not sit in this committee either although fortunately National had some very good representatives on it. Members do tend to get a little bit muddled when they are called down to the Chamber to make speeches. They think: “Hang on!”. They may well have thumbed through the pages of this bill thinking: “Well I cannot see the protection …”. 
 So I think that Sandra was absolutely right to raise the issues she did but I am satisfied—as a person of English origin as well—that those things of importance to Pakeha New Zealanders are as well protected as those taonga tuturu that come from the Maori culture. She is still saying no but that is OK. 
National supports the bill anyway. It is right it is proper and by supporting it we then align ourselves with the two treaties: the UNIDROIT—my esteemed colleague Tim Groser just did not even want to try to pronounce it so who am I to think that I could—and Unesco conventions to which we will become party. Again that measure would seem like it is long overdue. Those two conventions obviously make sure that not only do we have the necessary protections here in New Zealand but also we have the protections to follow or to retrieve taonga artefacts and things of great value to us as New Zealanders wherever they are. 
This bill is to commence—when is this legislation to commence? As soon as possible I guess. Perhaps the Minister will just— 
Hon Judith Tizard 
: 1 November. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: OK—so that is only 2 or 3 months away and it is very important that it does commence. 
I did have a question about the commencement of new section 13 which is provided for in clause 2. That section will come into force on a date appointed by the Governor-General by Order in Council. I would ask the Minister what does that mean? 
Hon Judith Tizard 
: That means— 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: When will that be though? 
Hon Judith Tizard 
: 1 November. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: So it will be the same date as the commencement of the Act. Well that is good. It is all great. This is about our identity and our sense of nationhood which is so important in a time of globalisation. We could easily lose those things as the global village comes closing in on us. In terms of our culture and our heritage both Maori and English—and I inherit both; lucky me—both streams will be protected. National supports this bill.