Hide Rodney: Maori Television Service Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee Speaker Recalled 
Hide Rodney: Maori Television Service Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee Speaker Recalled 
[Volume:607;Page:4994] 
RODNEY HIDE (ACT NZ) 
: 
 We are in a very exciting phase of this great Parliament because we have had for some time two official languages and that has been a challenge to New Zealand a challenge to our legislators a challenge to the Government a challenge to the public and a challenge to Parliament—and a challenge to me. 
Mahara Okeroa 
: In that order? 
RODNEY HIDE 
: In that order. We have in this bill a preamble written in Maori and in English. In my time in the House I have not seen that—and I am looking at Mr McCully to see whether he has seen it before. I think we therefore need to debate this as a very very important step in our parliamentary constitutional and legislative procedure. This has a huge significance. We cannot say it is just there for a bit of window dressing and I would like to think that we will be debating the matter fully and properly in this Committee because I do not know where else we would do it. 
I would particularly like the ACT party to get a full proper opportunity to debate what this preamble and its implications mean because sadly as ACT is not represented on the Maori Affairs Committee our only opportunity to do so is here in this great House. That is why we are here. 
Hon John Tamihere 
: Richard Prebble was there. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: He is not there any more. So let us think about this. Have we heard from the Minister as to what happens when there is a dispute over this preamble in the courts? The Minister could stand up in the Chamber and say that these two languages have equal weight for the judge. That is one possibility and the courts will have to weigh it. He could say that if there is a dispute one language will take priority which it seems to me would be a smart position to take at this stage because then we could say we have a bit of history in the courts with English and we appreciate the movement to have te reo in statutes but we have a clear rule. 
Hon Dover Samuels 
: That’s the one. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: I hear Dover Samuels saying that is the one. I would like to hear that from the Minister because— 
Hon Dover Samuels 
: It will probably be a Pakeha judge too. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: It will probably be a Pakeha judge and that is why I am looking to this Minister. We can see it is significant. The background in English has not changed but the background in Maori has. Why? There has to be a reason. It has to change this bill somehow. It has to have had significance; otherwise why change it? Here we are voting on a bill that sadly most of members in this Chamber cannot read and do not understand—either in respect of the new majority or the old majority. I know that Mr McCully is on the committee and that he does his best. We know that judges in the courts will be in a similar position. We do need to take a full and proper debate on that principle. With the greatest respect we do need to hear from the great Minister of Maori Affairs who is sitting in the chair. 
Hon Dover Samuels 
: A good fella! 
RODNEY HIDE 
: He should rise and say that the intention of this Government and the purpose of this legislation is to put te reo into statute. However we believe that if there is a dispute in the courts in the meantime English should be the authority. That is not to demean the Maori language. It is to follow what Dover Samuel said was a good principle so that we can have clear law and not be arguing over how many angels dance on a pin because I see problems ahead for this. Imagine that there are Maori litigants who are vexatious—. 
Hon Georgina te Heuheu 
: No! 
RODNEY HIDE 
: There are and I know that may come as a surprise. They will get legal aid and they will not accept anyone’s decision. They are vexatious and they could be very vexatious if we start putting Maori into our statute book because the dispute will be over the interpretation.