Peters Winston: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Peters Winston: Foreshore and Seabed Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:621;Page:16994] 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 I remind Shane Ardern that there is an old saying that goes like this: “You can fool some of the people most of the time and you can fool most of the people some of the time but you can’t fool all the people all the time.” He raised the issue of the Resource Management Act. Who passed the Resource Management Act? It was his predecessor when he was an electorate chairman. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: And when you were in Cabinet. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: No no. It is like striking a nerve. The National Party ought to be reminded that noise and bombast is no substitute for debate and analysis. Gerry Brownlee wanted to know why there were two bills. He was on the select committee yet he got up and asked everyone else why there were two bills. There have been since day one but he does not know. So it gets worse. The real issue with regard to this debate today and yesterday is this: where on earth is the great communicator? This should have been the day he had a field day. This is his issue. This is his time. This is his chance. So where is the great communicator? Where is the great debater? 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member will speak to the bill. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson.  
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The matter has been dealt with. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I just want to make it clear that the great communicator the Prime Minister Helen Clark is swanning around the country looking for another photo opportunity. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member has been here a long time. I suggest that he look at Speaker’s ruling 23/7. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I have to admit that if I were out there in radioland or if I were in the gallery I would be saying to myself: “Surely this has to be the day when the great communicator sheets home his point.” But of course all he does is copy New Zealand First. That is why we do not understand why he is not backing us on this bill. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member will speak to the bill. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I am getting to it. 
Dail Jones 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. This debate is wide ranging. The purpose clause includes ownership of the foreshore and the seabed and everything that is in the bill. So the member is perfectly entitled to make the comments he is making. They are consistent with the bill. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member said he is getting to the bill. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I am getting to it but I should make this point. On Saturday he did not know whether National would be part of the committee that will consider the constitution but he followed our lead and now he is out. So will Rodney Hide be shortly. They do not know what they are doing. They just go around copying another party that does know what it is doing. I ask the National Party this: which port authority is complaining now? 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Port Nelson. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Oh I see.  
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Ports of Nelson. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Oh ports of Nelson are complaining. About what? In Whangarei Auckland the Bay of Plenty Napier Gisborne New Plymouth and everywhere they are happy because we said that whatever they had they will go on having. There will be no imposition or attack on any rights they might have. But of course Nick Smith has probably gone down there and misinformed the local ports of Nelson. What port authority is complaining? Nick Smith’s port authority is complaining.  
I heard Nandor Tanczos talking about confiscation and I want to ask him this: why would it be right as his party advocates to have every foreigner come to this country yet not try to preserve what is here for ourselves in the form of this law? He said he knew of an example of a Maori closing off access to the beach. He was asked which one and he could not say. He did not know. He does not understand that when we talk about riparian rights we are not talking about the foreshore and seabed. He should go away and see his colleague Metiria Turei and get her to get somebody who knows something about the law to tell him because he is talking absolute humbug.  
There is just one last thing I want to say and it is in reply to Richard Prebble. Why was the Maori wardens case important when the National Party wanted to give them rights of arrest?  
Gerry Brownlee 
: Get back on the wicket! 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: It is to do with fishing law. That is why it is relevant. That is why I get sick and tired of that party over there that has lost every semblance of principle and consistency. They stand for nothing anymore. They cannot even hold an argument together for one day let alone one year or one decade. They are just riddled with contradiction and dispute amongst themselves scrapping as they do to try to gain power.