Heatley Phil: General Debates 
Heatley Phil: General Debates 
[Volume:617;Page:13069] 
PHIL HEATLEY (National—Whangarei) 
: 
 Varicose veins across the forehead is a health problem I would not wish upon anyone. I would like to bring to the Speaker’s attention the talk on the streets—the “goss” the buzz. Rumours circulating about the foreshore and seabed legislation were that those courageous members in the Labour Party are willing to go to Auckland to Hamilton to Wellington and to Christchurch but are not willing to front up to their people in Northland on the East Coast and in the South Island. Will Dover Samuels front up to the people of Northland? Will Mita Ririnui front up to his people in the Bay of Plenty? Will this Government front up to Tariana Turia’s people in Wanganui? They are gutless. Even the Minister of Maori Affairs does not intend— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: The member will withdraw that comment. 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: I withdraw. It is my understanding that even the Minister of Maori Affairs will not front up to his people on the East Coast on the foreshore and seabed legislation. I would have thought that landlocked Hamiltonians may not have as much interest as the Minister of Maori Affairs’ people on the East Coast on the seabed and foreshore legislation. Interestingly enough those members expect their people to come to Wellington—there were 20000 outside Parliament Buildings—but they will not go to see them. 
I was on the Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation Committee when it looked at the Maori Fisheries Bill. We fronted up in Whangarei we fronted up in Rotorua and we fronted up in Gisborne. So why does that Minister not front up to his people in his region? I know the Government’s problem. It is somewhat of a dog’s breakfast. We know that the Maori Fisheries Bill has been extended by 1 month and the Foreshore and Seabed Bill cannot be progressed until that bill is dealt with. The aquaculture reform legislation cannot progress until the Foreshore and Seabed Bill has been passed because the Government has to resolve who owns the sea space; therefore the moratorium on aquaculture cannot be lifted. So in effect the Maori Fisheries Bill is extended by a month the Foreshore and Seabed Bill cannot progress and the aquaculture reform legislation is yet to be introduced. Therefore the Government’s conundrum is that it will not be able to lift the moratorium at the end of the year. It will have to extend it a second time. 
I know what this is all about because I have been talking about it for a long time. If the Minister of Fisheries was not planning to horse-trade with Maori—aquaculture space to secure Crown ownership—he would not be in this pickle. The Minister is horse-trading with Maori: marine farming space to secure Crown ownership. Is it the Minister’s intention upon the introduction of the aquaculture reform legislation to give Maori aquaculture space? If so whose water space will he give away on what basis will he give that space away and will Maori be paying for it? 
The Minister should come clean. He wants to give marine farming space to Maori to secure Crown ownership. He cannot progress the aquaculture reforms until the Foreshore and Seabed Bill decides who owns the space. He cannot progress the Foreshore and Seabed Bill until the Maori Fisheries Bill is passed and that has been extended. So why does he not come clean and admit he will have to extend the moratorium? If he does not extend the moratorium Dover Samuels will not front up to his people in Northland Mita Ririnui will not front up to his people in the Bay of Plenty this Government certainly will not front up to Tariana Turia’s people and the Minister of Maori Affairs will not front his people either.