1. Overseas Ownership of New Zealand Property—Exemption for Treaty Settlement LandHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister for Crown/Māori RelationsORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSOverseas Ownership of New Zealand Property—Exemption for Treaty Settlement Land1. Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister for Crown/Māori Relations: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions?Hon KELVIN DAVIS (Minister for Crown/Māori Relations): Yes in the context they were made.Hon Paula Bennett: Did he consult with David Parker or any other Minister in relation to the Te Ārai exemption in the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill; and if so when?SPEAKER: Order! That is not an area of responsibility for this Minister.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Repeatedly over the last two days the Hon David Parker has advanced the case that his proposing this exemption was to protect a Treaty right granted to iwi. Now clearly there must have been some advocacy somewhere and it's not unreasonable to expect and to ask the Minister who has responsibility for Crown/Māori relationships whether or not he was part of that advocacy group.SPEAKER: And if the member wanted to consider it in that way she would have asked the Minister responsible for that area and that's the Hon Andrew Little.Hon Paula Bennett: Does the Minister expect the Minister for Crown/Māori Relations to be consulting with other Ministers on multimillion-dollar legislative exemptions for iwi?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Regardless of the topic my role as the Minister for Crown/Māori Relations is to ask about the impact on all Māori in all the work we do.Hon Paula Bennett: Would he expect the Minister for Crown/Māori Relations to be consulting with other Ministers on multimillion-dollar legislative exemptions for iwi?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: As the member well knows Cabinet colleagues have discussions with our colleagues on a range of issues. What she's trying to imply is that there's some sort of conspiracy in any discussions that I as a Māori Minister might have with my colleagues.Hon Paula Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I made no allegations of a conspiracy. I simply asked a question.SPEAKER: And the Minister's answered it.Hon Paula Bennett: If Te Ārai development exemption is all about not reducing the value of a Treaty settlement asset did he consult with the Minister over the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill?SPEAKER: That's ruled out for exactly the same reason that the first supplementary was.Hon David Parker: Did I as the Minister responsible for the bill consult with him in his capacity as Minister for Crown/Māori Relations on the issue as to whether there should be a general exemption for Treaty settlement land?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Yes. [Interruption] SPEAKER: It's a question of who did what just to make it clear—who did the consulting whose responsibility it is.Hon Paula Bennett: Does he think that the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill as currently drafted will give rise to post-settlement Treaty claims?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Mr Speaker Cabinet made a decision on this bill and I support that you have subsequently ruled it out and we accept that.Hon Paula Bennett: Does he believe there should be exemptions in the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill to give rise to post-settlement Treaty claims from the likes of Ngāi Tahu or Tainui?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: I stand by the Cabinet decision we've made in regard to this bill the OIA Bill. We've accepted your ruling that there shouldn't be exceptions for specific groups and we accept that.Rt Hon Winston Peters: What would be the value of a Treaty claim if a Treaty grant was given and then taken away by the same party namely the Kermadecs issue?SPEAKER: Order! No responsibility.