Scott AlastairPAPAWAI AND KAIKOKIRIKIRI TRUSTS AMENDMENT BILLThird ReadingALASTAIR SCOTT (National—Wairarapa): I move That the Papawai and Kaikokirikiri Trusts Amendment Bill be now read a third time. Firstly I would like to acknowledge the presence of the trustees and the supporters of the trust up in the gallery. Welcome folks—this is your House. Thank you for your support. I thank you for your initiative in driving this bill through the House. It is has been a little time coming but this is the third reading. Secondly I would like to acknowledge the work of the Māori Affairs Committee particularly around what could have been a hiccup—what could have been a delay—when the idea of translation into Te Reo was brought into the discussion. I know that ideally that would have been the case. Ideally we would have had the two languages side by side in this bill but I do thank the committee for seeing the pragmatic practical and real solution to the issue at the time which was to stick to the one language. There is an opportunity down the track to have Te Reo Māori at a later date. I appreciate the pragmatic decision made by the select committee. I would particularly like to thank the chairman of the committee Nuk Korako for his leadership and guidance and assistance to me through the process. I would also like to particularly mention Meka Whaitiri and Marama Fox two local MPs who have also supported me and contributed to the process of the bill through the select committee and through the House. I also look forward to their contributions when they relate and talk about their whakapapa back to Papawai which I am sure they will. I will bring the point about whakapapa back to Wairarapa. I cannot whakapapa back to any iwi in the Wairarapa or any iwi in any region of New Zealand so I do not—Hon Trevor Mallard: What about iwi Karori?ALASTAIR SCOTT: Exactly ha ha! Therefore I do not pretend to understand the importance of the link Māori have to their land. I do not want to even attempt to traverse that subject. I will leave it to the aforementioned to discuss the importance of the land. I am very pleased for the trustees and especially the beneficiaries of the Papawai and Kaikokirikiri Trusts today. This is an important piece of legislation not just for the trustees and the beneficiaries but in my view in a small way for all New Zealanders. I will try to explain. When I first read the Papawai and Kaikokirikiri Trusts Act of 1943 I was struck by how sanctimonious the language was. It was really terrible. This bill removes the patronising attitude that is so prevalent in that Act. Of course we are 70 years down the track and we are much better educated we are much more aware and we are much more empathetic and understanding. This bill allows Wairarapa Māori to determine their own future relating to the assets of this trust for themselves. The old Act was very restrictive and very prescriptive. There was no ability for the Māori trustees to determine for themselves the choice they should have. There were a lot of hamstrings in the Act. In terms of the type of recipient it was very restrictive. The type of assistance that was able to be given to the beneficiaries was very restrictive. We had the Ministry of Education and the Māori Land Court restricting the wishes of the local people. This sanctimony at the time was saying basically: Sorry guys. You guys don't know what you're doing over in the Wairarapa. We here in the Māori Land Court and in the Ministry of Education know best. We know best what is good for you and we will determine how this thing should be run." I did not write the words of this bill. This is not my bill. This is the bill written by the trustees of the Papawai and Kaikokirikiri Trusts and that is the way it should be. After all who am I to determine how the assets of that trust should be run when in fact as I have already said I have no whakapapa back to any iwi in the Wairarapa? It is not my business to say what should be in this bill. It is the business of the iwi of Wairarapa. You will see—it will be mentioned later on I am sure—that no particular iwi are mentioned. It has been a collaborative effort of all the iwi of Wairarapa and I am very proud to sponsor this bill on behalf of those people. Taking initiative is what these trustees have done. Taking responsibility individually and collectively is a mantra of the National Party. Trusting families and communities to make the right decisions for themselves is a principle of this side of the House so removing the patronising sanctimonious nanny State legislation that the old Act represents is a very good thing not just for Papawai and Kaikōkirikiri but for all of us. We do not want or need a nanny State. People do know what they want and people do know how to achieve their goals. I am here to support those New Zealanders and in a small way to support these people who have shown that initiative and taken the initiative to get this bill through the House. I am sure it gives the trustees a lot of pleasure and a lot of relief and a lot of satisfaction that this bill will enable them to do what they want with their assets and their time for their young people. So again I appreciate the support of the trustees and their supporters. I appreciate the support of each party across the House the select committee members and the chair. I commend this bill to the House."