Harawira Hone: Farmers' Mutual Group Bill — Second Reading Procedure Third Reading 
Harawira Hone: Farmers' Mutual Group Bill — Second Reading Procedure Third Reading 
[Volume:641;Page:11154] 
HONE HARAWIRA (Maori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) 
: 
 Tena koe Madam Assistant Speaker. Tena tatou te Whare. 
Nathan Guy 
: He’s back! 
HONE HARAWIRA 
: Welcome back Madam Assistant Speaker. Two months ago there was a very special gala event in Rotorua: the presentation of the Ahuwhenua Trophy to the Maori Farmer of the Year the person who most represents excellence in Maori farming. The award established in 1932 by Sir Apirana Ngata was supported by Meat and Wool New Zealand AgResearch the BNZ Te Puni Kokiri and others to highlight the significant contribution that Maori agriculture makes to the nation’s bottom line. In the game of “blame and shame” that has been associated with the word “Maori” in recent weeks it is interesting to note that the undeniable successes and achievements of Maori in agriculture seem to have slipped by without notice. So the timing of the Farmers’ Mutual Group Bill could not have been better placed to remind the House of that prestigious event on the Maori farming calendar. 
 This year the three finalists were the Atihau-Whanganui Incorporation whose Pah Hill Station is one of 10 stations the incorporation runs between Ruapehu and the Whanganui River; the Tuaropaki Trust north of Taupo whose land includes a $30 million geothermal power plant 30 acres of temperature-controlled export tomato and paprika crops and satellite and wireless communications; and the Matariki Partnership north of Ruatoria which supports 3000 owners who run sheep and beef on 2500 hectares and is planting exotic pine and native bush while maintaining the growth of manuka. As my illustrious co-leader Tariana Turia was quick to point out the Atihau-Whanganui Incorporation took out the title although I would be just as quick to say as they do in rugby circles that they were all winners on the night for what we know about Maori farming is that it provides us with ample evidence of excellence—something that this whole House can benefit from. 
So the Maori Party sees it as entirely appropriate that we are considering at this time the financial mechanisms to protect innocent farmers and other members of the rural community through the core services of the Farmers’ Mutual Group. This bill looks to preserve the basic status of the Farmers’ Mutual Group modernise its governance and expand its authorities and powers. That includes provisions for the Farmers’ Mutual Group to become a reporting entity under the Financial Reporting Act and to confirm its capacity to give rebates to members. 
The two submissions to the Primary Production Committee were both in favour of the bill. The Maori Party will also be supporting it as part of our philosophy of advancing the opportunities for Maori while also noting the primary place that Maori hold as the largest natural grouping of pastoral farmers in Aotearoa worth an estimated $7.5 billion. At another level 10 percent of the farming sector workforce is Maori with some 15500 people working in agriculture forestry and farming—mostly in horticulture or in raising sheep and cattle. If the finalists for the Ahuwhenua Trophy are anything to go by the Maori farming sector is demonstrating advanced thinking strategy and planning which will lead to increased productivity gains for all sectors of the industry. 
The Maori farming sector as with the wider farming sector needs to have the support of an organisation that can offer a diverse range of services meet the expanding financial needs of today’s rural sector provide greater levels of accountability and rationalise insurance services all of which the Farmers’ Mutual Group is doing. It is a mark of its success that it has been able to cope with structural adjustments and still have the unequivocal support of its membership for the changes put forward in this bill. Of course central to that has been the concept of mutuality: reinvesting profits back into the business for the benefit of all the members. That concept resonates well with the Maori values of manaakitanga the principle of care generosity and mutual respect; and of kotahitanga the principle of unity of purpose and of direction. 
I do not want to go over ground already covered by other speakers but I would like to make reference to issues that Maori farmers might want to see addressed as part of the core business of the Farmers’ Mutual Group. The 2004 report of the Controller and Auditor-General into the client service performance of the Maori Land Court and Maori Trustee noted the special challenges that face Maori farmers and specifically the long-standing unresolved issues associated with multiple ownership which have created unwieldy restrictions for Maori landowners who want to develop their land. The report noted the difficulty for Maori landowners in getting finance because banks and other financial institutions insist on unencumbered collateral such as general land for any loan or mortgage. The lack of individual ownership and the restriction on the transferability of title make it almost impossible for communal Maori land to be considered as collateral. It is a strange argument really when one considers that companies with multiple shareholders seem to get finance easily for the development of their businesses. 
But many Maori farming entities are hindered in their ability to access finance and consequently their capacity to succeed is also limited. That leads to Maori organisations adopting a more conservative approach and risk-averse attitude leaving them ill-prepared to take advantage of the entrepreneurial equity market. It would be of benefit to Maori farmers and to the nation generally for the Farmers’ Mutual Group to look at ways to help Maori farmers and organisations to achieve productivity gains for both the sector and the economy as a whole by targeting productivity levels improved financial performance land use efficiency and the increased utilisation of capital assets as part of the services offered to Maori farmers and the rural community. 
The Maori Party will support this bill going to the Committee stage in the interests of helping the Maori farming sector to become more productive and a more influential player in the national economy. Tena koutou katoa.