Katene Rahui: Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill — Procedure Second Reading In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Katene Rahui: Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill — Procedure Second Reading In Committee 
[Sitting date: 24 November 2009. Volume:659;Page:7914. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 May I say it is a joy to work with a party that is not tied down in “Hide-bound” ideas. 
In speaking to the announcement made yesterday of the proposals to reduce emissions in order to meet the Kyoto Protocol Ngai Tahu kaiwhakahaere Mark Solomon made a key statement. He said: “It is a day where the ledger is made even.” Mr Solomon was referring to the fact that relevant information was withheld from Ngai Tahu when they bought forestry land for conversion to farming. Ngai Tahu’s case was that the Crown did not meet its information disclosure requirements of their Treaty settlement in respect of the likely impact of an emissions trading scheme on pre-1990 forest land. Similar issues were raised by Waikato-Tainui Te Uri o Hau Ngati Awa and Ngati Tuwharetoa. Yesterday’s announcement made the ledger even in that it covers the cost of the loss the iwi will experience under the scheme. It was an announcement that recognised the constructive engagement that has taken place between the iwi and the Crown to try to address a situation in which they had been unknowingly disadvantaged. It was an announcement that reflected the generosity of spirit entered into between the Crown and the Treaty partner. 
The question of balance is an appropriate one to be considering as we debate the Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill today. The Maori Party has worked relentlessly to try to achieve outcomes that can work in the best interests of the nation. As a nation dependent on a favourable climate for our heavy involvement in primary production climate change represents a significant risk to the quality of our everyday life. Climate change will have profound implications for Aotearoa over the long term and potentially significant levels of costs. So there is no dispute: collective responsibility for environmental and social outcomes is the only way to respond to climate change. The way in which we have been able to mobilise this collective effort is through compliance with the targets of the Kyoto Protocol. We know that there is no single piece of legislation that can be the catch-all comprehensive answer to climate change. The real answers can only come from people as whanau communities and enterprises deciding to change how we live and interact with the environment. 
This bill is only a small part of the change that is needed. But what is so important about this bill is that it aims to reduce the total greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging all New Zealanders to take responsibility. We have all known that New Zealand’s emissions are increasing with greenhouse gas emissions in 2007 about 22 percent higher than they were in 1990. In fact if we did nothing at all to reduce our emissions our total emissions could total well over 30 percent higher by 2012. The Maori Party believes that it is high time that we as a nation stopped the years of lobbying Parliament on how the emissions trading scheme should be structured and focused on the real challenge of addressing our collective responsibilities for carbon emissions. The Maori Party is standing up for four outcomes that we believe are in the best interests of our people and the nation: our whanau our whenua the Treaty of Waitangi and the Maori economy. 
I want to raise a concern about the criticism suggested by the Leader of the Opposition that the so-called special treatment of some tribes will do little to help Maori households. At the risk of pointing out the obvious hapu and iwi are built upon the very foundations of whanau; there can be no iwi without whanau. The key stakeholders for Te Runanga o Ngati Porou for example are the descendants of Porourangi. As a descendant of Kai Tahu I remind the House that the broad mission of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu is to promote and enhance the social cultural and economic well-being of Ngai Tahu whanui. So when Mr Goff talks about preferential treatment or special deals for iwi he needs to be very careful that he knows what he is talking about. 
It has been very clear to us that paramount in the concerns of the iwi leadership has been the need to support Maori households. I read this morning the views of Rawiri Te Whare the General Manager of Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa. In referring to the attempts of some politicians to polarise the issue as a race-based one Rawiri Te Whare said: “The criticism is unhelpful and simplifies what is actually a complex issue. Iwi leaders do not seek special treatment for Maori we are seeking fairness on a proposal that will have a disproportionate impact on our businesses—and therefore our ability to assist to lift the social cultural and economic aspirations of our people.” The question of fairness of balance has been uppermost on our minds as we tried to negotiate concessions that would support our more vulnerable families along with our fledgling iwi enterprises in fishing farming and forestry. 
A key win for all of our whanau and all lower-income households is that they will be better supported to insulate their homes to decrease the cost of electricity. We also know that warmer homes mean better health outcomes and a better quality of life. Insulation leads to lower power costs and better health. Our priority was to ensure that the funding available gets to those homes most in need. So we are really thrilled that the new money the additional $24 million we were able to negotiate will mean that an extra 2000 houses of community services card holders will be insulated every year from now up to 2013. We pushed hard for this as well as halving petrol and power prices in order to cushion the blow on low-income families. A major emphasis for the Maori Party was on doing all that we could to ensure our whenua will be sustainable and healthy for our mokopuna. 
The package includes a range of environmental outcomes from working with iwi to invest in indigenous forestry to recognising the importance of biodiversity to all people so that future generations inherit a country that is a better version of the clean green Aotearoa we inhabit today. Our negotiations have been critical in recognising that iwi are the key drivers behind the Maori economy which contributes some $16 billion to the economy of this nation. It is our view that any legislation passed in this country must support the Maori economy to reach its full potential. Our people are heavily involved in fishing farming and forestry all of which are affected by the scheme. We worked hard to make sure that our people’s businesses are not the hardest hit by the scheme so that the outcomes are fair and our economy can grow. 
And finally I want to bring to the House the significance of the Treaty of Waitangi to this debate. We entered negotiations understanding that the Treaty must be provided for in the scheme so that it is fair for our people no matter what future changes are made along the way and so that Treaty settlements are respected. The Treaty is about joint responsibility and working together. This bill reflects our role in responding to the shared challenge of climate change. The agreement allows for more Crown-iwi partnerships in tree planting on conservation and Maori land. It makes a commitment to the Treaty relationship through the highest level of input on agricultural forestry and fishing issues. To this end I will be tabling a very important amendment during the Committee stage to ensure that the emissions trading scheme gives effect to Treaty principles. 
The scheme is not perfect by any means. But we believe that it balances the concerns of whanau and businesses with the need to ensure we protect our environment for future generations. Ultimately it is those mokopuna whom we must think of as we make our vote today. Kia ora.