Ririnui Mita: Maori Purposes Bill — Procedure Second Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Ririnui Mita: Maori Purposes Bill — Procedure Second Reading 
[Sitting date: 13 September 2011. Volume:675;Page:21252. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon MITA RIRINUI (Labour) 
: 
 A kati kia ora tatou kai roto i te Whare. Kia ora tatou te ahuatanga o tenei pire kei waenganui i a tatou. Ka roa tenei pire e hikoi haere i waenganui i nga ropu e rua i tenei wa kua tae ki te mutunga o tana hikoi. I timatahia mai nga taukumekume e pa ana ki tenei pire i raro i te Minita Maori i roto i te Kawanatanga Reipa na kare i tutuki te korero a kua tae mai ra ki tenei Minita a Honore Takuta Pita Sharples. Hoi ano te ahua nei kua ea nga korero katoa e pa ana ki te pire nei.  
[ 
Greetings indeed to us in the House. In regard to the Maori Purposes Bill that is with us its journey between the two parties has been a long one but it is finally at an end. The struggles relating to this bill began under the watch of the former Minister of Maori Affairs when Labour was in Government but the discussions remained incomplete. That continued until the bill eventually arrived under the watch of this Minister of Maori Affairs the Hon Dr Pita Sharples. Everything about this bill appears to be satisfied now. 
] 
In the absence of the Minister of Maori Affairs I acknowledge the contribution of the Associate Minister of Maori Affairs with regard to the Maori Purposes Bill 2010. There are some positive aspects to this bill which the Labour Opposition will support for obvious reasons. However having had considerable contact with this bill over a number of years particularly in relation to the Pukepuke Tangiora estate I have to say that probably this particular aspect of the bill is the only part of the bill I am completely satisfied with when we consider the long journey since 1936 of this particular matter and the attempts by the Pukepuke Tangiora whanau to rectify interference by the Crown. This particular matter is a typical example of what we call the paternalism of the State. The Maori whanau were considered to be incapable of managing their own estate and their own affairs so the Crown intervened and decided it was in a better position to elect trustees and determine the terms of reference of this particular trust. 
I have to say that the Minister the Hon Dr Pita Sharples did a very very good job in actually bringing this matter to a close. It is a pity though that he did not acknowledge through some means in Parliament that this whanau was entitled to some form of compensation if not an apology. But the Maori Affairs Committee decided that that was out of the terms of reference of the select committee and let the matter carry on. 
In my own opinion a number of opportunities were lost in regard to this particular bill. I make reference for example to the Te Ture Whenua Maori Act and the changes to it. It was a good opportunity for the Minister of Maori Affairs to once again cut away some of the strings of paternalism that the State seems to think it needs to have over particular Maori organisations. Maori are faced with issues around land retention. Yes they are—there is no doubt about that. The greatest issues Maori face in the 21st century are around Maori land utilisation. This would have been a good opportunity to make necessary changes to the bill to bring about an environment where Maori landowners could actually treat their assets or the intergenerational assets they hold on particular land in the same way as most people would prefer to manage their land and their personal taonga. Sadly this is an opportunity lost. I spoke with the Minister of Maori Affairs on a number of occasions and tried to persuade him to look a bit wider than the scope of this bill and to allow for much more economic activity in relation to Maori assets—in particular land. 
I will comment on another matter. Once again I think it is an opportunity lost although I congratulate the Minister on the changes he has made to the Maori Trust Boards Act. Basically once again it cuts away the strings of the State and allows Maori trust boards to act like most commercial entities to get on with their business and to grow the assets they have without actually looking over their shoulder. They no longer have to pick up the phone every so often and ring the Minister of Maori Affairs to ask whether it is all right to have a hui to talk about some economic development opportunities they are considering and whether it is all right to spend $100 while they do it. That is how ridiculous it gets. We cannot expect trust boards to be serious commercial entities when these types of strings are attached. I am told it is almost kua pau te wa ki ahau. 
Maybe some time in the near future the next Minister of Maori Affairs—hopefully in Cabinet and not outside Cabinet—makes some robust decisions about the future of Maoridom and allows Maori organisations to get on with the business. Very few trust boards actually remain in existence that have not been overhauled at one time or another and this would have been an opportunity to allow them all to go through that process and be considered serious economic development entities in Te Ao Maori. 
Congratulations go in part to the Minister but I certainly acknowledge the Associate Minister of Maori Affairs who is here this evening representing the Minister of Maori Affairs and speaking to this particular legislation. I know that she has had very little contact with it through the Maori Affairs Committee but I think she has done very well regardless. Kia ora.