Korako Nuk: Māori Purposes Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKorako Nuk: Māori Purposes Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 15 September 2015. Volume:708;Page:6625. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]NUK KORAKO (National): E mihi atu ki a koe e te Māngai o te Whare huri noa i te Whare tēnā koutou katoa.[I acknowledge you Mr Assistant Speaker of the House and greet you all throughout the House.]I am pleased to take a call in support of the Māori Purposes Bill. This bill is an omnibus bill that amends the Maori Purposes Act 1991 and the Maori Trust Boards (Transitional Provisions) Order 2012. These amendments are important particularly in regard to the changes of the Wī Pere Trust.To understand what this bill is about we need to go back to 1899 and the establishment of the Wī Pere Trust. Wīremu Pere or Wī Pere was the MP for Eastern Maori for five terms in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was widely acclaimed as being one of the great Māori MPs and was a leading figure amongst the people of the Poverty Bay area. Pere had a reputation as a great orator in Te Reo Māori both before the Native Land Court and later in the House of Representatives. Although he lost three elections it would be hard for history to judge him too harshly as his election losses were only to the great Māori MPs in Sir Apirana Ngata and Sir James Carroll.Part-way through his time in Parliament Wī Pere was forced to set up the Wī Pere Trust to ensure a legacy was left to his descendants. The trust has long been incorporated in legislation becoming a statutory trust under the Maori Purposes Act 1938. Although the trust has these legislative protections it does operate as a private business in a commercial environment and in fact it operates quite successfully. The trust has business activities in the agribusiness sector—the citrus fruit sector vineyards—and I understand it is looking at possible mining activities in the future. I am not sure of the latest figures—well I am now actually because I heard the Minister quote one—but it is interesting that in 2003 the trust assets were in excess of $35 million and now with a new figure in 2013 it is $66 million. So obviously it is a trust that is doing very very well in this economic climate.The payments to beneficiaries include a per share beneficial interest age grants for those over 60 tangi grants and limited education scholarships. The trust also contributes to the maintenance of Rongopai Marae at Waituhi which was established by Wī Pere’s son Moanaroa. These changes to the governing legislation will put the trust in a better position to operate more effectively in the commercial environment of today and without the Crown’s involvement.The Minister has already talked about the various changes so I do not intend to go into the proposed changes in detail. However I do look forward to the bill coming through the various stages of the Māori Affairs Committee process. I would just like to acknowledge my colleagues on our committee because you have raised some very very interesting points particularly when we talk about whāngai and also about he tikanga tuku iho nā ngā matua tīpuna kua wehe atu ki Te Pō—and it is the tikanga that has been laid down by those of our tīpuna who have passed into the long night. So it will be a very interesting discussion I am sure but we will find our way through as we usually do.But one thing for me is that Wī Pere was a visionary right back in 1899 and so what he actually left and what he put together was a structure in which he believed that only the best people should be trustees and the beneficiaries need to be separated and apart. It is interesting when we talk about incorporations and when we talk about trusts in today’s world I think of the Mawhera Inc. on Te Tai Poutini and I think about the Rakaia Inc. as well where they still have those very strict laws about whāngai and about bloodlines actually inheriting those shareholdings. So we are looking forward to that.But I think the key message of this bill is that we want to see the Wī Pere Trust operating in an autonomous way free of some of the constraints that it currently has. We do not see any need for ongoing ministerial involvement in the trust’s affairs I believe and this bill will maintain the key protections—because that is what is important as well—for Māori land that currently exist. But it will give the trust the flexibility and autonomy that it should have to operate as a successful commercial entity. I have no hesitation in commending this bill to the House. Kia ora.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): Before I invite the next member to speak I have been looking at Speakers’ rulings with regard to visual aids. I understand the question of the display of the New Zealand flag in the Chamber has been the subject of some discussion at the Business Committee but what is also clear is that other visual aids should be displayed only by members who are making speeches or asking questions. There are some other visual aids currently being displayed in the House and before I call Metiria Turei can I ask that they may be removed. It may be that staff have to remove the one from Mr Seymour’s bench. Could I ask some of the floor staff or the Serjeant-at-Arms possibly to or—Marama Fox thank you.