Harawira Hone: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Harawira Hone: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 21 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4545. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
9. 
HONE HARAWIRA (Leader—Mana) 
 to the  
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations 
: Is the Government holding meetings with iwi over water rights issues before the Waitangi Tribunal reports back on the Maori Council’s water claim on Friday; if so with which iwi? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) 
: 
 Yes. The Government has held and is holding meetings with iwi over water rights issues. These meetings have occurred throughout our time in Government. I would be happy to name the iwi for the benefit of the member but the extent of the Government’s engagement is such that I would have to read out a list of virtually all iwi with whom I have been meeting since November 2008. 
Hone Harawira 
: Does the Government accept the proposition that the Maori interest in water as presented by a majority of the iwi and hapu claimants to the tribunal is not simply a commercial interest that can be settled with a shareholding or a purchase order but is a deeper interest that includes customary title and guardianship of the special resource; and how would that understanding underpin the Government’s discussions with iwi? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: As I said I have been meeting with many iwi over the years since I have been the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. Of course this Government has said and continues to say that it recognises that iwi have rights and interests in water. Take for example the recent joint planning committee that has been established in Hawke’s Bay and will be rolled out as there are settlements with other iwi in Hawke’s Bay which recognises for example Ngati Pahauwera’s rights and interests in the Mohaka River. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Can he confirm that the Maori Party Ministers have arranged meetings with senior Government Ministers for representatives of the claimant iwi representatives of the New Zealand Maori Council and iwi leaders; and what have been the responses to the hui? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Where’s the responsibility for that? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: I have no responsibility for that is the answer to Mr Mallard but I am happy to answer it. I have been present at meetings for which I have had responsibility and I can confirm that Maori Party Ministers have indeed in recent times organised those meetings. My impression has been that the response has been very positive. They have welcomed the opportunity to engage with Government Ministers on these issues but as I have said they are not the only meetings that have been held on these issues and I confirm that since November 2008 I have been holding meetings along those lines. 
Hone Harawira 
: Does the Government accept that after opposing the Maori Council’s water rights claim being heard under urgency by the tribunal then discounting the authority of the tribunal then downplaying the importance of the claim and then calling for the tribunal to report earlier than it would have done if the Government had not opposed the application for urgency in the first place any secret meetings held in the week before the tribunal releases its interim report are likely to be viewed as desperate attempts by the Government to sidestep a likely ruling by the tribunal to halt the asset sales programme until the Maori interest in water has been settled; if not why not? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: I take issue with what the member said about there being secret meetings. These are not secret meetings; they are very open meetings. They have been held and continue to be held as I have said now for the third time since November 2008 because this Government is interested and anxious to recognise legitimate rights and interests in water. It wants to treat iwi as Treaty partners who are deserving of respect— 
Hone Harawira 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question was not a historical one. It was specifically about meetings being held this week— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Hone Harawira 
: —not since 2008. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is correct and the member referred to secret meetings being held this week— 
Hone Harawira 
: This week. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: —this week—and the Minister in answering argued that he is not holding any secret meetings this week at all and that the meetings are all open. So he answered the member’s question by pointing out that he is wrong and that no secret meetings are being held. They are all open meetings. 
Hone Harawira 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If they are open does that mean I can attend too? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order and that will be sufficient of that. 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: Mr Speaker I have not finished. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No the question has been answered and that is the end. 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: I have not finished. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I think the Minister has given sufficient answer to the question. 
Andrew Williams 
: What reports has the Minister received on lake levels of Lake Taupo consent issues for water use from Lake Taupo or any other water rights information for Lake Taupo that may have implications for the Government’s sale of Mighty River Power and if he has not received any such reports why not? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: In so far as the issue over the water rights in Lake Taupo relate to iwi the Minister is certainly entitled to answer it but the question did not relate that well to the primary question. But it presumably relates to iwi submissions so the Hon Chris Finlayson may answer. 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: I assume it relates to the interests that Ngati Tuwharetoa claim in Lake Taupo. They have maintained those particular interests for a number of years and those discussions with that particular iwi continue.