Redmayne Suze; Kuriger BarbaraSUZE REDMAYNE (National—Rangitīkei): Thank you Madam Speaker. The history behind this bill and the reasons for it have been well articulated by my colleagues right across the House and I share your sentiments. This bill represents a significant necessary and overdue restructure of the current governance framework. In many ways it's housekeeping but that is not to underplay its significance. This bill ultimately serves the purpose of enabling iwi to have a greater degree of rangatiratanga greater control and influence over their settlement entities and assets. These resolutions are the result of a statutory review of the Māori Fisheries Act 2004 which began in 2015 and which was presented to the Minister in 2016 and 2017. The progression of the Māori Fisheries Amendment Bill is a priority for iwi and Te Kāhui o Te Ohu Kai Moana. It gives effect to the series of resolutions passed by iwi to amend the 2004 Act and to a suite of changes recommended by Te Ohu Kai Moana following extensive iwi engagement. These resolutions will better achieve the purposes of this Act.This bill will improve the entity's operational efficiency and their ability to deliver benefits to all Māori. Iwi will have reduced business costs and increased capabilities to support their members. At the same time Te Ohu Kai Moana's trustee role will continue to be responsible for safeguarding the assets through the legislative change process after the proposals have been enacted.I am delighted by the Rangitīkei connection. My friend and neighbour and Ngāti Apa's own Pahia Turia became chair of the board in July last year having first been appointed in 2019. He's also served as deputy chair since 2021 and was the chair and director of Māori freshwater fisheries entity Te Wai Māori Trust. Pahia has been a voice in iwi governance for over 25 years and throughout his whole entire life he held the paepae at the Whangaehu Marae since he was just 14 years old. In fact it was at the Whangaehu Marae where I first met Pahia when I helped organise a parliamentary services network day for out-of-office staff and he hosted us at his marae almost 20 years ago. A highly regarded kaupapa Māori advocate Pahia is passionate about being true to the reciprocal principles that underpin Māori relationships with Tangaroa. In his words: To me it is the greatest honour to lead and represent our people. I believe passionately in our duty to act in the best interests of Tangaroa. The 1992 Fisheries Settlement secured our rights and interests. However it is our obligation and responsibilities to Tangaroa and to our mokopuna that must guide and inform our interactions. It is a role I accept with great pride but also with a great sense of responsibility and accountability to our people."He also acknowledged that we have some real challenges ahead of us as tangata whenua and in Aotearoa generally in regard to our relationship with our moana. We're going to need to take action on our intergenerational view and not shy away from having some hard conversations about our duties as kaitiaki moana. Indeed there are challenges but this bill brings hope through certainty through a greater degree of control over settlement entities and through operational efficiencies. This bill brings increased benefits to all Māori.Māori are significant participants in New Zealand's marine economy with interests in wild fisheries aquaculture marine tourism and non-market customary harvest so they share political interests across multiple stakeholder spheres in the marine economy including commercial customary recreational and conservation. The New Zealand seafood industry had total export earnings of $2.1 billion in 2023. The Māori marine economy makes up about a third of our seafood industry by value. Māori own 50 percent of New Zealand's fishing quota. The value of the Māori fisheries settlement has tripled since 1992.For many iwi their share of assets from the Māori fisheries settlement represented the first significant assets they received through the Treaty of Waitangi claims settlement process. Today 45 percent of iwi have entered into joint venture partnerships with other iwi and non-Māori fishing companies to fish their quota 8 percent are fishing their own quota 10 percent are processing their own fish 10 percent are self-branding and 8 percent are exporting—most of them under their own brand. In terms of aquaculture around 13 percent of Māori entities have licenses to marine farm while 8 percent are actually doing it. There is significant potential to expand aquaculture.Vitally there are consumer markets who are willing to pay more for products produced according to Māori values. Most Māori fishing companies have kaitiakitanga at the core of governance and operations and go above and beyond environmental regulatory requirements. Their kaupapa and business practices speak to this. I look forward to this being further emphasised to add value in marketing. Kaitiakitanga drives much of the innovation in the sector. There is huge opportunity to unlock potential and extract value by marketing to those willing to pay more for indigenous kai moana harvested and produced according to Māori values worldview and ethics.I'm excited that this bill will revitalise a blue economy strategy and framework for Māori marine governance. It will provide certainty. It will encourage investment and development and provide jobs. It will even cut red tape. I know it's not perfect and I've received feedback from iwi in my electorate over two aspects in particular: concerns over the tax implications to iwi in the bill and also concerns over changes to the powers to representative Māori organisations which would ultimately reverse the decision made by 58 mandated iwi organisations of Aotearoa unanimously agreed on by resolution in 2015. It was not anticipated by iwi or Te Ohu Kai Moana that the Māori Affairs Committee would propose an amendment that would go against the decisions made by iwi and passed by binding resolution. Nor is it clear how that amendment will support iwi tino rangatiratanga which is an express purpose of the bill.This was not a unanimous decision by the committee members. The tax implications to iwi in the current bill result from the transfer of settlement assets to iwi. The bill allows for the allocation and transfer of the remaining shares in Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd to iwi but there is strong support for an amendment which will free these transferred shares from any requirement to be held and applied for charitable purposes as well as ensuring that the transfer of Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd shares will not jeopardise Te Ohu Kai Moana's ability to remain a registered charity. I look forward to this piece of legislation progressing to the committee of the whole House stage for further analysis and discussion.Getting our primary industries back on track is part of the Government's plan to rebuild the economy and get it working for all New Zealanders. Our fishing industry has a significant role to play in this kaupapa. Māori are farmers and they are fishers. Their commitment to kaitiakitanga and their genuine sense of duty to act in the best interests of Tangaroa is something to celebrate. This bill delivers for all Māori. This bill gives iwi more control over their fisheries assets and more constructive involvement in important decision making. This bill allows Māori finally to just get on with it. I commend this bill to the House.DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is That the amendments recommended by the Māori Affairs Committee by majority be agreed to.Amendments agreed to.Bill read a second time."