Finlayson Christopher: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Finlayson Christopher: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Sitting date: 30 January 2013. Volume:687;Page:7614. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General) 
: 
 Mr Speaker I want to begin by acknowledging your outstanding period of service to the State and to wish you all the very best for the future. I want also to apologise to you that from time to time you asked for my assistance in getting Paula Bennett to “zip it sweetie” and I failed because she is very hard to handle. 
Unlike Mr Grant Robertson and “Mayor” Annette King I am an authentic Wellingtonian and I want to welcome all my colleagues back to this beautiful city which is enjoying one of its trademark summers. For those members who come into Parliament by going round the bays can I say to them that I think it would be very wise if they came through the Mount Victoria Tunnel and past the Basin Reserve. Of course the Basin Reserve is one of our most famous cricket grounds. I was there in 1978 when we beat the English for the first time. I certainly hope we will be able to perform well against Alastair Cook’s magnificent team which I think arrived in the country just last night. 
One goes round the Basin Reserve and what does one see? Well I say to Mr Robertson that one sees Mr Brownlee’s magnificent new road. Gerry Brownlee has made a tremendous contribution to the rebuilding of Christchurch and he has done a wonderful job in ensuring that that road is going to be constructed in time for the centennial of the First World War. I am very pleased at the progress on our motorway and I frankly cannot believe that Helen Clark was prepared to put a motorway right through our park and past the playground of a primary school. That is exactly what she was going to do—but she never liked children. 
I could criticise the Labour Opposition for that and for other things but I am intending to be positive. First I want to focus on my colleagues in caucus because it is my last day as the Acting Minister of Labour. I want to acknowledge the contribution of that fine member for Waimakariri who tipped Clayton Cosgrove out Kate Wilkinson whose work on health and safety and particularly on setting up the independent task force is going to lead to some important reforms. I am sure that Simon Bridges is going to do very good work. I have to tell you that work is already well under way to implement the 16 recommendations of the royal commission’s report on Pike River and I think the work product which I have said in this House will be in place by the end of 2013 will be very good indeed. I also acknowledge my good friend Tim Groser and express my support for his campaign to become Director-General of the World Trade Organization. His success is going to be very important for international trade but it is also sorely needed to prove that there are indeed New Zealand politicians who are up to the job of running large international organisations. 
I could criticise the Labour Party’s lacklustre start to the year but frankly that is boring and I am not really interested in the Labour Party. I am interested in the Government and frankly the Labour Party is hopeless. I could comment about Labour’s scheduling of David Shearer’s state of the nation speech on the same day as Metiria Turei’s state of the planet speech the first clash of many to come because in reality as can be seen around the world social democratic parties hate green parties. In reality I have to say that David Shearer’s speech was not so much a state of the nation speech as a state of the planet speech because he borrowed catchphrases and words from Labour Party leaders and social democratic leaders all around the world. Take for example some of the statements that Ed Miliband made to the Fabian Society. Basically David Shearer borrowed all of those. He did what could be called a Joe Biden who wrecked his presidential campaign in 1988 by borrowing—unbelievably borrowing—Neil Kinnock’s phrases. That was a sign of desperation if ever there was desperation. But there we have little Ed Miliband’s favourite phrases being appropriated by David Shearer. I say to Mr Robertson that if the Labour Party cares so much about New Zealand jobs why does David Shearer not hire a New Zealand speechwriter? 
I could talk about Labour’s proposed reshuffle but what is there to talk about? I have to say that the depth of talent is such in the National Party that our great Prime Minister rejuvenated the Cabinet with members from National’s strong caucus. I wonder what talent David Shearer is going to be able to find in the murky recesses of the Labour Party. It is kind of like looking for the Loch Ness monster in the Thorndon Pool. Thorndon Pool is very shallow and what you think is Nessie is in fact a branch or a log. I am sure poor old David Shearer is going to come back from all his hard work and find that all there is is Rajen Prasad. 
Contrast that with the attitude on this side of the House. How fortunate we are to have one another. We are not only fine colleagues but good friends united behind a great leader. But the only person the Labour Party members can unite over is Charles Chauvel because they all hate him. 
I have a very busy work programme planned for this year but one— 
Grant Robertson 
: Nastiest person I have ever met. 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: Well Mr—what is his name? That fellow from Rimutaka Mr Hipkins is laughing. 
Chris Hipkins 
: I’m laughing at you not with you. 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: No with me. I have a very busy programme this year. But one of the things I want to talk about— 
Hon Annette King 
: Nobody laughs with that member. 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: I will laugh when that member stands for the mayoralty and that will be a great fight. 
As Associate Minister of Maori Affairs one of the issues that I have been very interested in focusing on is reforming Te Ture Whenua Maori Act—the Maori Land Act. I want to say something about this issue which is not often talked about in this place but it is very very important. About 5 percent of the nation’s land mass is in fact covered by this legislation—about 27000 blocks of Maori land comprising about 1.42 million hectares. If you look at it in the context of the North Island then it climbs to about 10 to 11 percent. Reform which is long overdue is going to provide great opportunities. We all know the power or the potential of agribusiness to grow this country’s wealth. Maori agribusiness accounts for about 8 to10 percent of milk solids already. There are any number of reports that have been done over the years—and Dr Sharples will attest to this—showing that opportunities are there to grow Maori agribusiness. But the unfortunate thing is that because of this legislation 80 percent of Maori land is either undeveloped or underperforming. It is an issue that has been around for a long time and it simply needs to be addressed—major structural issues stemming from the 1993 legislation and compliance costs created by the legislation. That legislation was last reviewed in 2002 and despite the same problems being identified the vast majority of the recommendations have not been implemented. I am going to be working on that with Dr Sharples this year and I am very much looking forward to it. 
We have got a very busy year as the Prime Minister said on Treaty settlements. I want to acknowledge all members of the House for their contributions last year that meant that 12 settlement bills were passed. In the week before Christmas I signed five deeds of settlement and three very important agreements in principle with Nga Ruahine Taranaki and Te Atiawa. I am looking forward to bringing them to deeds of settlement this year and to continuing to work with my Maori Party colleagues on this hugely important work of providing long-overdue justice to iwi around the country. 
There is also our success in the arts because there is a lot going on there but I particularly want to mention World War I commemorations. A lot of work as I said is being done on the Gerry Brownlee park. That will be the centrepiece but a huge amount of work is also being done both here and overseas in terms of commemorations. I had a very interesting meeting in Paris with the French Minister of veterans’ affairs who is very keen to see New Zealand do its bit in Europe. There is so much to do so much to be positive about with this group of outstanding New Zealanders led by such a fine Prime Minister—lots of work to do and I cannot wait to get stuck in this year.