Boscawen John: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Boscawen John: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:670;Page:16973] 
9. 
Hon JOHN BOSCAWEN (Deputy Leader—ACT) 
 to the  
Attorney-General 
: Has he asked the Maori Party to agree to amendments to the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill that would make it explicitly clear that customary title holders would not be able to charge individuals for accessing a beach and require any negotiated settlements to be referred back to Parliament for validation; if so what response did he receive? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General) 
: 
 No because that is not what the proposed amendments address. There will indeed be a Supplementary Order Paper. It contains a proposed requirement that any negotiated agreement to recognise customary marine title be given effect to through legislation by Parliament—not by Order in Council as contained in the bill. There will also be a proposed amendment to clause 27 to provide that any individual has rights without charge for access to the common marine coastal area for the purposes set out in paragraphs (a) to (c) of subclause (1). The bill does not change any of the current arrangements for access to beaches. 
Hon John Boscawen 
: On what date did he seek the Maori Party’s support for the Supplementary Order Paper and on what date did he get it? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: I have had numerous discussions with my colleagues in the Maori Party. I have no ministerial responsibility for how the Maori Party votes in Parliament. However in terms of the confidence and supply agreement with the Maori Party I have a ministerial responsibility for consulting with it. 
Hon John Boscawen 
: If he has indeed received the support of the Maori Party for the amendments that he has outlined this afternoon why will he not immediately table in Parliament the Supplementary Order Paper rumoured to run into hundreds of pages when we are due to debate the Committee stage of this bill in less than 48 hours; alternatively why does he continue to hold this House and the public of New Zealand in absolute contempt? 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: Well I am certainly not holding the public of New Zealand in absolute contempt. The Supplementary Order Paper will be available probably first thing tomorrow morning. 
Hon John Boscawen 
: I seek leave to table a report from John Roberts Laurie on the meeting conducted by the Attorney-General last Thursday in Three Kings in which he reports that over 90 percent of the attendees opposed the Government’s plans on the takutai moana legislation. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is this a letter? 
Hon John Boscawen 
: It is an email. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table this email from a certain person. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon John Boscawen 
: I seek leave to table an email to the Prime Minister Mr Key and members of his Cabinet from Richard Montgomery in which he expresses his opposition to the takutai moana legislation and indicates that unless there is widespread public support the Prime Minister— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am not sure we are going to go through a process every time someone sends the Prime Minister an email of wasting the time of this House in seeking leave to table it. I am not prepared to entertain that notion.