Paraone PitaPITA PARAONE (NZ First): Tēnā koe Mr Assistant Speaker tēnā hoki tātou e noho nei i roto i Te Whare. Āe i rongo au i ngā kōrero e pā ana ki ngā herenga o ētahi o ngā mema Māori e noho nei i roto i Te Whare ki te rōpū nei. Tēnā pea ko te take nei kua taka te kapa ka hiahia ētahi ō tātou kia mau aua kapa kia ahatia? Ēngari ko te mea nui mēnā e tika ana wā rātou whakapapa. Korekau he raru![Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker and salutations to you seated here in the House. Yes indeed I heard the comments about the connections that some Māori members seated in this House here have to this organisation. Perhaps this matter about the penny dropping is due to the fact that some of us want to catch those pennies but for what purpose? However the main thing is to examine whether their genealogies are correct. There will not be a problem if it is fine!]Just by way of explanation I was acknowledging everyone in the House and referring to the comment of Metiria Turei the previous speaker about the number of Māori members coming out of the woodwork so to speak and making their genealogical connection to these trusts. I made the rather facetious comment that perhaps the reason that we are doing that is that the penny has dropped—in other words there is a possible monetary rationale for their connection. But in spite of that I acknowledge their right to claim their whakapapa to the Wairarapa. On behalf of New Zealand First I can say that we will be supporting this bill and I acknowledge Alastair Scott the member who brought it to the House. I should say that we certainly do recognise the need to update the wording of an Act that has used rather archaic language particularly in terms of its description of the Church of England. I think the bill does that very well and it has the support of members of the trusts' board who came before the Māori Affairs Committee and made their submission. I should also say that for me I am not quite sure whether in fact the description tangata whenua of Wairarapa" is prescriptive enough. But then the members of the current board accepted this description of those who would be entitled to apply to the trusts for assistance and I acknowledge that. But I just make that comment as someone who has seen a lot of people use the description "tangata whenua" to go beyond the original intent of the comment. But having said that I support the members of the trusts' board who have said that. Reference has been made to the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act inconsistency and I certainly as a member of the Māori Affairs Committee was grateful for having that issue pointed out to us. I think that the bill reflects our acceptance of the issues that were raised in regard to that part of the bill. The other thing I want to comment on is the request by members of the trusts' board seeking to have the bill written in Māori. The reason that the committee has given for not being able to do so was that the original Act that this bill amends is not in Te Reo Māori. So we accept that but we certainly—and I certainly as a member of the Māori Affairs Committee—look forward to having all bills that are passed through this House written in Te Reo Māori. The other part I want to make comment on is that the bill widens the range of investments to anything lawful. You might have thought that with the influence of the Church that may have included putting thought to making moral investments and I say that only because that has been an issue with regard to some of our KiwiSaver administrators and because of the comments made about where they invest those funds. Although they may have invested those funds towards legal investments the public of New Zealand certainly raised the question as to whether or not they were moral. But again the members of the trusts' board accepted that and I am quite happy to support them in that regard. I do not have too much to add other than to say that we in New Zealand First certainly support the bill and we commend it to the House."