Delahunty Catherine: Methodist Church of New Zealand Trusts Bill — Third Reading 
Delahunty Catherine: Methodist Church of New Zealand Trusts Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:659;Page:8397] 
CATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker. Tena koutou katoa. I rise to take a short call on the Methodist Church of New Zealand Trusts Bill. The Green Party will support the bill and we acknowledge the work of Brendon Burns in bringing it to the House. As my colleague Kevin Hague said in his first reading speech an Act of Parliament should not be necessary to modernise and regulate the workings of the Methodist Church trusts but given the lack of progress in respect of updating the Charitable Trusts Act 1957 it is necessary. The Methodist Church is entitled to due process in order to allow the trusts to function and it needs to have the ability to vary the foundation deeds of an organisation that first began its journey in Aotearoa in 1822. I have always been suspicious of the three Ms of colonisation: missionaries the military and mass migration. 
Hon Mita Ririnui 
: Maori! 
CATHERINE DELAHUNTY 
: Ha ha! It is clear from the recorded history of the Methodist Church that it has a long association with tangata whenua and recognises the paramount importance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 
The Methodist Church today is a diverse church with a Treaty base a strong recognition of Pasifika peoples multicultural goals and interesting traditions of supporting communities. The Greens are aware of many organisations that have benefited from its generosity and community support and we are happy to see the Church become able to change its administrative framework as other churches have done in order to function under more appropriate and modern terms. Like my colleague Kevin Hague my reservation about the tradition of charity is no reflection on the often highly strategic support the Methodist Church has given to social services and projects for social well-being. 
My reservation about charity stems from a new rhetoric in the community and voluntary sector which is classically displayed in the latest copy of the Ministry of Social Development magazine  
Rise 
 where giving and philanthropy is elevated to a very high status and having less money or a less well-paid job is rationalised through a rhetoric of saintly generosity and warm feelings that come from giving up a living wage. As a lifelong volunteer I by no means belittle the generosity of spirit that basically runs our world. But I am suspicious of the new language around charity. Charity usually requires gratitude and will be available only to the deserving poor when the State steps back and encourages churches and charitable trusts to step into the breaches. Will the community and voluntary sector including the churches embrace the new rhetoric of support for the deserving poor? Will it cheer on Kevin Rudd as he requires bad beneficiaries’ money to be managed by social services and Government agencies that will decide when they can eat and what they can eat? This sounds ludicrous but imitating Australia seems to be very popular here at the moment. There is little power for the recipients of charity. 
Although we are supporting this bill for its practical intent I quote the Queensland indigenous activist in the 1970s on the subject of charity who said: “If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine then let us work together.” That challenge is for the Methodist Church but even more it is for this House in dealing with both minor and major legislation intended to strengthen justice for all. We commend Brendon Burns for his effort and we support the bill. Kia ora.