Media Release
9 December 2003

Deceit And Hypocrisy Over Marine Issues

New Zealand First has accused the Government of embarking on a programme of deception over crucial issues involving Maori such as ownership of the foreshore and seabed, allocation of fisheries resources and marine farming.

Rt Hon Winston Peters said today that the ad hoc committee being set up by the Government, ostensibly to handle the Treaty fisheries allocation to Maori, was actually set up to deflect a tidal wave of marine problems created by Labour itself.

“It is obvious that the Maori fisheries allocation should have been handled by the Maori Affairs select committee but Labour’s inner circle has a different agenda, including the seabed and foreshore, which its Maori MPs are not party to or trusted to handle.

“The ad hoc committee will not only handle the fisheries allocation, it will also be the political dumping ground for all the separatist aggravation that has been a feature of Labour’s approach to Maori issues.”

Mr Peters said that New Zealand First would not accept membership of the ad hoc select committee because it was a blatant attempt to obfuscate the real issues of ownership and control of marine resources.

“New Zealanders should be very concerned that this, and related issues are being dealt with by a ‘special’ committee with a handpicked chairman and a hidden agenda,” Mr Peters said.

ENDS

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