Labour to support first reading of new foreshore Bill

Labour will not scaremonger over the foreshore and seabed issue the way the National Party did while in Opposition, Labour’s Shadow Attorney General, David Parker and Labour’s Maori Affairs spokesperson Parekura Horomia said today.

“The new foreshore bill only brings about changes to names and to process,” David Parker said.

“As the Prime Minister has said, people won’t notice much change of substance. We find that hard to reconcile with what the Maori Party is saying that it changes things fundamentally”, Parekura Horomia said.

“It is clear that much of the changes being made could have been achieved by amending the existing Act. The decision to repeal rather than amend is just a face saving exercise for the Maori Party.

“We agree that allowing the Court to award customary title (formerly called territorial customary rights) is appropriate. Labour said this in our submission to the review panel”, David Parker said.

“This is an important process change. Previously a claim to a territorial customary right could be considered by the Court. If the Court found an unextinguished right remained prior to the F&SB Act, the Court could not confer it but rather the matter was referred back to the Crown for a negotiated settlement.

“Labour has always maintained that it was willing to work responsibly to achieve an enduring solution to the foreshore and seabed issue,” said Parekura Horomia.

“Labour does not support scaremongering over the foreshore and seabed legislation. The ‘Kiwi not Iwi’ billboard campaign National ran back in 2004 was wrong and divisive. Although we see irony in the similar billboard campaign now being run against National, we do not support that either,” said David Parker.

“Labour will be voting in support of the first reading of the new foreshore Bill.”

ENDS

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