National Must Do Its Duty On Foreshore Issue

ACT New Zealand Maori Affairs Spokesman Hilary Calvert today urged National Party members of the Maori Affairs Select Committee to insist that the Government heed the public and withdraw the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill.

“Yesterday’s submissions hearing in Tauranga must have been particularly difficult on National MP Simon Bridges. After all, Tauranga is his electorate and it was his constituents who were submitting in opposition to his Party’s Bill,” Ms Calvert said.

“Among those were Nga Papaka o Rangataua, who said the Bill ‘does not achieve justice for our people’; and Kaitiakitanga who said ‘the legislation remains manifestly unjust’. Even the Bay of Plenty Regional Council was concerned that the Bill opened up ‘more potential for claims – the extent of which appears to be unknown’.

“ACT Deputy Leader John Boscawen and I have been travelling around the country with the Maori Affairs Select Committee hearing submissions and the message is the same: everyone – Maori and non-Maori alike – is vehemently opposed to this Bill.

“Members of Parliament have a duty to represent the views of the people who elected them – this is particularly true of an electorate MP like Mr Bridges. As such, they cannot in good conscience continue to support legislation that submitter after submitter does not want passed into law.

“Nearly every Party has heeded ACT’s call to represent their supporters and oppose the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill – and the Maori Party will likely pull its support at the end of the public submissions process. National should withdraw the Bill now, rather than stand as the only Party willing to ignore its obligation to represent its supporters,” Ms Calvert said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media