Hon Christopher Finlayson

• Debate resumed.

CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (National) : Madam Assistant Speaker informs me that I have 1 minute and 30 seconds remaining to speak on the Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill. I note that I started speaking last night at 9.52 p.m., so strictly speaking I should have 2 minutes, but I will not quibble with the Chair, because that would be inappropriate.

All I want to do in closing is address the question of public access. It has been comprehensively dealt with in the bill. It is not an issue between the parties. The deed of settlement requires the Crown to grant public access easements over the forests prior to the settlement date, and we can deal with that issue in the Committee stage. Clauses 10 and 11 deal with the issue, and they are substantially the same as the clauses that the Committee of the whole House debated last night in the context of the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill; I refer to Supplementary Order Paper 250, which brought into that bill clauses 130A and 130B. The intent is the same, even if there are minor differences in wording.

With those closing comments, I believe that all the issues have been considered and that there is no impediment to the bill proceeding through all its stages as quickly as possible.