Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) : I move, That the Whanganui Iwi (Whanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Whanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill be now read a third time. As the introduction to the commentary to the bill says, this is an on-account settlement bill. It is intended to give effect to certain provisions of the deed of on-account settlement relating to the transfer of assets in an on-account settlement of the historic claims of Whanganui iwi. The river and the land claims are yet to be negotiated, although I am hopeful that we will do that very soon, because Whanganui iwi have been waiting for a just and durable settlement of their grievances—particularly in relation to the river—for many years. It is interesting to look at the history of the river claim. It began in about 1887. Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of their case to the Court of Appeal. They desperately deserve a good settlement.
This bill, frankly, should have been passed some months ago. Unfortunately, the Committee of the whole House stage was evidenced by a very disappointing filibuster from Labour, which was probably out of spite for Mrs Turia’s courageous and principled stand on the hated Foreshore and Seabed Act. After this debate, I intend to copy the records of Hansard of the Committee stage and send it to Whanganui iwi. They will see just how pointless and empty the Labour contribution to the debate during the Committee stage was. In 9 years Labour managed very few settlements indeed, and all it could do with this on-account bill was filibuster.
It is interesting that Mr Grant Robertson is in the House, because I know he thinks he is the very apotheosis, as it were, of the art of filibustering because of his little Royal Society bill. The filibustering over that bill is nothing compared with what those members did with this bill. I am very disappointed in Mr Horomia, because he and I always take a bipartisan approach to these negotiations. He is basically a good bloke, but I have to say that the Labour contribution during the Committee stage was pitiful. The bill is very short. As I said, it is an on-account bill. We really must move on, so I commend the bill to the House.
It is interesting that Mr Grant Robertson is in the House, because I know he thinks he is the very apotheosis, as it were, of the art of filibustering because of his little Royal Society bill. The filibustering over that bill is nothing compared with what those members did with this bill. I am very disappointed in Mr Horomia, because he and I always take a bipartisan approach to these negotiations. He is basically a good bloke, but I have to say that the Labour contribution during the Committee stage was pitiful. The bill is very short. As I said, it is an on-account bill. We really must move on, so I commend the bill to the House.
