ACT Urges Harawira To Support Calvert Bill

ACT New Zealand Maori Affairs Spokesman Hilary Calvert today urged Maori Party MP Hone Harawira to support her Foreshore and Seabed (Repeal and Establishment of Free Public Access) Amendment Bill in order to force the withdrawal of National’s Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill and repeal Labour’s Foreshore & Seabed Act 2004.

“On Friday – in response to his description of the Bill as a ‘badly stitched together piece of rubbish’ – I wrote to Mr Harawira asking him to support my Bill, which aligns with his call for the Foreshore & Seabed Act to be replaced with a free-access guarantee,” Ms Calvert said.

“ACT is the only Party in Parliament that has held a consistent stance on the foreshore and seabed issue – that the Government needs to restore the right of iwi and hapu to have their claims heard in open court.

“It is for this reason that we opposed the Foreshore & Seabed Act 2004, and will not support the Government’s Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill – which will allow customary title to be decided politically, behind closed doors, and will benefit select iwi to the disadvantage of others.

“While Mr Harawira’s view differs from that of ACT in regard to the ultimate ideal outcome of the foreshore and seabed issue, we can all agree that this Bill is not the answer and – as evidenced by public sentiment and the submissions process – satisfies no one.

“There are also other areas where ACT’s view aligns with Mr Harawira’s, and these are contained in my Private Members Bill. As such, I call on Mr Harawira to support my Bill to defeat the Government’s Bill and repeal the Foreshore and Seabed Act,” Ms Calvert said.

ENDS

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