Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Licence needed for work use Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Foreshore Crown Ownership Irrelevant

Thursday 18 March 2004

Stephen Franks

Treaty of Waitangi & Maori Affairs Press Releases

Labour's emerging willingness to revert to Crown ownership of the foreshore is completely irrelevant - no one can tell whether it's a concession until they see the fine print of rights they want to concede to Maori over that Crown property, ACT New Zealand Maori Affairs Spokesman Stephen Franks said today.

"It's now clear that `public domain' was just mystification, designed for cosmetics. What really matters are the rights under the new `customary title' Labour is promising Maori over virtually the entire coastline, on the basis of claimed `ancestral connection'," Mr Franks said.

"Attorney-General Margaret Wilson says they won't give anything more than existing Maori privileges under the RMA. That is probably untrue - even if it is true, those RMA consultation and veto powers can be turned into blackmail rentals.

"For example, Mayor John Banks has just had to agree to pay 50 cents per tonne ransom fees to Ngati Wai for sand they've never owned.

"The real things to watch for, however, are the `customary rights', which the Crown proposes to acknowledge over Crown land. Nobody knows what they will be.

"NZ First Leader Winston Peters' deal over a Treaty Royal Commission, in return for reversion to Crown ownership of the foreshore - without knowing what customary rights will be created - is like agreeing to pay a Lexus price for a Lada because the dealer promises to put a Lexus badge on it," Mr Franks said.

ENDS

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

Featured News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.