Gerry Brownlee MP
National Party Maori Affairs Spokesman

21 June 2005

Foreshore and Seabed Act haunts NZ First

National Party Maori Affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee says Winston Peters has some explaining to do about the Foreshore and Seabed Act when he re-launches his Maori policy today.

“Winston Peters gave his support to a law which is becoming fertile territory for the grievance industry. This was something that National raised the alarm on when Michael Cullen slipped the legislation through Parliament.

“Right now, the Maori Land Court is hiring six new judges to hear claims lodged under the foreshore and seabed law, meanwhile Nanaia Mahuta and Helen Clark are conspiring to extend legal aid funding to Maori claimants sometime after the election.

“Mr Peters appears to have lent his backing to a law which has done everything he said it would not. It certainly has not stopped Labour from secretly negotiating foreshore ownership issues with some Maori groups.

“Mr Peters should tell New Zealanders whether he still supports the foreshore legislation despite the massive new costs that are going to be attached to it,” says Mr Brownlee.

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