Foreshore and Seabed - a Political Mess, Peters

Rt Hon Winston Peters has described new legislation repealing the Foreshore and Seabed Act as a curse on the future of race relations and the racial privatisation of thousands of kilometres of coastline.

Speaking from overseas, Mr Peters said it was highly significant that the new legislation gave no protection of rights of access for the vast majority of New Zealanders and opened the way for iwi ownership of the coastline more than 20 kilometres out to sea, including the exclusive economic zone.

“For the sake of politics, the National Party is prepared to give away the birthright of generations of New Zealanders who will also be stripped of all their rights to the coastline.

“The existing legislation gives ownership to the Crown on behalf of all New Zealanders yet provides for the special historical relationship between Maori and the coastal area. It is disturbing to New Zealand First that Labour is now reportedly supporting the new race-based law when it enacted the existing law while in government.”

“That law, with provisions to protect Crown ownership and Maori interests, which New Zealand First was instrumental in drafting and passing, satisfied the national interest as well as coastal Maori all of whom said so at the time.

“That is why the Maori Party went silent on the issue for three years until after the last election when they effected a sordid deal with Mr Key and the National Party, completely out of left field.”

Mr Peters said New Zealand First intended to appear before the select committee studying the legislation to put the views of the vast majority of New Zealanders.

“It looks like we will have to go through the whole process again to clean up this politically motivated mess,” said Mr Peters.

ENDS

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