Coastal Coalition
Committed to retaining the Foreshore and Seabed in Crown ownership
www.CoastalCoalition.co.nz
Media Release
15 September 2010

Foreshore - Endless claims coming from iwi and the Maori Party

The Coastal Coalition today warned that the National Party's replacement foreshore and seabed bill, the Marine and Coastal Area Bill, was not only racist, and divisive. But it would further open the Pandora's box of Maori grievances..

“Tariana Turia co-leader of the Maori Party now claims that they will not rule out using post-election negotiations to try to get a better deal on the foreshore and seabed". Dr Hugh Barr, spokesman for the Coalition said.

The Coalition is a grass-roots organisation that wants to see the foreshore and seabed remain in Crown ownership for the good of all New Zealanders. “By trying to satisfy Maori Party demands, National is creating a massive new grievance industry which will be paid for by non-iwi Kiwis”.

"If National puts the country on this slippery slope, by confiscating the public property rights of all New Zealanders so some can be privatised to corporate iwi, then anyone who knows how the Maori elite work can tell you that it won't be enough.”

"The Maori Party will never stop trading votes to future governments in return for the bar being lowered. Then, eventually the whole foreshore and seabed will beunder sole Maori control. They will then turn their sights on the exclusive economic zone out to the 200 nautical mile limit. Tribes and the brown-tinted Green Party are already saying that the foreshore and seabed area should be given to them out to the 200 mile limit.’ Dr Barr said.

"Under National's bill, the government expects 2,000 km of coastline to be transferred to corporate iwi - that's the distance from North Cape to the Bluff wrapped around the coast and extended out to the 12 nautical mile limit. In these areas, iwi will have stronger powers than local authorities and even central government agencies.

Iwi will be able to dictate how these areas will be managed, regardless of what the rest of the community think or need. The National Government is giving away New Zealand sovereignty to iwi on the Foreshore and Marine area" Dr Barr said.

"National is selling out the democratic rights of all New Zealanders to the Maori aristocracy with this racist bill. We will be vigorously opposing it". Dr Barr said.

ENDS

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