The Green Party condemns the Coalition Government passing its Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) (Customary Marine Title) Amendment Bill through its second reading, which prioritises profits over taonga.
"This Bill is this Government's most anti-Tiriti piece of legislation yet, and that's saying something," says the Green Party's spokesperson for Māori-Crown relations, Steve Abel.
"Customary rights are tino rangatiratanga in action. This Bill robs Māori of customary rights to the takutai moana, effectively denying centuries of relationship with the marine coastal environment.
"This Government purports to believe in property rights yet they don't uphold the first property rights of this country: Māori customary rights. It is actively diminishing those rights across a vast acreage of the marine coastal environment today.
"The Waitangi Tribunal warned that this Bill is a regression to raupatu, with it breaching the principles of tino rangatiratanga, active protection, and good governance. This Government has consulted commercial fishing interests instead of whānau, hapū and iwi, and we are again reminded that this Government is here to champion those with the deepest pockets.
"Today we should be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Waitangi Tribunal. Instead we are fighting the raupatu of intergenerational Māori customary rights.
"Aotearoa deserves a Government that will work alongside Māori to restore mana i te moana, because when te iwi Māori can exercise rangatiratanga, we're all better off. Hapū and iwi rights to their takutai moana are critical to the cohesion of our nation and the sovereignty Māori never ceded," says Steve Abel.
