By Rebecca Wright
The Marine and Coastal Area Bill has been voted into law - 63 votes to 56.
But it's passing wasn't without controversy.
The ACT Party bitterly oppose the bill and attempted to stall the final vote but were forced into an embarrassing retreat.
Usually there are 12 questions during parliamentary question time, today the ACT Party tried to ask many more than that – about 700 questions, in fact.
It’s called filibustering – the use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speech-making, or in this case question-asking to delay legislation.
But ACT’s John Boscawen didn't count on the cunning of his more seasoned opponents spearheaded by the Speaker.
“Questions one to 20 are addressed to the chair of the Commerce Committee – it is my understanding that the honourable Lianne Dalziel is not here – so those questions are postponed,” Lockwood Smith said during question time.
“The member in charge of that bill is Te Ururoa Flavel – I can't see him in the House, those questions are therefore postponed.”
One-by-one most of ACT’s questions were ruled out, by the time what was happening had dawned on Mr Boscawan – it was too late.
But no-one was interested in handing the ACT Party a lifeline.
Today was the Maori Party's day.
Tariana Turia’s move for the bill to be read a third time gave the opposition their last chance to turn up the heat on the issue in the House.
“This bill is a betrayal,” Labour MP Shane Jones said. “Maori people have been sold out today by no-one other than Tariana Turia. Kia ora mai.”
The harshest criticism came from former Maori Party member Hone Harawira.
“You know deep in your heart that you’re wrong and in those moments when you have only yourself to answer to you even acknowledge that you might be wrong but you blindly carry on, on your course of destruction because you're stubborn,” Mr Harawira said.
Tonight they are celebrating. After seven years it’s over for the Maori Party, but no one is ruling out a future politician re-litigating the issue.
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