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Maori Party in strong position to gain concessions from govt

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None of the other parties in Parliament will support the bill and Climate Change Minister Nick Smith needs to the Maori Party's vote to get it through Parliament

None of the other parties in Parliament will support the bill and Climate Change Minister Nick Smith needs to the Maori Party's vote to get it through Parliament

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 6:27a.m.
The Maori Party is in a strong position to gain concessions from the Government as it goes into negotiations on legislation to set up a new emissions trading scheme (ETS).

None of the other parties in Parliament will support the bill and Climate Change Minister Nick Smith needs the Maori Party's votes to get it through Parliament.

He said yesterday 10 "sticking points" would be under discussion.

One of them is how forest owners are dealt with under the ETS, and the Maori Party is looking for protection for iwi forest owners.

It also believed to want a Treaty of Waitangi clause put into the bill and a deal that will provide more home insulation for poor families.

Under pressure from opposition parties, Dr Smith said there would not be any specific amendments to the bill that would give preferential rights to iwi forest owners.

He said there was an issue in that five iwi - including Ngai Tahu - who had settled treaty claims and were arguing they should be revisited as the settlements didn't take into account any change of value under the ETS.

Dr Smith said iwi foresters also wanted to be allowed to grow trees on Department of Conservation land.

He indicated that was something he could agree to.

"It would be odd for DOC to be prepared to do deals with foreign companies to be able to carbon farm on New Zealand conservation land, and not be prepared to do so with iwi and other New Zealanders."

Dr Smith would not say when he expected to reach a deal with the Maori Party, but he wants the bill enacted before next month's international climate change conference in Copenhagen.

NZPA
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Comments [5]

tom smith
23 Nov 2009 8:14p.m.

here we go nz hers nationals one law for maroi and another law for the rest of new zealand , in other words arpartied . they are about to anounce maori will get more benifits etec from the govt than the rest of us . NATIONAL IS ABOUT TO COMMIT POLITICAL SUICIDE .

JOHN
18 Nov 2009 10:08p.m.

John KEY , ALL HE WANT IS A EASY RIDE UNTILL NEXT ELECTION
WHEN HE WILL RETIRE WITH FULL PENSION & PERKS,HE MADE PLENTY
OF IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS AS PM .ALL THIS WILL HELPFULL WHEN RETURNING TO BANKING .AS SIR JOHN.THEY ARE GIVING IN ON EVERY DEMAND TO THE MAORI PARTY INCLUDING THE FORESHORE
DEMAND.JUST FOR THEIR VOTE.THE COPENHAGEN MEETING WIL COME TO NOTHING JUST A OTHER CHANGE TO MEET MORE FUTURE CUSTOMERS
THIS IS MY OPINION.THE MAORI GRAVY TRAIN JUST HOOKED UP A FEW MORE WAGONS THANKS TO THE NATIONAL GOVERMENT

Annoyed
18 Nov 2009 9:28a.m.

Must remember to take the steereo back.. its been three months and it has devalued.

If they dont plan on taking it back I will sue.

Are they serious? a contract is a contract... isnt that why Maori are pissed to start with because of the treaty (contract) breaches, now they want to follow in the footsteps of europeans.

The ETS is going to effect us all, stop acting like full time beneficiaries when we have 10 billion dollar deficits.

Scott
18 Nov 2009 9:21a.m.

And what if the land as given under the settlement gets stuffed up and/or becomes worth less again in 10,20,30,40 or 50 years? Does that mean yet another adjustment to the settlement, thus keeping the settlement industry going indefinitely? I thought that the settlement was signed in full and final - if not, then the settlements should be called null and void and this whole nonsense stopped.

Scott
18 Nov 2009 9:05a.m.

Strong position, or blackmail, or the typical tantrums, that the settlements should last forever! Welcome to the real world Maori party! Yes, things do change and if you are so good looking after the land, grow your trees and increase carbon credits, so argue for carbon credits for tree owners, not preferential treatment for yourselves. Now, that would unite, and give credit to the continuous argument that Maori look after the land, etc, better than anyone else in the world.

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