GEORGINA BEYER (NZ Labour--Wairarapa): It is high time that I made another contribution on this bill, to follow what I said in the first reading. At the risk of probably adding fuel to the argument of members opposite against this bill, I say that I am one of a few members in this Parliament who is Māori and who has stood for election at the local government level and, obviously, at the parliamentary level, in general seats.

Hon. Ken Shirley: And done well.

GEORGINA BEYER: And I have done particularly well. But I need just to reiterate that this bill is not about imposing the will of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council on the rest of this country, as far as local government is concerned. I tell members opposite that Māori, as far as local government is concerned, have been without significant representation at council tables around this country for an awfully long time. In this particular instance, 28 percent of the people who live in the Bay of Plenty are, in fact, Māori, and they apparently have nearly 50 percent of vested interest in the land in the area. The proponents of this bill have consulted their community and have come to Parliament with a local bill to endorse what the community has requested.

It does not, as I have heard some claim in the debate in the Committee stage, disenfranchise Māori, or empower Māori particularly differently from anyone else. To give members an example from the territorial local authority level, if a community of interest that is not represented at its council constitutes at least 5 percent of its population, it may, upon submission to the Local Government Commission, apply to become a community board so that its representation can be put there. I see little difference in this case. I am told that in the Bay of Plenty two seats are to be put aside for Māori if this bill should be successful. Under Part 3 that is for Māori who are in the Māori electoral roll district, and it is proposed that it be by the supply of information from the Chief Registrar of Electors to the council.

I do not think that that provision in any way particularly disenfranchises; it empowers. It also does not alter the fact that Māori who perhaps do not agree with standing in the proposed Māori seats on the regional council, can go for a general seat at the council table. I have heard it said by some members in this Chamber that if that were to happen they would be unlikely to be elected because people would say: "Oh, you've already got two seats at the council table, what do you need more for?". I think that it adds to the weight of the argument that some Opposition members have put that it would give an opportunity for the electorate at large, as far as this regional council area is concerned, to make a choice of people who choose to be representative of the ward or the particular district in which they are putting themselves forward, and all the people who live in that area. As far as I can see, the Māori constituencies in this bill will not disenfranchise anybody. It is an empowering bill. It is very important that some of those matters be remembered and reflected upon.

It is not incumbent upon all territorial local authorities or regional authorities in this country to follow the same model as is being proposed here. I know, from having spoken to people in local government at the higher political levels, that they are not necessarily afraid of this happening---they are looking forward to seeing how it might work. I repeat that it is not incumbent upon other regional councils in this country, or, for that matter, territorial local authorities, to follow this model. This is a local bill in the Bay of Plenty and it is its decision to come to Parliament to request that it be empowered to provide a Māori constituency.

I hope this contribution has been helpful. In conclusion, I would like to say that I have the greatest respect and admiration for the member for Waiāriki, Mr Mita Ririnui, because he has had to withstand a lot of absolutely outrageous vitriol from the other side of the Chamber. I am glad that Mr Worth has pricked up his ears.