Member's Day

Its another Member's Day, and it promises to be a fiery one - though not because of the member's bills. Instead, its a local bill, the New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill, which is likely to be contentious. The bill allows leaseholders of stolen Maori land in Waitara, the nexus of the land wars, to buy the land their ancestors stole. While some local hapu have agreed to this, others have not, and so it is likely to be highly contentious.

Following on from that we have the first reading of Catherine Delahunty's Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill, which aims to prevent a common source of Treaty of Waitangi breaches. The House should also make a start on Shane Reti's Consumer Guarantees (Removal of Unrelated Party Lender Responsibility) Amendment Bill, and if it moves quickly, might get to Chris Hipkins' Education (Charter Schools Abolition) Amendment Bill. There should be a ballot for at least one bill tomorrow.