ACT foreshore move causes tension

The ACT Party has caused friction between the Government and Maori Party over foreshore legislation.

The Maori Party was unimpressed when ACT leader Rodney Hide said last Tuesday that his new MP Hilary Calvert had achieved "a major policy win" by securing Government support for a change to the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill to specifically prohibit customary title holders from charging for public access to the beach.

At the time Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples said that was insulting because it implied Maori were out to make money.

Now Maori MP Hone Harawira is saying the party should vote against the bill.

The Maori Party leadership sees the bill as a win because it repeals the previous foreshore and seabed legislation and gives iwi the ability to seek customary rights and customary title through negotiation with the Government or through the High Court -- although they will still have to prove exclusive use and occupation since 1840.

The bill removes the foreshore and seabed from Crown ownership and makes it a public place -- essentially the same as a public domain -- with access guaranteed and no one having the right to sell any of it.

On Waatea radio show Paakiwaha yesterday morning Mr Harawira said his party was putting up with too much.

"My view is to say 'look we've had a gutsful of this shit', we wanted Maori title, we accepted the deal that you put up but we're not going to accept you doing back-door deals with Rodney Hide on the foreshore and seabed because you wouldn't do a back-door deal with us on the Auckland super city."

Mr Harawira said he would not be voting for the bill and he did not think the other four party MPs should either.

"I don't see why we should sit back and let a little fat redneck like Rodney Hide to put in a amendment at the last minute. We should be saying to National, 'here's the deal National', you want to do private deals with Rodney Hide go ahead, we're out, and they will still have the numbers, they will still have the numbers to put it through but as a matter of principle, we should say nah."

Initially the Government said it would consider Ms Calvert's amendment. Now it might just insert the word "free" into the law where it talks about access making it clear that applied to all owners not just iwi.

Prime Minister John Key downplayed the importance of the change and said the amendment was only needed because baseless concerns had been whipped up by ACT and others.

"For the purposes of making people feel comfortable we can put it in the legislation. It makes absolutely no difference because the intent of the law and the advice we've had on the law is that access would be free."

Mr Key said he understood Dr Sharples' feelings on ACT's stance.

"It's never been Maori intention to charge...I can understand his perspective but no harm can come from putting the word 'free' in the legislation."

He said if the Maori Party did not support the bill the status quo would remain.

Labour leader Phil Goff said the spat showed that things were catching up with the National Party. "They've tried to be all things to all people -- one thing to ACT and another thing to the Maori Party and it's falling apart on them."

Labour said access had to be free and iwi should not be singled out.