Mahuta gives Labour a reprieve

By HELEN TUNNAH deputy political editor

Nanaia Mahuta will stay with Labour, but has warned the Government it must never again take her people's vote for granted.

The Tainui MP ended days of speculation - and worry for Prime Minister Helen Clark - by telling Parliament she would not resign from Labour despite her tribe's opposition to the seabed and foreshore legislation.

Her decision came as a relief to Labour, which will lose Te Tai Hauauru MP Tariana Turia when she resigns in 10 days, and shores up its chances of retaining its slim parliamentary majority until an election next year.

Ms Mahuta has made it clear she will give the Government the opportunity to listen to Maori concerns about the Foreshore and Seabed Bill through the select committee process, delaying any standoff until much closer to the next election.

The select committee hearings will take probably the rest of the year. Any report from the committee, made up of MPs from all parties, would then need to be prepared and considered by the Government.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen spoke this week of the importance of the select committee process and indicated the Government was ready to listen, although he made no promises of significant change.

Ms Mahuta told Parliament she suspected the select committee might just "tinker" with the bill.

But if she and her electorate remained unhappy with the second draft of the legislation, a resignation might not trigger a byelection if a general election is imminent.

Helen Clark was not in Parliament to hear Ms Mahuta say she was staying.

She said later through a spokesman that she was "pleased Nanaia will continue contributing to the Labour Party and that she will be participating in the process with respect to the foreshore legislation".

Ms Mahuta's decision makes it unlikely she will be tempted to leave Labour any time soon to join Mrs Turia and any new Maori party.

Her speech in the first debate on the Foreshore and Seabed Bill delivered a blunt warning to Labour.

"The Government will need to work hard to retain the confidence of my electorate and strengthen their relationship with Tainui waka," she said.

"Never again should the vote of Tainui be taken for granted.

"To ensure that this Government is accountable, I will not resign."

Asked later if she would be staying with Labour or might quit later, she said: "I've said I won't be resigning. Next election, we all seek a new mandate."

The bill was supported by New Zealand First, and passed its first vote by 65 votes to 55.

Ms Mahuta and Mrs Turia voted against it.

NZ First leader Winston Peters said his party supported the legislation because it meant all the people of New Zealand would own the seabed and foreshore forever, as it would be in Crown ownership.

He attacked National's opposition to the bill, saying that if it was a "complete" victory for Maori as the party claimed, why had 20,000 people protested the day before?

National Party leader Don Brash said the bill created uncertainty and confusion and would increase racial tension.

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia, who received a quiet pat on the back from his associate minister John Tamihere before he spoke, launched an impassioned attack on Dr Brash, or Dr Divisive as he called him.

He also reminded Maori that there was still the select committee process to go through.

The votes

In favour of the Foreshore and Seabed Bill's first reading 65

Labour 50

New Zealand First 13

Progressives 2

Opposed 55

National 27

Greens 9

Act 8

United Future 8

Donna Awatere Huata (Independent) 1

Nanaia Mahuta (Labour) 1

Tariana Turia (Labour) 1