15 Feb 2011

Maori advised to read marine bill before marching against it

6:18 am on 15 February 2011

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says Maori should read the Marine and Coastal Area Bill before they march against it.

Waatea News reports that Auckland District Maori Council is threatening another hikoi against the bill, which is expected to have its second reading in the next couple of weeks.

Mrs Turia says the bill the Maori Party has contributed to is significantly different to the 2004 Act which sparked the first hikoi.

While the new bill does not go as far as the Maori Party wanted, Mrs Turia says it is an improvement on the Foreshore and Seabed Act.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson says people taking court action under the Maori and Coastal Area Bill will be able to seek funding from a special fund administered by the Minister of Maori Affairs, rather than being eligible for legal aid.