What’s to fear from fairness?

The furore around the foreshore and seabed has been full of misinformation and emotion from the start.

The Foreshore and Seabed Act was bad legislation enacted in acrimony when Labour panicked.

National promised to repeal it, has done so and has introduced the Marine and Coastal Area Bill which:

• Guarantees free public access;

• Makes a common space of the public marine and coastal area, ensuring it can never be sold;

• Protects all existing uses, including recreational fishing and navigation rights;

• Addresses two fundamental rights violated by the Foreshore and Seabed Act – the right to access justice through the courts, and property rights;

• Protects, and in some cases extends, rights of vital infrastructure such as ports and aquaculture.

I can’t see anything to worry about there. It applies to a relatively small areas of coastline. We’ll all still have free access to the beach; Iwi have the right to seek justice in court and property rights are protected.

Some Maori are opposing the Bill because they think it doesn’t go far enough. In spite of that there’s been heated opposition from people who think it goes too far – including, most surprisingly, those on the right who would normally be the first to stand up for property rights.

Most of the opposition is based on misinformation and emotion. The government is countering this with a website explaining the facts which includes a message from Prime Minister John Key:

What’s to fear from fairness?