Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill

Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) Link to this

I move, That the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time.

Te Arawa Tapu, Te Arawa Mana, Te Arawa Waka. Te Arawa Iwi, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Greetings to you all, hallowed Te Arawa, powerful Te Arawa, Te Arawa canoe, and Te Arawa people, greetings.]

I greet Te Arawa, its mana, its chiefs, and its people. Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa represents the largest group of people to reach a comprehensive Treaty settlement with the Crown. I acknowledge the tīpuna, and the iwi and hapū, of Te Arawa, on whose behalf people are here today, who have carried the grievances for so long. I acknowledge the presence of the negotiators and trustees of Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa, who represent each of the 11 iwi and hapū of the affiliate Te Arawa, and I thank them once again for their perseverance and patience on the long road from the first deed of settlement in 2006 to this last hurdle for this settlement legislation.

The third reading of this bill is a significant occasion for the Crown and for the people of our country. It was the Hon Margaret Wilson who began, in December 2002, the dialogue between the Crown and the central North Island claimants on how Treaty claims in the region could move forward. With the assistance of the Hon David Caygill in the earlier discussions, that dialogue reached the stage where mandating and pre-negotiations could begin in mid-2003. After many months of intensive and thorough mandating hui, the Kaihautū Executive Council submitted its deed of mandate to the Crown in December 2003, which was duly recognised in April 2004. The Crown and the Executive Council then signed the terms of negotiation.

Since then much has happened, which has led to some delays on the road to the settlement legislation. Much of 2007 was spent considering the findings of the Waitangi Tribunal into the settlement and discussing how best to proceed. However, with the entrance into the frame late last year of the Central North Island Iwi Collective, which was much welcomed by the Crown, there has been significant and positive progress with the affiliate Te Arawa and all central North Island iwi. Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa has made a significant compromise by passing the final decisions about most of its forestry redress over to what would be the largest forestry collective in the country, for their benefit and the benefit of other central North Island iwi. In return, the Crown has maintained and enhanced the value of the affiliate’s original settlement.

At this point I am reminded again of a phrase used by Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa’s chief negotiator, when confronted with the idea of making major changes to the affiliate Te Arawa deal to accommodate the interests of other central North Island iwi. Rāwiri Te Whare, in his open-minded response to this proposition from the Crown, said: “we are willing to be flexible if the Crown is willing to be generous.” I think both parties performed well in that regard, given the wide range of interests and the extremely tight time frames that have been satisfied to reach this point. I also believe that this settlement can be celebrated as a well-tested, robust, and sustainable deal, negotiated with humility and consideration for the affiliate’s neighbouring iwi.

The Crown has learnt important lessons from this experience, and will be infusing those lessons into settlement negotiations into the future. The first lesson is that we can be more flexible within the policy framework around negotiations. The second lesson is that we need flexibility to deal appropriately with a whole region when we negotiate settlements within that region. Because of the success of the affiliate Te Arawa and central North Island settlements, we have been able to reach agreements in principle with Ngāti Manawa, and to begin negotiations with Ngāti Mākino and Waitaha—indeed, we expect to announce agreements in principle with those two groups in the very near future—Tāpuika, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Raukawa, and Ngāi Tūhoe. With relatively minor adjustments made to the settlement process, we have enabled these groups to come to the table at the right time in order to ensure that their interests are protected when we negotiate with their neighbours. This is achieving major results.

The package in this settlement is substantive. In addition to the quantum of $38.6 million and the entitlement to a similar level of accumulated rentals, determined according to the mana whenua process of the central North Island collective, the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapū will receive a formal apology from the Crown for historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, an amended financial redress package to reflect Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa’s participation in the central North Island collective settlement, the transfer of 19 areas of Crown-owned land of special significance to the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapū, and redress that will enable increased input into management over Crown-owned land and protocols with various Government agencies.

I am very pleased and humbled to acknowledge all those of Te Arawa and the Crown who have worked to make this day possible. In particular I would like to acknowledge Rāwiri Te Whare, who cannot be here today because he is overseas—taking a well-deserved holiday, I hope. But I recognise the other leaders in the gallery today. Rāwiri’s tenacity and wisdom, and his leadership over the past several years, have steered the claim through some very challenging times. I also acknowledge the chairman of Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa, Eru George.

I express my thanks to my predecessor, the Hon Mark Burton, for his commitment to seeking the resolution of Te Arawa’s claims. I am also grateful for the assistance of my colleagues, including the Minister of Conservation, who has proved flexible yet firm in defence of conservation; the Associate Minister of Finance, who has proved firm and then flexible; the Minister of Māori Affairs; and the Associate Ministers in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. I also pay particular tribute to the Crown officials in this case—a joint move between particularly Treasury and the Office of Treaty Settlements, led by a very senior Treasury official, Mark Jacobs.

I look forward to seeing this bill becoming law, and the formal transfer of redress around the middle of next year, in tandem with the central North Island collective settlement. Settlement date for the central North Island collective is 1 July, and it is therefore planned that this bill will come into operation on 2 July. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) Link to this

Te Arawa waka, Te Arawa iwi, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[To the Te Arawa canoe, to the Te Arawa people, greetings to you, greetings to you, greetings to us all.]

I greet my relatives in the gallery. This is a proud day for them, for us, and I offer my congratulations again, as I did in the first reading debate. Having been involved with this process for some years now, I know how difficult it is finally for an iwi to reach this stage, and those who are sitting in the gallery today can rightly feel proud of themselves for what they have achieved.

I want to read the text of the apology in the bill, because, obviously, without the apology it would be very hard for any settling group to move forward. Clause 8, “Text of apology” states: “(1) The Crown recognises the efforts and struggles of the ancestors of the Affiliate in pursuit of their claims for redress, justice, and compensation and makes this apology to the members of the Affiliate, to their ancestors, and to their descendants. (2) The Crown profoundly regrets and unreservedly apologises to the Affiliate for the breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles, acknowledged in section 7. (3) The Crown profoundly regrets and unreservedly apologises for the cumulative effect of its actions over the generations, which have undermined tribal structures and had a damaging impact on the landholdings and development of the Affiliate. (4) Accordingly, the Crown seeks to atone for these wrongs and assist the process of healing with this settlement, and looks forward to building a relationship of mutual trust and co-operation with the Affiliate.”

Thereupon lies the platform that enables Te Arawa to move forward from today and to do so in a new spirit of cooperation and engagement with the Crown. With that apology, the Crown, on behalf of the people of New Zealand, atones for the wrongs it has committed against Te Arawa—and that is hugely important—and to itself then restores some of the honour lost when these breaches occurred, basically starting from 1867. The Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill is the final settlement of all historical claims of the iwi and hapū represented by Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa. It results from acts or omissions by the Crown prior to 21 September 1992, and it is made up of a package that the Hon Dr Cullen has basically put forward this morning.

It is important for all to know, particularly those within the Te Arawa area, that no private land is involved in the redress, only Crown assets. It is also important for the wider community to know that with the passing of this bill into law, the ability for Te Arawa henceforward to bring further any matter that results from the claims that are settled here, is gone. So I hope that the people of Rotorua and the wider surrounds see this as the positive step that it is, because it is positive.

Indeed, the settlements that have been in place now since the early 1990s under the stewardship of the Rt Hon Douglas Graham have proven that these settlements are not just for Māori—they are not just for the tribe that settles—they are for the wider community, and they are for New Zealanders. As I say, they are something that we all can be proud of as a small country. Other jurisdictions look to us—they are quite admiring of our efforts in this regard—and all New Zealanders can be proud.

I want to make reference to the select committee hearings. There will be those who made submissions on matters that we traversed yesterday in the Committee stage who will still be feeling aggrieved. I would like the affiliate to consider that the representatives—the trustees of this settlement—endeavour to bring into the settlement those who still lie outside of it, because, in the end, the children, the mokopuna, and the tamariki are all ours, and they all deserve to benefit. So to have some sitting to one side is of no benefit to anybody. I know that my whanaunga, some of whom are here today, will endeavour to do that—to bring into the fold of this settlement, which is a hugely important settlement, those who still sit outside it. I commend to the leadership that, for the well-being of the tribe going forward, they put those matters to the forefront of their minds once this bill has passed into law.

I am very proud to be a member of this House when these settlements go through. Indeed, the Treaty settlement process was a major reason for my entering Parliament in the first place. Now I see in the House settlements that emanate from my own area, and I am very pleased that the present Government has negotiated these. It puts me in a position where I can offer some praise and take some pride in them, without looking like I am taking any praise for myself. I know the Māori members on the Labour side understand that. This settlement will be a great boost for the central North Island, together with the “Treelords” deal, which we will be considering shortly. With the issues surrounding the Waikato River, which flows into our area—which we will also be considering later in the day—these are very huge steps forward.

I commend the Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations for the vigour, the enthusiasm, the passion, and the understanding he has brought to this process in the last 12 months. I suppose I can only say that it is a pity he was not in that position earlier, and I say that without any disrespect to his colleagues who held the position before him. But this process does require passion. It requires an understanding of the complex issues involved—and they are hugely complex—and it requires enthusiasm, compassion, and a love for the people of New Zealand for these matters to move forward. Without that—without love, respect, and humility towards New Zealanders—these things are harder to achieve.

I guess the other thing that is shown here is that when the right conditions are in place the iwi will step up to the plate. I also commend Te Arawa for stepping back, albeit that in the end there was no choice given the Waitangi Tribunal findings and also actions in the High Court. But I do commend Te Arawa for stepping back to allow the Crown to go into the central North Island and negotiate the other claim—the central North Island claim—which could have been done only with Te Arawa stepping to one side and letting those interests be explored and also concluded.

So as a member of the Te Arawa waka, this is a proud day for me. I am very pleased to be here and to see this day come for the affiliate and for all of us. I wish those in the gallery well as they move forward. The hardest part is probably now as the affiliate goes forward, because now it actually has the assets, and it has the responsibility of making sure that those assets are well managed and that, more than anything, those assets accrue benefits for all the members of Te Arawa, each and every one, and especially our children and mokopuna.

I wish Te Arawa well in their journey. We are there, of course; we are all involved. I congratulate Te Arawa on their patience, their forbearance, and on staying with the kaupapa that has been pursued by tīpuna before them. No doubt if they are looking down now, they will have a big smile on their faces, and rightly so, and Te Arawa can have that as well. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Hon MITA RIRINUI (Associate Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) Link to this

Ā, tēnā koe kai te Kaihautū o te Whare nei. He paku noa iho tāku tū, me tautoko ake i ngā kōrero kua kōrerohia i roto i te Whare i tēnei rā e pā nei ki tēnei pire a Te Arawa. Otirā, me mihi ake ki tērā o ngā kaumātua, mai rā i te iwi o Te Rōroa, mai i te Tai Tokerau nāna i tū i roto i te Whare inapō, kia kōrerohia tana kōrero whakamutunga. Nō reira, kai te rangatira Clem, te Kaikōrero Āwhina o te Whare nei, nāu nei i kōrerohia tō hītōria ki a tātau kia mārama ai tātau katoa ko wai koe, nō hea koe, he aha ngā tūāhuatanga e pā ana ki a koe? Otirā, ki tō whānau me te iwi rā o tērā wāhi a Te Rōroa. Nō reira, tū whakaiti noa iho tēnei ki mua i a koe, tēnā koe, tēnā koe, tēnā koe.

Huri atu rā ki a Te Arawa whānui tonu, mihi tonu rā ki te Ariki Nui, ki a koe e Tumu nāu nei tātau i tautoko i ngā rā kua taha ake nei. Nāu tonu i ārahi mai tō iwi mai i Ngāti Tūwharetoa kia tautokohia ngā pire e rua ka tū ki roto i te Whare i tēnei rā.

Otirā, e te Kaihautū aroha mai, kīhai hoki au kia huri atu ki te reo o Tauiwi i tēnei wā. Otirā, ko te hunga kua tatū mai i roto i te Whare nei, ā, me rātau kua haere ā-tawhiti mai, kai te tino mārama.

Nō reira, Te Arawa waka, Te Arawa tangata, tēnei rā tā koutou mōkai e tū whakaiti nei ki mua ki a koutou i runga i te kaupapa, i ārahi mai rā koutou mai rā i tērā o wā tātou rohe, mai i Maketū ki te tonga, mai i Ngā Kurī a Whārei ki Tihirau. Ko tātau anō tērā. Nō reira, mihi ake ana ki a koutou mō te mārō, me te humārie o te kaupapa nei i ārahi mai rā e koutou. Kua kōrerohia e te Minita mō ngā Take Raupatu, a Tākuta Michael Cullen, ngā kōrero katoa e pā ana ki tēnei o wā tātau kerēme. I kōrerohia e ia te hītōria, ngā piki me ngā heke i tau mai ki runga i ō koutou pokohiwi ngā taumaha kua taha ake nei. Nō reira, me pēhea rā te kōrero māku? Me pēhea rā te kōrero māku, kua oti katoa rā?

Nō reira kei ōku kaumātua, e Ānaru, e Rangi, taku tuakana, e Eru me tērā o tō koutou kaiwhakawhiriwhiri, kaiwhakahaere, kaiārahi, kaitohutohu, kaipakanga, a Rāwiri, kua whiti atu ki tāwāhi. Tēnei rā te tautoko ake i ngā mihi ki a ia mō tōna humāriatanga. Nāna tātau i ārahi i runga i te huarahi tika, kia tutuki pai ai tēnei kerēme e pā nei ki a ngāi tātau a Te Arawa. Mihi kau ana hoki au ki ngā Minita nā rātou i tautoko. Mihi kau ake ana ki te Minita Māori, nāna i kī mai ki a mātau, kia kaha rā. Ahakoa ngā piki me ngā heke, kia kaha rā ki te kaupapa o tēnei kerēme. Ā, me tēnei rā, mai rā i Te Tai Tokerau, Ngaī Takoto Te Aupōuri me tōna kaha ki te tohutohu, ki te kōhekeheke rānei, koi nā te kaupapa o tēnei tangata e āwhina nei i te kaupapa. Me te mihi anō ki tā koutou mema mai i Rotorua, ko ia rā te Minita mō Te Atawhai o ngā Ngāhere kai raro i te Karauna, a Steve Chadwick. Ko ia tētahi i tautoko. Nō reira, piri katoa mai ngā Minita i runga i te karanga o Te Arawa kia tautoko ake i te kerēme, kia tutuki pai ai.

Ahakoa ngā piki me ngā heke o ngā rā kei te heke mai, tae atu ki te waru o Nōema, ko te mea nui kua tū mai tātau i roto i te Whare i runga i te kaupapa, kua horahia nei. Me te mihi anō ki tēnā o tātau tuahine, ahakoa tana kōrero, he kōrero whai pōti, kai te pai, kai te pai, kai te pai. Tū ana ahau ki te tautoko i ngā kōrero katoa kai roto i te Whare nei. Koia rā anō, kīhai tonu tēnei ki te huri atu ki te reo o tauiwi e kī nei, ko te reo tāhae whenua, kai te pai. Kei waenganui i a tātou te wairua o koro mā, o kuia mā, ngā taonga, ngā kōrero, ngā whakataukī katoa i whakarere iho nei e rātou i te wā hei huarahi mō tātau. Nā runga i tēnei, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

E te Kaihautū, kīhai hoki au e huri atu ki te whakamārama i ngā kōrero, kai te pai. Waiho mā tēnei o ngā rangatira e kaha ana ki te kōrero i te reo o Tauiwi, e whakamārama. Nō reira, nā runga i tēnā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.

[Greetings to you, Madam Assistant Speaker. I will be brief. I endorse the previous speakers in this House in relation to this bill of Te Arawa. I would like to acknowledge that elder from Te Rōroa, from the north, who stood in the House last night to deliver his final speech. So to you, the patrician, Clem, Deputy Speaker of this House, last night you gave your farewell speech in which you gave us glimpses of your history and personal insights, your family links, and your tribe, Te Rōroa. So I humbly acknowledge you: greetings, greetings, and greetings to you.

I turn to acknowledge the representatives of the broader Te Arawa confederation; and to the noble house of te Heuheu: your support, Tumu, was crucial in making progress. You led Ngāti Tūwharetoa in support of the two bills passing through the House today.

I plead your indulgence, Madam Assistant Speaker: I will not speak English. I know that the people present, including those who have come a distance, understand clearly my words.

To the ancestral canoe of Te Arawa, to the people of Te Arawa, I stand here, your servant. You have left your lands that stretch from Maketū to Tongariro to attend to this matter. And to my other people of the territories that stretch from Ngā Kurī a Whārei ki Tihirau, I greet you and praise the strength and the dignity you have displayed. The Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Dr Michael Cullen, has spoken comprehensively on this claim. He gave a comprehensive history of this claim and the burdens you have carried down through the years. What can I possibly add? It has all been said.

To my elders Ānaru and Rangi, to my kin Eru, and to your negotiator, manager, leader, guide, fighter, Rāwiri, who is currently overseas, I support previous statements attesting to his gentle demeanor. He led us on the right path to achieve completion of this claim for us, the people of Te Arawa. I would like to thank the Ministers involved—the Minister of Māori Affairs, who urged us to be steadfast in this claim, no matter the trials and tribulations; and to this member from the north, from Ngāi Takoto and Te Aupōuri, who advised and chastised us to achieve more; and lest we forget, your local Rotorua member of Parliament, Steve Chadwick, the Minister of Conservation, who gave her support. It can be said, the Ministers of the Crown came together in response to the call of Te Arawa to support the claim to its completion.

Regardless of the ups and downs in the days to come, including 8 November, the main thing is we stood in this House to support the bill presented here. I acknowledge our sister; although her speech was merely chasing votes, it is good. I support all the speeches here in the House. I will not speak English, the language, it is said, of one who steals land. The spirits of the elders have come amongst us—their treasures, their stories, their sayings show the path to follow. So on that note, greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to you all. ]

Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Māori Affairs) Link to this

Tautokotia ngā kōrero i kōrerotia atu a tō tātau Tākuta a Dr Cullen mō te āhua o te kerēme nei. E mihi kau ana i a koe e Michael, Georgina, Mita, me ngā kanohi Māori i konei e whai atu ā muri a te take nei. Tēnā koutou. I a koutou e Hōri o Raukawa, e mihi kau ana, tēnā koe. E Bill i a koe me tōku whanauanga kai te noho tata ake anō i a koe, i a koutou o Ngāti Manawa, e mihi kau ana. E Rangi, e Ānaru, e tautokotia ana ngā whakaaro o Eru mō tērā tangata e kī atu a te tākuta nei, kua rere haere ake anō ki Itāria. E mōhio ake anō tātau. Nō reira, e mihi kau ana ki a koutou katoa o Te Arawa. Me koutou e Matt mai i Tūhoe, tēnā koutou. Tēnā koutou mō tō koutou kaha ki te whakatū ā muri a wēnei. I a koutou hoki o Ngāti Whakauē, me a koe e Te Ariki Nui e Tumu. Tēnā koe. Tēna koe mō tō kaha mai i te hui tuatahi mō ngā iwi katoa, mō tō kaha, tō āhua tū pakari pērā i a rātou o Te Pūmautanga. Nō reira tēnā tātau.

He nui atu ngā whakaaro mō te āhua o tēnei pire. I tū kaha te āhua o te pakihi, o te umanga me te pai o te oti pēnei tonu. Nō reira tēnā tātau.

[I support Dr Cullen’s comments regarding this bill. Congratulations Michael, Georgina, Mita, and others who will follow me. Thank you. Greetings, Hōri of Ngāti Raukawa, and to you, Bill, and my kin sitting near you, and all of Ngāti Manawa. To you, Rangi and Ānaru, I support the praise by Dr Cullen for the other leader who has gone to Italy for a holiday—congratulations, Te Arawa. And congratulations to you, Matt and Ngāi Tūhoe, on your work; and also to Ngāti Whakaue. Mention must be made of Tumu te Heuheu. Thank you for your strength and persistence, right from the first pan-tribal meeting—similarly, Te Pūmautanga. Thank you all.

There is so much more that I could say about this bill. The business and commercial sides are sound; this matter has been completed satisfactorily. So greetings to us all .]

Yesterday one was feeling an urgent need for tomorrow, and we are here today in yesterday’s tomorrow. It is certainly a great time and a great day for Māori to celebrate. Along with Dr Cullen I recognise the greatness of the Māori leaders who have had the wherewithal to make sure that this has happened. They have decided and defined how to take this forward, along with the Crown. I commend the leadership of Dr Cullen, and I commend Mita Ririnui and Mr Jones for the effort they have put into it, and all members of Parliament.

Just to reiterate what Dr Cullen has said, I say this is a great day for all New Zealanders. The fact that Māori have played a key role in it is something that we need to recognise, and the fact that at times the off-line kōrero gets out into space is another issue. We are here today, which will be all of the tomorrows as we go forward—the future for Māori.

I recognise Te Ariki Dr Tumu te Heuheu’s leadership, not just his paramountcy but the leadership that is recognised by a whole lot of Pākehā in this country. He is as elaborate and successful as any corporate leader, but being the rangatira that he is, he is, of course, better in our Māori hearts and minds, and I commend him for that.

I recognise Wira Gardiner, Matt te Pou, and all of the officials from the Office of Treaty Settlements, from Treasury, and from Te Puni Kōkiri for the effort they have put in. And, of course, I recognise myself and everybody else from the Crown who has been involved. Nobody says that, so I thought I would suggest it. I also recognise the rest of the Māori faces, my friend Tau Henare, and these ones over here—te Rōpū Māori. I want to mihi to koutou e Rangi, Ānaru, e Eru.

You know, it takes a lot of stomach—guts, in the ground language—to step back, to step aside, so that people can step within to step forward, and that is what has happened. This process has helped a whole lot of people to step forward, and for that it will be etched in history. The great deeds done through the foresight of the leadership will be remembered by the mokopuna of all these great iwi. This leadership stands alone and stands alongside the better leadership in this country. For that I commend these people, and I commend the bill to the House. Kia ora tātou.

CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (National) Link to this

As my colleague Georgina te Heuheu said, National supports the third reading of the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill and congratulates all those who have put so much work into it. I believe that above all this bill is evidence of statesmanship by the affiliate, which has shown a huge willingness to compromise. As the Minister rightly said, huge generosity of spirit was shown by the affiliate’s leaders throughout this entire process. That has resulted in this settlement and the central North Island settlement, which we will consider shortly. I have always enjoyed my meetings with the leaders of Te Arawa. They are principled and they are patient, especially in the face of delay and disappointment. To paraphrase what a former English judge said of himself—probably incorrectly—they have every Christian virtue except resignation; they have soldiered on very well. A third reading is not the place for reviewing the mistakes of the past. Now we must all move forward in a spirit of generosity.

I do not think I need detain the House for very long in reporting to it what the Committee stage of the bill yielded. There were a number of amendments, which, I believe, improve the bill. The first, which should cause large numbers of the public to be more relaxed, concerns public access. A number of clauses have been inserted to emphasise the fact that public access is to continue and public right-of-way easements will be granted. There are a couple of other minor changes in the first Supplementary Order Paper, and another was tabled yesterday by the Minister to make a minor change to clause 12, dealing with the definition of affiliate historical claims. I agree with what he said in the Committee stage. Probably, in legal terms, the addition of new subclause (5), to deal with the issue of airspace over Rotorua airport and the neighbouring marae is unnecessary, but for avoidance of doubt it is good to include it.

I, too, like my colleague, want to refer to the apology, because I do not believe that the acknowledgments and the apology should be regarded as pro forma statements in the bill; I believe they are very important indeed. I particularly refer to clause 8(4) of the apology, which emphasises the fact that the Crown seeks to atone for the wrongs that are referred to in the acknowledgments, and looks forward to building a relationship of mutual trust and cooperation with the affiliate. It is one thing to acknowledge the failings of the past, and it is another to atone for them, but it is very important to work together to build a relationship of mutual trust and cooperation with the affiliate in the years to come. I say that because, in my opinion, there have been a number of Treaty settlements where the Crown has signed the deed, the legislation has been passed, and then sometimes the mistakes of previous times begin to be committed again because people have forgotten there is a new relationship, and there is an obligation on the Crown to act according to the terms of the deed and the legislation. In this legislation there are many positive obligations on the Crown, which it is obliged to carry out.

So the emphasis is on atonement, and I certainly hope that in the years to come, as the deed is given effect to, there will be proper notice made of what has been done in the past, and the mistakes of the past will not be repeated. As my colleague said, Treaty settlements require good faith on both sides. They require compromise, patience, and enthusiasm—what I would say is a kind of “We’re all in this together” kind of approach—and that has certainly been evidenced here. The last thing we need in Treaty settlements is arid legalism and obsession with process. I believe that that is why, at times, things have gone off the rails, but I think we are probably on the right path again.

I congratulate all those present on their achievements. I know that those in the gallery will forgive me if I single out one person, my former partner at Bell Gully, Roger Drummond, with whom I have worked on Treaty matters in years gone by. I know how much he enjoyed working on this matter. It was not just another brief but a real opportunity to play a part in the future of this country. I congratulate him and his team on all they have done.

National supports the third reading of this legislation. It is a great day for Te Arawa iwi, and we certainly hope we shall have the opportunity to work with them in the future.

PITA PARAONE (NZ First) Link to this

Ā, tēnā koe Madam Assistant Speaker, ā, tēnā tātou o te Whare nei. Engari, i mua i te haere tonu, e hiahia ana au kia tautoko ngā mihi i mihia atu ki a koe e te rangatira, e Clem, i muri mai i tō kōrero mutunga inanahi. E hiahia ana au kia mihi atu ki a koe mō tō kaha ki te ārahi i te Whare i te wā e noho ana koe ki runga i te Tūru o te Whare nei. Nā reira, ngā mihi. Ko te tūmanako ngā manaakitanga o Te Runga Rawa ki runga i a koe me tō whānau hoki. Nā reira, tēnā koe.

Nā, ka huri aku mihi e Madam Assistant Speaker ki ēnei o ngā rangatira i tau mai i te hau kāinga, mai i ngā waka e hia rānei engari ko te mea nui, ngā whanaunga. Nā reira i runga i te āhuatanga o ēnā kōrero, hiahia ana kia mōhio mai tēnei Whare ahakoa, e hore kau i taka mai ngā hua o tēnei pire ki runga i a au mai i Ngāti Hine engari e tika ana, kia hakahuangia te whanaungatanga ki waenganui i a mātou o Ngāti Hine, ki a rātou kua tae mai nei. Nā reira koutou ngā rangatira kua tai mai nei, ka nui taku mihi nā te mea, nā koutou i kawe atu tēnei kaupapa kia tae pai ki mua i te aroaro o te Whare nei, i te rā nei. Nā reira, ka nui taku mihi ki a koutou, pau te kaha.

[Greetings to you, Madam Assistant Speaker, and to us of this House. Before I continue, I would like to endorse the acknowledgments made by other members to you, Clem Simich, the chief, at your valedictory speech yesterday. I commend your work and leadership as Deputy Speaker of the House. May the blessings of the Almighty above be upon you and your family.

Madam Assistant Speaker, I turn now to greet the leaders present in the House; they represent many tribes, but have come together in kinship. I would like the House to know, although this Ngāti Hine person will not receive benefits from this settlement, it is right to proclaim the kinship ties between Ngāti Hine and the tribes here. I applaud you, the leaders; it was you who progressed this matter to this stage where the House is considering the bill today. I therefore admire you and your efforts greatly .]

On behalf of New Zealand First, I join with previous speakers to express our sentiments of welcome to our esteemed guests who have been responsible for bringing this bill to the stage we are debating today and who will be responsible for subsequent bills that we will be debating further on.

I took the opportunity to acknowledge the Hon Clem Simich, given that this is probably his second to last day here in the House, and to acknowledge the work he has done in bringing order to the House whenever he has sat in the Chair you now occupy, Madam Assistant Speaker. I acknowledge that not only because of his long service but also because of the fact that he is from Te Tai Tokerau, and is affectionately known as a “gumdigger”—nā reira e te whanaunga, tēnā koe. But I digress.

I stand in support of the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill, and I say that this is a very, very important day, not only for the affiliate hapū and iwi of Te Arawa but also for us as a nation. I feel privileged to be part of this debate, and part of what will form the overall history of our country. This has been a long journey for the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapū. It has come not without sacrifice, and I think it is only right that we acknowledge Rāwiri Te Whare and his team. I personally acknowledge all of those who have led the discussions and the negotiations that have allowed this bill to come before the House at this time. They have, I believe, exercised great patience.

When we talk about settlements, there is always the question of whether the settlement has been fair. I again quote the comments that Rāwiri has often made during this whole process: “Is this a just settlement or is it just a settlement?”. We know that however hard we might try to ensure that there is a fair and just settlement, circumstances are such that the claimants invariably make some sacrifice. But that sacrifice is made willingly, in the final analysis. Initially, and rightly so, there was some objection, but at the end of the day the claimants left the table knowing that they had represented their people to the best of their ability, and that they had the task of taking back to their people what had been offered to them. They have done that. Quite clearly, as a result of the support they have been given, we are now discussing the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill in its third reading.

Of course, there will always be members of the iwi and the hapū who will have a different view. I think the good thing is that that is their right. Having expressed that contrary view, it then becomes incumbent on the leadership of the hapū and the iwi to assure those who have expressed some disquiet about the settlement that what they have been able to receive is the best they could have received, and, more important, to explain how the benefits of that settlement will filter down to the beneficiaries. If the leaders feel it has been a major task for them to get to this stage, I would suggest to them that they have a greater task not only to ensure that the proceeds from the settlement are managed in a way that is beneficial to the hapū and the iwi but also to manage those proceeds so that beneficiaries are able to receive the benefits of this settlement.

I understand that the chairman of Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa is overseas. I suggest that the process of settlements is a little bit like politics. We know that when leaders of political parties disappear overseas, and once the task has been achieved—or has not been achieved—when they come back they find themselves replaced. I hope that is not the case for Rāwiri. But that is one of the tasks the current leaders will need to address, and I know they will. That task is to ensure that the proceeds from the settlement are managed well and to the benefit of their beneficiaries, that they are able to grow the settlement proceeds, and that they are able to distribute them in due course to their beneficiaries.

I conclude by saying that, as for all good leaders, it is advisable for leaders to look behind them, from time to time, to ensure that the people they purport to lead are still there. If they are not, their leadership comes into question. I have no fear about the leaders’ awareness of the task that lies before them. It is one thing to get the quantum from the settlement; it is another to be able to manage it to best advantage for their people.

Nā reira e tātou mā, koutou ngā iwi, ngā hapū o Te Arawa, ka nui ngā mihi ki a koutou. Ahau nei nā, nō Ngāti Hine, kei te totohe tonu mātou i tēnei rā, tino kaha ana tōku pūhaehae ki a koutou. Engari, e pai atu tēnā. Waihotia wēnā kōrero ki a au. Engari i tēnei wā, nā koutou te rā, nā reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, huri noa ki tēnei o ō tātou Whare, kia ora mai anō tātou.

[So to all of us, to you the people and subtribes of Te Arawa, huge greetings to you. I in particular of Ngāti Hine, who are still disagreeing with each other today, really envy you. But that is fine. What is happening among us remains with me. But at this point in time, the day is yours, so greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to us all throughout this of our buildings. Thank you.]

SUE KEDGLEY (Green) Link to this

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. On behalf of the Green Party, I too welcome the representatives of Te Arawa who are here today in Parliament on this historic day. The Green Party, like others before us, acknowledges that the bill is a historic settlement bill, and we are very pleased to support it. It is by far the biggest Treaty of Waitangi settlement with the Crown, involving 170,000 hectares of central North Island forest, and is significantly bigger than previous large settlements, including the Tainui settlement, the Ngāi Tahu settlement, and the Sealord deal. Indeed, some have referred to this as the “Treelords” deal, and there are similarities. Its income is derived from harvesting rights in the first instance, and although it does lay out a process for establishing mana whenua at some time in the future, in the meantime ultimate ownership of whenua is left undetermined.

The bill vests ownership of 86 percent of the central North Island Crown forest land, and the accumulated rentals of $222 million held in trust by the Crown Forestry Rental Trust, plus ongoing rentals, in the Central North Island Iwi Collective. These funds will be divided up among iwi collective members according to a percentage formula, and, in addition, Māori foresters will benefit from the emissions trading scheme.

So it is a significant outcome with significant economic benefits for many Māori, and, according to the bill, eventual ownership of the land will be determined on the basis of mana whenua in accordance with tikanga Māori. There is no dispute that negotiating this settlement is very, very significant. We give our respect to the negotiating team, such as Tumu Te Heuheu and others, for their very long and tireless work in negotiating this settlement.

The Green Party does, however, have a concern, which has been alluded to by previous speakers, that some small iwi and hapū can feel they are grist to the mill in a settlement process when there is a desire by the Government to negotiate a large settlement in a specific time frame. There are hapū and iwi for whom this bill constitutes a loss of land and mana, and we are concerned that the Government’s Treaty process enables breaches to continue, and that as a result no Treaty settlement is truly full and final or, indeed, can be felt by all to be truly just.

Nevertheless, the Green Party supports this bill. We acknowledge the enormous amount of work, effort, and determination it has taken on the part of iwi to bring it to this point. We congratulate those who have secured the settlement, and we also acknowledge the significant concerns that continue to exist and cannot be denied. We will continue to advocate for a Treaty breach settlement process that is determined by Māori rather than the Crown and that is therefore inherently more just. We wish Te Arawa and all of those iwi and hapū involved in this settlement the very best of luck for the future, and we acknowledge them on this historic day.

TE URUROA FLAVELL (Māori Party—Waiariki) Link to this

Tēnā koe, Madam Assistant Speaker, kia ora tātau e te Whare, tātou kua hui mai nei i tēnei rangi hei tāpiritanga kōrero. Tāku i te tuatahi i mua o te tīmatanga mai o tēnei kōrero, kei te tautoko i ngā mihi ki te mema o te nota, e Clem. Ko koe tērā i kōrero nei, i kauhau nei i tō kōrero inapō. He rawe tonu te whakarongo ake ki ō kōrero e pā ana ki tō noho i te Whare Pāremata. Me mihi ki a koe, me tuku i a koe ki te haere i runga i te huarahi i whakarite mai ai e koe mōu. E ngā iwi o te kāinga kua tau mai ki te Whare Pāremata i tēnei rangi, nau mai, haere mai. Ehara i te mea e tika ana kia riro mā Te Arawa anō a Te Arawa e whakatau, nō reira, me waiho ngā whakatau ki nga kaikōrero i tū i mua i a au. Me kī kua ea ngā mihi, ko tāku he tautoko.

Kei te mōhio tonu au he rangi whakahirahira anō hoki tēnei mō koutou katoa te hunga kua tau mai i te rangi nei. Me pērā ka tika. Ka hoki ngā mahara ki ngā tau kua hipa ki te hunga kua ngaro. Nā rātou tēnei take i ārahi i te wā i a rātou, arā, ko Manuhuia tērā, ko Whakahuihui tērā, ko Pinda tērā, arā noa atu, arā noa atu.

E koro mā, e kui mā, hoki wairua mai. Whakarongo ki te ia o te kōrero, ki te matū o te kōrero me te tūmanako ia kua wātea koutou ki te kī, kua ea. Kei te mōhio tonu mātou, he ara tāpokopoko, he ara tīkoki te ara i haerea ai e koutou. Pēnei i te āhuatanga i pā mai ki tō tātou tupuna a Tamatekapua, me āna mahi pūremu i te haerenga mai ki Aotearoa nei, kua heke tā koutou waka ki roto i te Korokoro o Te Parata engari, pēnā anō i a ia kua puta te waka ki te whai ao, ki te ao mārama. Me kī kua ū te waka ki uta. Nō reira me mihi ka tika.

Ā, tēnā, ka pātai au i te pātai, he aha te take kua tau mai koutou, tātou ki konei i tēnei wā. I haere mai tātou i hea? Ko tōna tikanga, he whakatika i te hē te mahi. I hara te Karauna, i kōkirihia ngā nawe ki mua i te aroaro o te Taraipiunara o Waitangi, kia riro māna ngā take e wānanga, kua kī mai pea te Karauna, kua rahi, me whakatau i te nawe. I whai koutou i tēnei huarahi, ka mutu ngā kōrero i te rangi nei, kua ea te take mō tēnei wā. Engari, kāore pea wētahi i te mōhio mō ngā uauatanga.

Kua puta te nawe nā ngā mahi ā te Karauna. He mahi whānako te mahi, he mahi tinihanga te mahi. Ko te kooti ā-ture nei tētahi o ngā mea i te pūtake o ngā raru. Ko ētahi o koutou kua rongo i te āhuatanga o te Public Works Act. E pērā anō hoki mātou o Ngāti Rangiwewehi. I ngaro te whenua, i noho kore whenua te iwi. I te pērā i Ōkere, i Ōrākei Kōrako ka mutu, ko te whenua tonu o Ngāti Uenukukōpako, arā, kei korā te taunga waka rererangi o Rotorua ināianei. Kei a mātou o te Pāti Māori tētahi pire hei whakatikatika i tēnei mahi, ā, ka kōrerohia tērā i te hokinga mai ki te Pāremata hou. Hei whakamārama ake, kei te kī ake mātou, ko te whenua kua tangohia e te Karauna mō ngā kura rānei, mō ngā rori rānei engari, i te roanga o te wā, kua huri te pūtake o te tuku ki take kē, me whakahoki ki te iwi nō rātou tērā whenua, me tētahi utunga me kī. Koi nei tētahi take nui nei ki a mātou o te Pāti Māori.

Ko tēnei mahi o te whakatau i te raru rānei, i te nawe rānei ki tāku titiro, he mea hōhonu nei ki a tāua te Māori. Ko ētahi ka whakapau i te kaha, ka whakapau moni, ka noho i te mokemoke, ka noho i te rangirua, ka noho i te riri. He aha ai? Ko taua kāhui, he mōkai nō te iwi, he ringaringa mō te iwi. Ko ētahi pea, kāore e kore ka ruku ki te hōhonutanga o te take, ka tata toremi nā runga i te whakapono he nawe kei konei, me pakanga i te pakanga mō tōku iwi te painga, mō aku tamariki. Ki tāku mōhio, kei te pērā ētahi o koutou, kei te pērā hoki ētahi o tātou. He mahi uaua, he mea whakapau kaha. Mō te hunga i pērā rawa kia kitea mai i te rangi nei, ka nui ngā mihi. Ka kore e whakahua ingoa kei mahue ake i tētahi, kei kī mai pea wētahi, kei te mihi au ki a au anō. Waihotia ngā mihi ki a tātou anō mō te kāinga.

Arā anō ētahi take kāore anō kia tutuki noa, hoi anō koi nei te kōrero o wētahi i te hui o te komiti whaiti i Rotorua. Tuatahi mō Ngāti Whāoa. Kia mōhio mai koutou, kua tae mai tētahi tono a Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whāoa kia tangohia ō rātou ingoa i te pīre. Nā ngā tikanga o te Whare nei, kāore tērā i whakaaetia. Engari, ahakoa tērā he take ka puta ā tae noa ki te wā, ka tau te rongomau. E aroha atu ana.

Ka rua, i tae mai te tono a Te Maru o Ngāti Wāhiao ki te kī, he iwi tonu a Ngāti Wāhiao, he whenua anō ō rātou, i te pīrangi rātou kia tū motuhake engari kia tū, ki te taha o Tūhourangi. I puta anō hoki tēnei take i te hui a te komiti whāiti. Ko tā rātou, āe, he uri rātou katoa nō Tūhourangi pēnei i a au o Ngāti Rangiwewehi, a Ngāraranui, a wai ake o te kāinga engari, ko Tūhourangi anō a Tūhourangi, ko Ngāti Wāhiao anō a Ngāti Wāhiao. Āe, kua moe tētahi ki tētahi, āe, kotahi tonu te kapa haka, kotahi tonu te tū engari, i te noho āwangawanga rātou kei ngaro te mana motuhake o Ngāti Wāhiao ā-iwi nei. Ehara nāku ēnei kōrero engari, koia nei te tono.

I rongo a Rangipuawhe Maika i te kōrero nei, ā, i tere tonu tana whakautu ki te pātai a Tau Henare rāua ko Pita Paraone. Ko tāna, āe, kāre he paku raru ki te kī, Tūhourangi me Ngāti Wāhiao i roto i te pire nei. Mō mātou o te komiti i te harikoa. Kāore mātou i te pīrangi ki te whakatau i ngā take o ngā iwi engari, mō tēnei take i te harikoa mātou. I puta te tono, i whakaaetia te tono e tētahi waha kōrero matua o Te Pākira, o te tupuna nei o Wāhiao, kātahi te mahi pai. Nō te wiki i muri tata mai i hoki mai te kōrero ki te komiti whāiti, kāore ētahi i whakaae. Ehara i te mea, me waiho ake mā mātou e whakatau, kāo, engari he take tonu. Ko te tūmanako ka ata tirohia tēnei take ā te wā. He take nui i te mea, e hāngai tonu ana taua take ki te pire ka tae mai ā kō ake nei mō te Whakarewarewa, me kī mō te puia.

Nā Ngāti Uenukukōpako te karanga anō ki a mātou ki te tuku i tētahi tāpiritanga ki te pire, kia kore te pīra e whakararu i tā rātou kerēme mō te taiao i runga ake o te taunga waka rererangi. Nā te Pāti Māori tētahi i tuhi i whakarite engari, i rongo te Minita mō te take nei, ā, ka takatūria e ia he Pepa Whakatau Tāpiri hei tiaki i tērā huarahi ki a koutou Ngāti Uenukukōpako.

Mō Ngāti Tūkiterangi. I rongo mātou nā te wareware nā te hapa rānei, kāore taua hapū i roto i te pire. Nā te Minita anō tērā i whakatika, nō reira, ka pai wōna taringa, i rongo i te kōrero. Nō reira, me whakanui ka tika. Ka hoki atu ētahi pānga whenua ki roto o ngā ringa o te iwi. E ai ki tāku rongo, e rua tekau mā whā ngā pānga whenua ka hoki ki te iwi.

Ko Te Whakarewarewa tērā, ko ngā whenua o Rotongata tērā, o Rotoatua anō hoki. Me pērā ka tika. Arā anō te pātai, he aha te roto mēnā kārekau he wai o roto? Kei a koutou te tono tuatahi mō ngā hua a te Karauna mēnā e hiahia ana a ia ki te hoko. Ka pai anō hoki tērā. Nō reira, mahia te mahi. Mahia te mahi mō te painga o ngā kāhui iwi kia taka ngā painga ki te wāhi e tika ana.

E Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa, nō koutou tēnei rā i te taha o wētahi atu o ngā iwi kua tau mai i te rangi nei. Kei te aroha ake, kāore tōku rahinga i tō koutou taha engari, kei te pai. Kei te kōrero te Minita ki a Ngāti Rangiwewehi rātou ko Tāpuika, ko Waitaha, ko Ngāti Mākino. He rā tōna pea, ka tutuki pai ngā take katoa mō tātou katoa o Te Arawa.

Me pēhea hoki a muri ake nei? Kei a koutou te tikanga. Kua ea te wāhanga ki te Pāremata, kei a koutou ināianei. Hoea te waka kei aku rangatira. Ka hoki au ki raro i a Tiheia, ki te mimi o Pekehaua ki reira whakatika ai i tōku waka, kia noho anō te niao o tōku waka ki te taha o tō koutou waka. Kei te pērā anō hoki ētahi atu iwi o tātou. Kia eke ki tērā wā koia te whakatinanatanga o te kōrero, whaititiri ki te rangi, Te Arawa kei raro.

He kupu whakamutunga, kei te mihi ki ngā Minita, nā koutou te take nei i akiaki, i kōkiri. Ki a koe te Minita Tākuta Maikara Karana, ki a koe Parekura Minita o ngā Take Māori, kia koutou tō kāhui ki a Mita rāua ko Shane, kāre he mutunga mai o ngā mihi ki a koutou, i kaha nei ki te whaiwhai haere i tēnei kaupapa ki tōna mutunga. Kai aku rangatira, ka nui te mihi ki a koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, huri noa i te Whare i tēnei rangi, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Greetings to you, Madam Assistant Speaker, and to us all of the House, gathered here today to add to the debate. The first thing before I begin this address is to endorse the accolades to the member of the north, to you, Clem, and your valedictory address last evening. It was wonderful to listen to you as you went over your time in Parliament. I acknowledge you and wish you well in what you have planned to do. To the tribes from home who have arrived at Parliament today, welcome. It is not appropriate that Te Arawa greets itself, so I will leave the welcomes to those who have spoken before me. So I say the greetings have been dealt with and I am happy to support them.

I know that this is a great day for you all, the people who have arrived here today. And it is a great day. I reflect on the years that have gone by, and those who have passed on. It was they who led the way in their time, and I speak of Manuhuia Bennett, of Whakahuihui Vercoe, Pinda Pirika, and others.

Return, all of you, to this occasion. Listen to the debate and the depth of discussion, and I hope you can all say it is now finished. We all recognise that this has not been an easy journey that you here today have travelled. Our ancestor Tamatekapua, as we know, when on the trip from Hawaiki, committed adultery and descended into the whirlpool of Te Parata. Like him you were able to come out of the whirlpool to the world of light, and continue on the journey. So it is appropriate that I acknowledge you.

Now I want to ask what the matter is that brings us all here at this time. Where have we come from? In theory we are here to right a wrong. The Crown did wrong, a case was taken to the Waitangi Tribunal to consider, perhaps the Crown said: “Enough, let us settle the grievance.” You followed this path, discussion is now finished today, and the issue is put to rest at this point. But many may not be aware of the difficulties.

The grievance has come out of the deeds of the Crown. There have been theft and deceit. The courts of the land are one of the factors behind the grievances. Some of you may well have heard of the Public Works Act, just as we of Ngāti Rangiwewehi have. The land was lost; the people lived landless. It was like that at Ōkere, at Ōrākei Kōrako, even to the lands of Ngāti Uenukukōpako—that is, where the current airport stands. We of the Māori Party have a bill to deal with this matter, and it will be debated in the next Parliament. To explain, we say that land taken by the Crown for schools or roads, perhaps, but that over time has been used for some other purpose, should be returned to the people who lost the land, with compensation. This is a high priority for us of the Māori Party.

The matter of settling of claims has some significance to us as Māori. Some give their all, use their own money, experience loneliness and unsureness, perhaps anger. Why? Because they are the servants of the people. Some perhaps dive so deep into the issues that they almost drown, in the belief that if there is a grievance, one should fight the fight for the betterment of our people, of our children. As far as I know, this is the case for some of you. It is difficult work; it is draining. For those in that category, congratulations. I will not name individuals, in case I leave some out, and in case some accuse me of patting myself on the back. I will leave that for us when we get home.

I need to say that there are some unsolved issues, or at least this is what we were told at the select committee hearing in Rotorua. First, in regard to Ngāti Whāoa, you need to know that a submission has arrived to us from Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whāoa asking to have the name Ngāti Whāoa removed from the bill. Because of the rules of the House, these moves were ruled out of order. Despite that, it is an issue that will continue until things are sorted out.

Secondly, a submission was received from Te Maru o Ngāti Wāhiao to say that they are in fact an iwi in their own right, they have land and they wish to stand separate, yet beside Tūhourangi. This issue was also raised at the select committee process. To them, yes, they are all descendants of Tūhourangi, just like myself of Ngāti Rangiwewehi, like Ngāraranui and others from home, but Tūhourangi is Tūhourangi, and Ngāti Wāhiao is Ngāti Wāhiao. Yes, there has been intermarriage, and, yes, there is one culture group, they do stand as one, but some are concerned that the rights and sovereignty of Ngāti Wāhiao will be lost. This is not what I said, but it is in the submission.

I heard Rangipuawhe Maika in his quick response to the question from Tau Henare and Pita Paraone. He said, yes, there is no problem with referring to Tūhourangi and Ngāti Wāhiao in this bill. Now, we did not want to enter inter iwi issues, but on this matter we were very happy. The request was made to uncouple, it was agreed to by one of the senior speakers of Te Pākira marae, and Wāhiao, the ancestral house, and that was great. The week afterwards, we received advice that some had not agreed. It is not as if we can settle this now, but it is an issue. My hope is that this matter is dealt with shortly. This is an important matter because it affects a bill that will be presented shortly about Whakarewarewa.

Ngāti Uenukukōpako also asked us to add an amendment to the bill to ensure the bill would not compromise their claim over the airspace above the airport. The Māori Party wrote an amendment, but the Minister had heard about the matter and prepared a Supplementary Order Paper to protect your interests for you, Ngāti Uenukukōpako.

I move to Ngāti Tūkiterangi. We heard that through forgetfulness or just as a mistake, this hapū was not in the bill. The Minister also fixed that, so his ears are fine and he did hear the call. So it is appropriate that we celebrate. Land will be going back to the people.

From what I understand, 24 pieces of land will be returned from around Whakarewarewa, to the lake beds of Rotongata and Rotoatua as well. That is appropriate. There is still the unanswered question: what is a lake without water? You have the first option on Crown assets if they choose to sell. That is great. So go for it. Do what you have to do for the betterment of the people.

Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa, this is your day along with other tribes. I am saddened that my tribe are not with you, but that is fine, because the Minister is talking with us along with Tāpuika, Waitaha, and Ngāti Mākino. A day will come when all of us of Te Arawa will have our issues settled.

So where to from here? That is up to you, now. The part for Parliament is complete—it is on you, from now. Paddle the canoe. I will return to Tiheia, to the water left by Pekehaua to prepare our canoe so it can lie at the side of your canoe. Others are doing the same. When that day comes it will be the embodiment of the saying: when lightning strikes, Te Arawa will be below.

In conclusion, I acknowledge the Ministers and the work you have done to move this matter and the negotiations along: the Hon Dr Michael Cullen, and the Hon Parekura Horomia, Minister of Māori Affairs, as well as the Hon Mita Ririnui and the Hon Shane Jones. Your efforts to bring this matter to its conclusion are greatly appreciated. So to you, my leaders, greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to us all throughout the House today, greetings .]

JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) Link to this

I stand to speak in support of the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill. United Future supports and congratulates Te Arawa iwi and hapū for achieving this settlement. We wish them well as they chart a positive way forward, better resourced to do so. We also support the relational aspects of the settlement, which see the Crown acknowledge and apologise for taking too long to respond to the grievances, acknowledge the failure to protect tribal structures, and acknowledge the failure to protect the interests of the iwi and hapū when purchasing land. We also note the new gratefulness that sees the Crown acknowledge the generosity of Te Arawa in gifting land of scenic significance to the nation, and their contribution and faithfulness as Treaty partners. Someone once explained to me that Māori back into the future, mindful of lessons learned in the past. I think this bodes well for the handling of this settlement. We thank Te Arawa for their graciousness and patience, and we acknowledge those who did not live long enough to see this day. We have great pleasure in supporting this bill’s third reading.

Hon TAU HENARE (National) Link to this

Te mea tuatahi, mihi au ki a koe e te kaumātua o te Whare nei, Clem. Mihi kau atu au ki a koe me tō whānau, me ō koutou kōrero i roto i te Whare nei inapō.

[The first thing for me is to acknowledge you, Clem, elder statesman of this House. Greetings to you and your family, and for your words in the House last night.]

Acknowledging Clem Simich and his speech in the House last night, I am reminded of some Hansard I read 80 years, or rather from 80 years ago—I was going to say I read it 80 years ago, but I am not that old. My great-grandfather stood in this House and referred to the Dalmatians as Austrians.