Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill

on behalf of the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: I move, That the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time. Tuatahi, kia tukua atu ngā whakamoemiti ki te Runga Rawa. E te Atua Kaha Rawa, tēnei mātou ōu pononga e tiro atu ana ki a Koe i tēnei hāora kia tata mai ki a mātou e hui tahi nei i roto i tēnei Whare. Tūwherahia ō ringaringa ki a Grant, otirā, ki a mātou katoa e hui tahi nei, kia piki te ora, te kaha kei roto i a ia, kia tere te hoki mai ki waenganui i a mātou. Kāre au e pīrangi kia whakaroatia ngā karakia ki a koe e te Atua, hoi anō: “He ara matua, he ara tipua, he ara tawhiti ki a koe, e ū ē, haumi ē, hui ē, tāiki ē.”

Ka timu te tai, ka pari te tai ki Takaparawhau, e tū whakahī ana a Ōrākei. Tukuna rā tō karanga kia areare mai ngā taringa, kia hiki te wairua o Ōrākei. He tohu maumahara ki ngā whawhai o ō koutou kuia, koroua i tū pakari ai mō te iwi. Ka kore e warewaretia.

[Firstly, I offer up prayers to the Almighty above. We, your humble servants, oh Almighty above, look to You at this hour to be closer to us gathered together here in this House. Open up your arms to Grant, to all of us assembled here as well, and improve his well-being and strength, which will speed up his recovery to ensure him being back amongst us once more. I do not wish to prolong our prayers to you, the Almighty, and accordingly I close with this ancient incantation: “He ara matua, he ara tipua, he ara tawhiti ki a koe, e ū ē, haumi ē, hui ē, tāiki ē.”

The tide ebbs and flows against Takaparawhau, and Ōrākei stands there proudly. Issue your call so that it can be heard by listening ears and lift up the spirit of Ōrākei. It is a memorial symbol of the battles of your esteemed elderly men and womenfolk who stood staunch for the tribe. It will not be forgotten.]

As the waters ebb and flow against Takaparawhau I recall the kuia and koroua o Ōrākei. I recall their long, heartbreaking battles for their people. Today their determination, conviction, and mana bring their children to New Zealand’s House of Representatives.

Haruru mai ana a Tumutumu Whenua i ngā moemoeā o āna uri. Tū tonu mai rā koe hei whakaruruhau mō ngā tamariki, mokopuna o Tuperiri, arā, ko Te Tāōū, ko Ngā Oho, ko Te Uringutu hoki, tīhei mauri ora!

Nā reira, Ngāti Whātua, tēnā koutou, kua haramai ā-tinana ki konei i tēnei rā, te rā whakahirahira, te rā whakamutunga, kia pānuihia tēnei kerēme. Nā reira, nau mai, haere mai koutou. Haramai koutou i te kaupapa whakahirahira e whakahui ai i a tātou i tēnei rā. Ka hoki aku mahara ki a rātou kāore i konei, rātou e mahi ana i tēnei kerēme i te wā i a rātou e ora ana. Ko Tā Hugh tētahi, me ērā atu kua ngaro. Nā reira ko te karanga, kia mauria mai ō koutou tini aituā ki rō Whare, kia mihia, kia poroporoakihia rātou. Nā reira, e ngā mate ō tātou katoa haere, haere. Haere ki te okioki. Nā reira, ko te kōrero, rātou ki a rātou, tātou ki a tātou.

Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei nau mai, whakapiri mai ki tēnei kaupapa. He wā tēnei māku ki te mihi atu ki a koutou. Whā tekau mā rima tau taku noho ki waenganui i a koutou i Tāmaki-makau-rau. Nā koutou nei ahau i manaaki, i tiaki i tērā wā. Nā reira, he hōnore tēnei māku ki te tīmata i tēnei kōrero i tēnei rā, ā, ki te mihi atu, ki te karanga atu ki a koutou ki te whakataunga o tēnei kerēme. Nā reira, Joe, tēnā koe kua hoki mai nei ki tō Whare. Kai te mihi au me koutou katoa e kawe mai nei i ngā kaupapa i roto i a Tāmaki-makau-rau kia tū pakari ai te āhua o te Māori i roto i tēnā tāone. Nā reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou.

[Tumutumu Whenua resounds as a consequence of the dreams of its descendants. Stand resolute there as a mentor for the children and grandchildren of Tuperiri, namely Te Tāōū, Ngā Oho, and Te Uringutu as well, behold the sneeze of life!

And so, salutations to you, Ngāti Whātua, who have arrived here in person on this momentous and final day for the last reading of this claim. Accordingly welcome, welcome. Welcome in respect of the highly important matter that has drawn us together here today. My thoughts go back to those who are no longer here, and who worked on this claim during their lifetime. Sir Hugh was one, as well as others who have since died. So I call on you to bring forth your many, many deaths to be acknowledged and farewelled. And so, to all our deaths, I bid you farewell and goodbye. Depart and rest. The saying is as follows: they to themselves and we to ourselves.

In respect of you, Ngāti Whātua of Ōrākei, welcome, draw closer to this matter. It is an opportunity as well for me to thank you. I have lived amongst you in Auckland for 45 years. In that time you nurtured and looked after me. Accordingly it is an honour for me to begin with this opening address and to welcome and summon you to the settlement of this claim. Therefore, Joe, I salute you on your return to your House. I acknowledge you and all of your entourage as well as the matters with you from Auckland that will strengthen the situation relating to Māoridom in that metropolis. Accordingly, accolades, acknowledgments, and congratulations to you collectively.]

I welcome the sons and daughters of Tuperiri to New Zealand’s House of Representatives. Through their manaakitanga, they, Ngāti Whātua, have enabled the creation and the growth of this nation’s biggest city.

Ē nā Ngāti Whātua i tuku whenua, i ārai hoariri kia tipu pai te tāone mō tauiwi e! Ākarana, Ākarana e!

[Ngāti Whātua gifted the land, and warded off enemies to ensure that the town for non-Māori would develop safely! Auckland, oh Auckland!]

They gifted the land. They protected the inhabitants. They grew the city of Auckland, so Māori and Pākehā could go forward together. Also, through their manaakitanga, they have welcomed the world to our lands, from last year’s Rugby World Cup to the arrival and the pōwhiri for the future King of England only last weekend. Through their eyes they have seen hundreds, thousands, and millions settle upon the lands of their tīpuna. I pay tribute to the ahi kā families of Takaparawhau.

The ink was barely dry on the Treaty of Waitangi when the Crown first failed to honour this covenant. These actions would be repeated through generations of families and across more than 170 years, rendering Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei virtually landless. By 1898 the Native Land Court had divided the bulk of Ōrākei Block into individual titles, and extinguished communal ownership. After 50 years of failed court battles and barely 5 years after their men had returned from fighting in World War II, Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei were evicted from Ōkahu Bay. Their marae, their homes, and their buildings were pulled down and burnt to the ground.

Ā māminga te tāone ki Ngāti Whātua e! Ā panaia ki waho, auē tahuna ngā whare kāinga e! Whakatorotoro! Turakina! Auē! Pūrari paka e!

[The town has deceived Ngāti Whātua, alas! Banished them and burned their homes! Attacked! Torn down! Oh, the pain! Bloody buggers!]

They were left with a quarter of an acre of land—land for an urupā, a cemetery. Intense industrialisation soon saw pristine kai moana beds and streams polluted by years of raw sewage as Auckland’s population boomed. So the children of Ōrākei have grown up able only to look at the waters their grandparents used to swim in and live off.

By the mid-1970s, the ahi kā people of Ōrākei, the tangata whenua, held less than 1 hectare of whenua themselves. So when plans were unveiled for a high-end housing subdivision at Takaparawhau, the people of Ōrākei—elders, children, families, and supporters—returned to their whenua. Under the leadership of Grant Hawke and the Hawke family, the elders, and the young people of Ngāti Whātua, the tribe took a stand at Takaparawhau. Their message was simple. We are the tangata whenua. We are not trespassers. We will not leave.

On the morning of Thursday, 25 May 1978 Auckland woke to the sounds of an army convoy moving through the suburbs, past exclusive Tāmaki Drive homes, and on to Bastion Point. The Government had mobilised the largest peacetime force of police and army in recent history, and they were heading for Takaparawhau. That day, more than 600 army and police personnel forcibly removed protestors—elders, men, women, children, and families. More than 200 were arrested. Temporary buildings, gardens, and a meeting house were pulled to the ground.

The eviction of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei families was an appalling chapter in New Zealand history. However, the determination and conviction of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei in the face of legislative and physical aggression, and in the face of incredible and longstanding injustice, was a proud moment in New Zealand history. All those things, due to the actions of the Crown, can never be totally replaced. Yet the people of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei wish to settle their grievances with the Crown with honour and with mana. When the great rangatira Te Kawau likened the coming of the Treaty of Waitangi to the great wind from the north that would bring change, his prophecy was only to be fulfilled, as we know.

As it did for the rest of Aotearoa, the world changed for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei after 1840. However, the aspirations of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have never changed. Those aspirations were the same in 1840 when Te Kawau signed the Treaty, the same in 1977 when whānau bravely confirmed their mana whenua by reoccupying Takaparawhau, and the same in 1988 when they lodged one of the first historical claims heard by the Waitangi Tribunal. Those aspirations are the same as those held today by the people of Takaparawhau, who have come out today to see justice carried out in their name, in the name of their ancestors, and in the name of future generations.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei take ownership of their own destiny to determine their own economic and social well-being. They continue to uphold their mana motuhake and exercise their own rangatiratanga. Their members have visualised a future for their children, a future where their people are healthy physically, economically, culturally, spiritually, and eternally. So these are good days to see our people—kuia, koroua, rangatahi—joining us in the House of Representatives. You know that behind these people walk their tīpuna, you know they walk in front of their future generations, and alongside these people today stands the Crown. Together the Crown and Ngāti Whātua will see justice come to pass for the descendants of Tuperiri. He hōnore māku kia tū i konei i tēnei rā.

[It is an honour for me to stand here today.]

Finally, congratulations to Ngāti Whātua on an international industrial award for the design of Te Waka Māori, which hosted the thousands during the Rugby World Cup. Shane, where are you, Shane?

Tēnā koe. Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā. Kia hiwa rā ki tēnei take, kia hiwa rā ki tērā take. E ngā iwi, e ngā waha kōrero i runga o ngā marae, whakarongo. Whakarongo ki te tangi a te manu e karanga nei tui, tui, tuituia. Tuia i runga, tuia i raro, tuia i roto, tuia i te here tangata ka rongo te pō, ka rongo te pō. Tuia i te here tangata i takea mai i Hawaiki-nui, i Hawaiki-roa, i Hawaiki-pāmamao, tihei mauri ora!

E tautokotia atu ngā mihimihi o tō tātou Minita Māori i a koutou o Ngāti Whātua, tēnā koutou. Tēnā koutou mō tō kaha i te tae atu i konei mō te rangi nei, te rangi pai. Ahakoa he āhua itiiti atu te māuiui o te matua a Grant, e mihi kau ana. Kia kaha, kia māia. Tērā anō te āhua o te kerēme nei, mai rā nō. E tū te tangata, e hinga te tangata. Ēngari, nā te pakari, i mau kaha i roto i ngā uri, i te toto o koutou, i noho e whawhai tonu atu mō tō wahi i Ōrākei.

I whakaaro atu mō rātou e kore i konei, pērā i a Tā Hugh, pērā i ngā whaea, e whawhai atu e Danny. Mōhio atu koe ki ngā koroua, ngā kuia, rātou e kore i konei. Te pai hoki kua tae tahi ake koutou ki te manaaki.

Rongo atu ki te kōrero i roto i a rātou o Ngāti Manuhiri mō te tata noa iho o te pekanga atu ō rātou tipuna ki te wahi rā o Narrow Neck, ā, ka whai atu. Ēngari mō koutou, tēnā koutou. Mai i te tipuranga o te tangata e whakaaro atu ko koutou anake te tangata whenua o Tāmaki-makau-rau. I nāianei, kua rongo atu ki te nui o ngā ingoa o ngā iwi. Ē, kāre he kōrero takahia tēnei ēngari, pērā ano te whakaaro i roto i a au. Nō reira, e mihi kau ana i a koutou te tangata whenua o Ōrākei. Te whakaaro o te puta ā-waha o te kōrero o tō tātou Minita Māori, mō te mahi koretake o ngā pirihimana. I reira kē au e kite atu te taumahatanga i roto i a rātou, e wero atu i a koutou. Nā te rekareka hoki mō te rangi nei, kua tae tata me te oti, kua tae tata me te oti.

Whakaae atu te nui o tātou ahakoa peka ana ki tera taha o te Rōpū Kākāriki; aua atu, mahia atu. E whakaae atu tātou mō tēnei. E tino kaha atu te koroua rā a Hugh mō tōna whakaaro. Haere atu mai runga i te tuhinga e wero atu ki tauiwi, e wero atu ki te Kāwana, me te kōrero i roto i a koutou. Nō reira, mihi atu ki a Grant, ki a koutou ngā whānau katoa i reira. He tika atu i runga i te tū nei ki te mihi atu ki tō tātou tangata a Hōhepa—a Joe—te tangata e mau matatau ki te āhua o te Whare nei. Mai rā nō tōna kaha i te whai atu mō tēnā.

Nō reira, ki a koutou, kia kaha, kia māia. He rangi pai tēnei. Kaha ake a Grant. He tangata tinanatia atu mō tēnei take. Nō reira, mā tō tātou Matua e manaaki atu te haerenga o koutou katoa, me tō tātou rangatira a Grant. Kia ora tātou.

[Thank you. Be wary, be watchful. Be wary of this matter, be watchful of that matter. To the tribes and representatives of courtyards, heed the call. Listen to the cry of the bird calling stitch it, stitch it, stitch it together. Stitch it upwards, stitch it downwards, stitch it inwards, stitch it like the genealogy of mankind so that the night hears, the void hears. Stitch it like the genealogy of mankind that originated from the great Hawaiki, the long Hawaiki, and the distant Hawaiki, behold the sneeze of life!

I endorse the congratulatory sentiments of our Minister of Māori Affairs to you of Ngāti Whātua, congratulations. Your efforts to get here for this day, and a wonderful one at that, are commended. Even though Grant’s condition is somewhat minor, I wish him well. Be strong and confident. That indeed is the nature of this claim, and it has been like that ever since. A person makes a stand and a person falls. However, because of the resilience of the descendants, and because it is in your blood, the battle for your place at Ōrākei goes on.

My thoughts go out to those who are no longer here, like Sir Hugh, like the matriarchs who continued the battle, Danny. You know those elderly men and womenfolk who are no longer here. How pleasing it is that you collectively have arrived together to support.

The comment by Ngāti Manuhiri about their close ancestral association with that place Narrow Neck, and how they are following it up, is noted. But for you especially, I salute you. From the time that Auckland became populated, it was always the view that you were the indigenous people. But now we hear of many tribal names being mentioned. I am not being disrespectful here but merely expressing the thoughts within me. Accordingly, I acknowledge you specifically as being the local tribe of Ōrākei. I am reminded of the words expressed by the Minister of Māori Affairs about the terrible action taken by the police. I was there and saw the heaviness in their approach in dealing with you. I am grateful for this day and that we are near the end and will soon conclude matters.

We are mostly in agreement except for the Green Party; never mind, it matters not. We are in agreement with this. That esteemed elder, Hugh, was strong-minded, his actions included writing and challenging non-Māori and Government as well as carrying out discussions among you. Thus I acknowledge Grant and all you families there. It is fitting indeed that I stand here to extol your man Hōhepa—Joe—a person who is very familiar with the nature of this House. He has been involved with the struggle for a long time now.

So I say to you all, be strong and confident. This is a great day. Grant will be that much stronger and groomed for this cause. Accordingly, our heavenly Father will protect you all on your journey and protect our esteemed leader, Grant. Thank you.]

In 1977 and 1978 there was some outrageous activity on behalf of the Crown, through the police force, that was just unnecessary. The great thing about Ngāti Whātua was that they decided, by themselves, for themselves, not one inch more, and they stood up. They stood up and they held their ground. Today, if you go to the marae, you can look over the pristine sights and understand why Auckland continuously boasts about being the City of Sails. It is the scenic view sought by people who wanted to remove the iwi, even going as far as burning the marae down the bottom and moving the houses. We can look over at Syria and Israel and think what a terrible thing they are doing. Those were days of shame for this country, both for the Government and for the police force. Today, that they have found their way here, through the Minister and other people, to put things right, is a great day.

The other interesting thing about Wai 1, Wai 9, and Wai 13 is that they were some of the initial claims made under the Treaty settlement process. It is important to recognise not just their stance with Joe Hawke and everybody else but also the way they have managed their affairs. I mean affairs of business, not other affairs. There seems to be a fair bit of talk of that in the United States at the moment. They got an allocation in 1993, and they built it into a sophisticated arm, a consolidated, recognised economic base that they utilise now. That is not easy—that is not easy. I see the summary of hand-backs, or properties made available, that they can purchase back, and I know they will use some of their own money to purchase some of that back. That takes a lot of gumption.

The thing about Ngāti Whātua, having known them over a period of years, is that their governance structures that they have formed are a great example for other iwi in the sense of moving through. They have had their ups and downs. They have had their pitfalls. But I want to say to the nation to take a lesson from Ngāti Whātua on how you can go forward. Sure, it might be a bit wobbly—a bit like some of these finance companies or some of these other ones that wobble at the moment—but it is stable enough to suggest that Māori do know how to govern and to create a platform by them, for them. Future governance structures will be important to our people. Do not buy the models foisted on you by the legal fraternity or everybody else, who want to say: “Guess what? I’ve got a framework for you. Copy this and you’ll survive.” Because there is a Māori-ness that we have to ensure, and I know that Ngāti Whātua, through their governance, are leading and will continue to do that. We must not be ashamed of trying to design structures or corporate—if there is such a word—that entails the employment of our people, that makes sure that the benefits are for our people. I see a lot of it around the country. Māoris are great for buying an expert. They do not know what they are expert in, but because they have been told it, they buy them. I know Ngāti Whātua have been through that. Trust yourself to do this. Future governance and those structures are really critical.

You know, internationally—and well done on winning for that Cloud thing, or whatever it was; that rugby thing. Seeing as you brought up rugby, if you want to sponsor the East Coast rugby team, I will be very keen for you to do that. I will discuss it right now.

💬 Hon Tau Henare: Why would they want to do that? That’s just a waste of money.

But that is being Māori, for Māori. We are the only regional team that has got their iwi brand on them. Ngāti Whātua, I want to say to you seriously that this is a brave, heroic stand that you have taken. It is an incredible journey that you have made, and to be here today to celebrate with you is something that we will remember for a long, long time. You have been there; you have done that. But please make sure, in the sense of your governance construct, or where you go to when purchasing assets, that you give our people the breaks, because you will find a lot of new friends when you start doing this.

I want to speak to the people of Narrow Neck, and I can understand the frustration, because one of the worst things in society is the fear of not knowing. When people do not know about something, they kick up a lot of humbug and ruckus. Those people in Narrow Neck will understand that Ngāti Whātua will be great neighbours, and they will not strip them of their land, they will not strip them of their houses, or run them into the sea, like they were. They will make sure that they fit into the society there. I want to tell the people over in that part of Auckland that they are damn lucky to get Ngāti Whātua to be there and not entered there through a Treaty settlement process—

I am sorry to interrupt the honourable member. His time has expired.

It is always my unhappy duty to follow Mr Horomia when he has been speaking in the House. He takes liberty with great oratory, great insights, and I truly do respect him. My task is a little more formal; I have to this morning read into the formal record of the House, or Hansard, the details of the settlement. It is important that we record the settlement and how we got there, for all time.

On 5 November 2011 I attended the signing of the deed of settlement at Ōkahu Bay and in 1 year the bill has been introduced, it has been considered by the Māori Affairs Committee, and today it is now being read for a third time by Parliament. As I said on the Ngāti Manuhiri bill, I acknowledge the cross-party support, the good work of the select committee, and the commitment of Parliament to extend the sitting hours. These things have all ensured that these two Treaty bills have been accorded the priority that they deserve.

This bill settles the Treaty grievances of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. In the bill the Crown formally acknowledges its breaches of the Treaty, it offers an apology, and it provides cultural and commercial redress. Ngāti Whātua, in their own words, acknowledge that full restitution for their loss is not possible, but they have negotiated in good faith to get the best deal for future generations.

The longstanding historical grievances of this iwi are set out in the historical account in the deed. In March 1840 Ngāti Whātua chiefs signed the Treaty and from that time committed themselves to working closely with the new settler Government. In September 1840 Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei offered to transfer around 3,500 hectares to the Crown to provide a site for the proposed capital. As the historical account describes, Ngāti Whātua and the Crown entered the transaction with a view to a mutually beneficial and enduring relationship. However, the short story is that the relationship between Ngāti Whātua and the Crown failed to live up to its promise. Within two decades Ngāti Whātua were rendered virtually landless. With landlessness came poverty and marginalisation within the growing settler community in Tāmaki. It is historically significant that for the latter part of the 19th century and for much of the 20th century the marae and kāinga at Ōrākei was the only permanent Māori presence on the Tāmaki isthmus, and it is a testament to the resilience and determination of this great iwi that the community survived.

Another historically significant feature of Ngāti Whātua is its leadership. Nineteenth century rangatira stand tall as Māori who sought to bridge the divide between Māori and Pākehā, but their engagement with settlers did not mean assimilation. Between the late 1870s and 1880s a series of parliaments were held in the Kaipara and at Ōrākei, at which Ngāti Whātua leaders raised concerns about the effects of land alienation and requested a greater involvement in government.

This history of measured and principled protest carried into the 20th century. Mr Horomia and Dr Sharples have referred to the 506-day occupation of Bastion Point, which changed the face of race relations in New Zealand for ever. Hone Harawira was telling me last night about some of the protestors and where they are now: senior civil servants, leaders of their iwi, members of Parliament. At the Te Rawara settlement, Hone spoke about the importance of protest and he is absolutely right. My only request to him is: “Please don’t protest against me.”

The negotiations for the deed of settlement took about 13 years to complete. They began in 1999, and terms of negotiation were signed in May 2003. Three years later, in June 2006, Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei and the Crown signed an agreement in principle. However, negotiations were suspended for shared interests of the 12 other iwi in Tāmaki to be accommodated.

I certainly want to acknowledge Sir Douglas Graham, because he has worked very hard over a number of years with Michael Dreaver, my chief Crown negotiator, to work out a framework for how all iwi in the Tāmaki region may negotiate with the Crown for settlement of their grievances. That is how the Tāmaki Collective was established, and Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei have played a significant role in that collective. Their deed of settlement, as I said, was signed on 5 November 2011, and contained in that deed are provisions for protocols by various Ministers, including the Minister of Conservation, the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, and numerous other Ministers. The financial and commercial redress consists of $18 million in financial redress less $2 million, which was provided in 1993 for the railway settlement, and various other commercial redress.

Others have mentioned the Defence Force site at Narrow Neck. When I was preparing this third reading speech I was wondering what to say about Narrow Neck and the meeting I attended one Saturday morning. There is, in fact, much I could say about Narrow Neck and those who opposed this aspect of the settlement. I have reflected long and hard on it, but have decided to adopt an approach of the less said, the best said, and simply endorse what Mr Horomia has said this morning. Today is a day for unity and optimism, not criticism and discord.

I acknowledge Joe Hawke, who is here in the Chamber today—and I will have something more to say about him shortly—the late Sir Hugh Kāwharu, all former board members, Grant, and so many others who have worked so very hard to reach this day. I also acknowledge David Williams of the law school at Auckland University, Graeme Horsley, and Tīwana Tibble for their long service and dedication to the vision that was set by Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei.

A significant portion of the redress focuses on Defence Force land and I certainly want to thank the former MP for North Shore and former Minister of Defence, Wayne Mapp, for his help in progressing this aspect of the settlement.

I had one conclusion prepared for my third reading speech, but the rules of Parliament are that the Minister in charge of the bill cannot be present in the House if another Minister is speaking first. So I was waiting in the lobby until Dr Sharples concluded, so that he could speak and then I would be able to come in. As it turned out, I decided to have a look at Hansard and I read Joe Hawke’s maiden speech. It had a fantastic conclusion that I am going to read into the record one more time. For those of you who are interested in such things, it is reported in Hansard, Volume 558, at page 186. I do not think he could say it better himself. He ended with a quotation from Pope John XXIII, which had been used to sum up the Ngāti Whātua case to the tribunal, and this is what the Pope said: “One thing is clear beyond dispute; any attempt to check the vitality and growth of racial minorities is a flagrant violation of justice; the more so if such exertions are aimed at their extinction.” And then Joe went on to say: “Indeed, the best interests of justice are served by those public authorities who do all they can to improve the human conditions of the members of minority groups, especially in what concerns their language, their culture, their ancient traditions, and their economic activity and enterprise.”

I could not say it better myself, because in a true bipartisan way, since Mat Rata set up the tribunal in 1975, Governments of all persuasions have been working to achieve that end, and I truly hope and pray that today we have reached such a conclusion for the great Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei.

Ka tangi te tītī, ka tangi te kākā, ka tangi hoki ahau, tihei mauri ora! Te Whare e tū nei, e te iwi e tū nei, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[The muttonbird calls, the forest parrot calls, and I call as well, behold the breath of life! To the House and the people who stand before me I salute, acknowledge, and greet you all.]

It is truly a privilege to contribute to this third reading today of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill. As an Auckland MP and our party’s spokesperson on Auckland issues, I want to put a few comments on the record. I want to add my welcome to those Ngāti Whātua who have travelled here today to be here for this very auspicious occasion. Tēnā koe, Joe. Tēnā koe, Danny, Grant, and others.

I was 15 when I listened on a transistor radio to news reports of the police and army moving on to Bastion Point to remove the occupation. I was shocked that this could happen in our country. Ten years later, I reported for the Auckland Star on the Waitangi Tribunal report on Ōrākei. The report shocked me. I think that all Aucklanders, if they read the Waitangi Tribunal report, would be shocked to know the story of Ōrākei and the fact that by the Crown’s actions Ngāti Whātua were virtually landless by 1885. To quote the tribunal, “the cumulative effect of the various breaches of the principles of the Treaty was to render Ngati Whatua of Orakei virtually landless and without standing in their own homeland.” Through political, legal, and bureaucratic means, efforts by Ngāti Whātua to hold on to their lands were frustrated decade after decade after decade. In 1911 an 8-foot high concrete pipe was built along the length of the Ōkahu Bay foreshore, pumping Auckland’s raw sewage on to the shellfish beds of Ngāti Whātua. Then in 1951 there was the compulsory acquisition and forced clearance off the marae at Ōkahu Bay. That was not our country’s proudest moment.

These kinds of things are not unique to Ngāti Whātua and Auckland. In many ways, they are the story of our country’s modern history. I believe that we are lucky as a nation that the patience and goodwill Ngāti Whātua have shown since British settlement are not unusual among hapū and iwi everywhere. We are lucky also that Ngāti Whātua, led by Joe Hawke, occupied that prime piece of Auckland real estate Takaparawhau, or Bastion Point, in 1977, and for 507 days appealed to the conscience of New Zealanders. The occupation drew support from all kinds of people, and, I am proud to say, had strong support from the unions and the political left. I say we are lucky because that occupation, as the Minister said, inspired change in this country. It opened the eyes of Pākehā New Zealand to the injustice of land loss and Treaty breach. I will always be haunted by the images in the late Meratā Mita’s film Bastion Point: Day 507 of New Zealand police officers carting kaumātua off the marae and a bulldozer demolishing the occupation’s buildings.

It was part of a wave of activism and protest that paved the way for a new era of reconciliation towards expanding the writ of the Waitangi Tribunal and Treaty settlements. But it came at considerable cost to Ngāti Whātua. Joe Hawke’s generation, like those before, paid a personal price. During the occupation the Hawkes lost their little girl Joanna in a fire. I want to acknowledge her parents, Alec Hawke and Miro Cooper, who are in the gallery today.

It is remarkable to think about the transition from those days of protest in the 1970s to today, when Ngāti Whātua is a significant player politically, economically, and culturally in modern Auckland. It was Ngāti Whātua that led a protest by many thousands of Aucklanders who marched on Queen Street in 2009 demanding Māori seats and a more democratic Auckland super-city. That is leadership. Tēnā koe, Ngārimu. This settlement will formalise and boost what has been under way now for many years: the development by Ngāti Whātua of their economic base and their emergence as an economic force. Our city needs a strong Ngāti Whātua. We have so many challenges: building an economy that delivers the jobs our young people need, making a vibrant city that attracts our brightest and best, and protecting our stunning natural environment—the gulf and the maunga—for future generations. Perhaps the most important challenge is unleashing the creativity and the talents of the young generation of Māori and Pasifika, who are becoming such an important demographic in the new Auckland. Ngāti Whātua is uniquely placed to help the city meet that challenge, and this settlement sets the platform for that to happen.

I want to say to Ngāti Whātua on behalf of Labour that we support your exercise of self-determination as mana whenua to have a place to stand and the resources to sustain your people in the 21st century. The settlement will, without doubt, change Ngāti Whātua’s relationship with the Crown, and I understand that renewed energy and resource will go into economic advancement, jobs, education, housing, and cultural and business opportunities for the iwi. It is an exciting moment.

Today Bastion Point remains a sublime place. It is still an extraordinary piece of real estate. But, more than that, it is a permanent reminder of a people who resisted, who endured and never gave up, and who got an apology for past wrongs and a recognition of 170 years of injustice, and built from that an ambitious and optimistic future for their children and their city. I want to thank all of those who have worked to bring this settlement to fruition, including the Minister but also officials and politicians both in this Government and in the one before it. I especially want to pay tribute to all those Ngāti Whātua over the generations who worked tirelessly to keep alive the dream of a people and their land. This settlement vindicates their efforts and marks a new beginning. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. Kei te mihi nui ki a koutou ki te mana o Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei me ngā hapū katoa o Tāmaki-makau-rau, ngā rangatira mā, ngā kuia mā, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. I acknowledge you greatly, the authority of Ngāti Whātua of Ōrākei, and all the subtribes of Auckland, the leaders and elderly womenfolk, salutations to you all.]

May I take a moment to express on behalf of the Greens our best wishes to the rangatira who became unwell this morning. That gentleman bears a name that has long been associated with strength and determination, and may those qualities assure a swift and complete recovery.

It is customary when standing to speak in this House to speak of one’s pleasure at contributing to the debate about this or that bill. It can be somewhat formulaic, but on this occasion for me personally it is a genuine pleasure to speak to this important bill, the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill. It is a step in a long journey—a significant step in the beginning of a new journey.

Although my whakapapa goes to the north, particularly to Hokianga, nevertheless I have spent much of my life in Auckland. It is a place I hold very dear. I grew up there and continue to enjoy the time that I spend there. Tāmaki-makau-rau—Auckland—is our largest, our most diverse, and our most complex city. It is arguably our most important city, though others will perhaps dispute that point. For New Zealand to do well, Auckland must do well. The acknowledgment today of Ngāti Whātua as mana whenua, the restoration of some of the commercial redress that is involved in this bill, and some of the other empowering provisions that enable Ngāti Whātua to better exercise that mana whenua—these things give Ngāti Whātua more capacity to contribute to a better and more prosperous future for both Māori and non-Māori in Tāmaki-makau-rau, and, indeed, across New Zealand.

With this settlement acknowledging the wrongs done in the 19th and 20th centuries, there is the return of a token amount of material wealth. The point has been made that these settlements at best are only token in the sense of returning material wealth. We cannot hope to see a full restitution. It is to the great honour of all Māori that that partial restitution has been accepted in the spirit of ensuring a better future for all of us. All of this that is contained in this bill today is an important step towards Auckland, all Aucklanders, and all New Zealanders enjoying a better and a richer future. Ngāti Whātua have always been, and are, and will continue to be, a powerhouse in the development of Auckland socially, culturally, and economically, and long may that continue.

In an earlier speech I referred to the strategic plan of Ngāti Whātua, which is an extremely sophisticated document. I think it reflects, in part, on what Mr Horomia referred to earlier in terms of the particular governance model that has been established by Ngāti Whātua to respond to the situation of the 21st century. The basic structure of Māori society will not change: whānau, hapū, iwi, and the relationships within and between those structures. They will sustain us over time. That is not to say that cultures remain static. We are not locked in 1840 or 1780 or any other time. Cultures are dynamic, not least of all Māori. We will see the evolution of new ways of dealing with, and responding to, the demands of the 21st century, but always grounded in that commitment to, and acknowledgment of, our being part of a place, and that place is part of us.

I would like to make some brief reference to the text of the bill. One of the great benefits of these settlement bills is that they put on paper the stories, the record, of what happened. They are an incredibly rich resource for all New Zealanders, now and into the future, to remind us constantly of our history, and how we can resolve the bad that was done and seek to establish a better future for all of us. The acknowledgments of the bill recognise that Ngāti Whātua endeavoured to establish a positive and meaningful relationship with the Crown. They demonstrated extraordinarily good faith and trust in the Crown and sought to make that relationship work to everybody’s advantage. There is a line in the bill that says: “The Crown acknowledges that the benefits and protection that Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei expected to flow from its relationship with the Crown were not always realised.” That is a magnificent understatement, but nevertheless we acknowledge that that commitment has been made. It has been made honestly and openly, and that is to our mutual benefit.

The Crown also acknowledges that the alienation of land has diminished the ability of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei to exercise mana whenua, and, again, the unique provisions of this bill acknowledge the mana whenua and better enable Ngāti Whātua to exercise that, and that is as it should be. There is reference made to the inadequate protections applied to pā and urupā, including Maungakiekie. Again, in an earlier speech I noted that the use of the correct names, the older names, the Māori names, for some of these key features of the Auckland landscape is becoming more commonplace. We are now referring without embarrassment to Maungakiekie and to the other significant sites around Auckland. That is a sign of the evolution of the understanding of non-Māori of the importance of the naming of places. These names embed stories. They refer to tūpuna and to events that created that place as it is today, and long may we continue to utilise and understand those names better. This is not to diminish or undermine the importance of some of the Pākehā names that have been assigned to these places, but to recognise that naming is an important part of place and an important part of the exercise of mana whenua.

There is a reference also in the apology of the Crown, and, again, the apologies are always such an important part of these settlement bills. The material redress, of course, is important. That provides the pūtea, the means to advance the aspirations of ngā iwi. But the apology is profoundly important, of course. It is an acknowledgment that wrong was done. From that point on, we can progress together. In the reference in the apology the Crown “regrets and is deeply sorry for its actions which left Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei virtually landless”, and notes that this landlessness led to consequences, including to their “social, economic and spiritual well-being”—a diminished well-being for these people and for all of us.

I do not believe that it is too long a bow to draw to suggest that the current deprivation, the fact that Māori appear at the wrong end of all of the social statistics and all of the social indices, is a reflection of the spiritual harm as much as the material harm. The harm to the spirit reflects very directly on the well-being of the emotions and the mental health of people. It is well known that Māori suffer significantly in terms of mental health. Our prisons across the country are full of Māori, and often that is a reflection of the lack of robust mental health. That is a disease of the spirit as much as of the mind. There is acknowledgment that the deprivation of the land affected the wairua of the people and led to the situation where we no longer have that strength in ourselves and in our purpose. These settlements are part of the restoration of that wairua, enabling our young ones to grow up knowing who they are, knowing their place, and knowing the mana of their people. That is an important part of the future for all of us.

This bill talks of healing and it talks of trust, and those are significant aspirations. May this bill represent a step towards the healing of Ngāti Whātua and of the relationship between Ngāti Whātua, the Crown, and non-Māori. Ngāti Whātua have long demonstrated that they are trustworthy. It is now incumbent on the Crown and all of us who represent the Crown to prove that we also are trustworthy and that this relationship that is established by this settlement bill will be honoured into the future. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

E aku rangatira me Ngāti Whātua i haere mai nei i tēnei rā, tēnā koutou. He wā potopoto tēnei mihimihi ki a koutou nā reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Greetings to you, my leaders, and Ngāti Whātua who came here today. This salutation is but a brief one to you collectively, so acknowledgments, congratulations, and well done to you all.]

As a boy born and bred in Ngāti Whātua land, born and bred in Ōtara, in my formative years—what that means is when I was young—a lot of my time was spent running around Boot Hill learning to be a protestor, hanging out with Joe and Rene. I mihi to Sharon, Lance, and Terry, who were some of my best mates. I remember a number of parties at Joe’s. In fact, that is where I met my wife for the first time, so thanks, Joe. Thank you, Rene.

💬 Hone Harawira: Poor girl.

You see, the problem is that when somebody interjects, they are going to get it when they speak.

I will not talk for very long, because this is a most happy day—a most happy day. My heart goes to Grant, because that is an indication of the occasion, of the work that has gone into getting here—not just getting on a plane or a bus, or in a car or whatever, to get here physically, but to get here over 150-odd years. The journey has been long; the journey has been hard. No one is saying that the journey is even going to be easy starting tomorrow. It is hard because of the things that my colleague Mr Clendon talks about, and that my colleague Mr Twyford talks about. It is hard to be Māori in your own country, and that is a sad indictment on this country. But what is a good indictment on this country is days like this.

What is good about days like this is that we can firmly focus on the future. Is leadership not a wonderful thing? From a carpenter, a chippy, a builder, to a person who leads the struggle up on the point, to becoming a member of Parliament, and now to see my old mate in the House as a kaumātua and as a former member of Parliament. I think that is quintessential New Zealand.

💬 Hone Harawira: Ooh!

Did you hear that? Mr Harawira is going to have to go and get himself a dictionary. It starts with “q”.

When we look at world history and we look at Wounded Knee and places like that, Takaparawhā will be amongst those stories of asking how could anybody treat a people like that. I suppose we have the benefit of growing up where we do not treat people like that any more—thank God. I can only say—as, I suppose, Ngāpuhi in terms of my genealogy—thank God they moved Parliament away from the north. We might have suffered the same sort of carry-on.

My heart is filled with emotion, and I suppose the one thing that I can say is: “Thank you, Ngāti Whātua, for letting me stay in Auckland.” It is not a glib sentiment. It goes to the heart of tangata whenua. It goes to the heart of mana whenua. You know, I was born and bred in Ōtara at 42 Harwood Crescent, and went to Bairds Primary School—or Bairds Mainfreight Primary School now—Bairds Intermediate School, and Hillary College. I have got to say that I learnt a lot of my lineage from my cousins who lived in Ōtara. I found out where I was from. I am very proud of my lineage. But I am very proud of the fact that I also know whose land I am on, whose whakapapa I borrow every day to go to work, to go to meetings, and to greet people. So I do thank Ngāti Whātua. Maybe we should be thinking about that sort of thing in the big scheme of things in a new New Zealand as we go forward, because this just adds to the big story that is New Zealand’s history—that is New Zealand’s new history.

I am also adamant that our examples and our history can be used overseas to help other people forge a new land and a new understanding in their own lands. You know, one of the things that is amazing is when we travel around the world and we go to conferences, and we are sitting there in a conference, and then some Māori at the back gets up, and then there are a whole lot of Māoris who get up and either sing a waiata or have their say. We on the international stage, as a people, should pat ourselves on the back, because we do have influence overseas and we do have influence here.

Briefly, on the select committee process, I was outraged at some of the comments by some of the people who were opposed not to the settlement but to a small piece of land—a small piece of land. Considering that there are 66 million acres of land in this country and—I was just going to say we own only 3 million, but that is “we” as in all of us Māoris. They had the cheek to quibble about 1.5, or whatever it was. How many acres?

💬 Hon Member: 3.6

It was 3.6 acres they wanted to quibble about because they did not want Māoris to have the opportunity to build a big whatever and then onsell it. It was a quibbling amount of land. It was a small piece of land in the big scheme of things. It was about moving Ngāti Whātua and New Zealand forward. All those people in Devonport who came to our select committee hearing—do you know what they moaned about to the media? That I called people “bro”, and that I called people “chief”. That is what they moaned about. For goodness’ sake, wake up, those sorts of people, because they are the ones who damage this country, not these people and not us. They are the ones who damage this country’s reputation around the world—not us, not the people who sit there and try to work out a deal over 150 years, and take the treatment that Ngāti Whātua have taken.

I was in the Wiri wool store working very hard as an 18-year-old in 1978 when the Point blew up, and they came in and used the army and the police. It was a sad, sad indictment on this country’s history, but I tell you what. That sort of action stiffens the back and the resolve of the people to fight for justice.

Hoi anō, anei ngā mihimihi nui ki a koutou katoa e aku hoa, e aku tuākana, e aku tēina rānei. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora mai tātou katoa.

[Accordingly, here are some huge congratulatory tributes to you all, my colleagues, elder or younger siblings. Therefore, accolades and acknowledgments to you collectively and an appreciation to us all.]

He mihi tēnei ki a koutou i tēnei rā nui mō Te Tiriti o Waitangi me tō koutou iwi. Kei runga i a koutou e ngā rangatira, ngā moemoeā o ngā tūpuna, me ngā tūmanako o te rangatahi, kia kaha, kia toa.

[This is a tribute to you collectively today in respect of the Treaty of Waitangi and particularly for your people. Upon you leaders are the ancestors’ dreams and the aspirations of the young generation, be staunch, be bold.]

I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to support this third and final reading of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill. But before I start, I would like to acknowledge the member of the media who is sitting up there today. I would just like to thank him for being there, because this is a momentous day and it is a momentous occasion. I know there are other media watching through closed circuit, but the stories of this tribe are so real, intense, spiritual, and brave that if we were in America, there would be movie moguls lined up outside, waiting to sign off movie rights. I hope that tonight the news is led by stories of this momentous occasion.

New Zealand First acknowledges the arduous journey undertaken by Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei to reach this final stage of settlement. We acknowledge the mighty warriors of days gone by and the strength, courage, and determination runs true in the bloodlines of this tribe. We have seen it through the years. We saw it when families were forcibly evicted from their homes, to see their homes razed to the ground. We saw it in 1977 when families stood arm in arm against injustice. I would say that we all here today represent the many people who cannot be here. Some have passed on. Some could not make it. But I feel very proud that the tangata whenua who gave us Auckland are finally being healed and acknowledged, and we in New Zealand First are proud, yet humbled, to bear witness.

We have heard of the angst caused recently by the sale of 3.2 hectares of land to Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. In the Māori Affairs Committee, we witnessed some impassioned and at times acrimonious scenes. My comprehension was not that of rednecks at Narrow Neck, but I can understand the disbelief from Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. After having 31,565 hectares lost, who in their right mind could possibly argue against 3.2 hectares being returned, or I should say, being bought back? But what I also saw was New Zealanders in Devonport connected to their land. They underwent an experience common to every Māori in this land, and that is having a connection to the land, having it promised to you by the Government—be it Crown, local, or national—and then having it cruelly taken away by the stroke of a pen, which brings to bear the old adage that there is no escaping the divisive and essential question: what is the purpose of the State and whom does it serve?

I saw a community who was outraged, who loved their land, and who stood up to be counted when it mattered. Thankfully, through kōrero and understanding, much of that angst has now dissipated, for there is a greater synergy borne through that experience that now entwines and binds the people of Devonport and Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, and, indeed, the greater Auckland area. I would say to the people of New Zealand: take heed from this example, because we all love our land, our rivers, our lakes, and our maunga. Our rivers and lakes nurture the blood and bones of our ancestors and contain our wairua, the spirit of New Zealand. So let the experience of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei rumble from the mountains, through our lakes, rivers, oceans, and cities. A total of 31,565 hectares lost; 3.2 hectares returned. Remember this percentage next time we hear of that Government offering our land, our water, our wairua for sale to overseas buyers. Once taken, what is the chance of its return? What responsible guardian would ever sell that which is most dear to us, that which lies in our water and our lands—our wairua?

There are many people who deserve mention throughout this long process, from the rangatira who signed the Treaty in 1840 to people like Ruby Gray, Cyril Talbot, Sir Hugh Kāwharu, Mike Rāmeka, and Āri Pīhera, all past board members, now departed, who worked tirelessly not just for Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei but for all Māoridom. They are sadly missed but greatly appreciated, and New Zealand First would acknowledge leaders like the Hawke family, Tīwana Tibble, Puawai Rāmeka, and others who have stayed true to the cause in the guidance of this waka. There are so many who have given their hearts to this journey that I think the best we can say is thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who smiles when they think of today and the restoration and reclamation of mana for Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. And this reclamation is evidenced in the eyes of the children. Nō mua ka kite a muri. The things behind us enable us to see the way forward.

For some years now, Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei have displayed upward mobility in leadership, business, and family, and we all wish them well in all spheres leading into the future. To that end, I will finish with a Tainui proverb, as there is again a synergy with Tainui and Ngāti Whātua. This proverb goes to the children of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. Kia hora te marino, kia whakapapa pounamu te moana, kia tere te kārohirohi i mua i tōu huarahi. May the calm be widespread, may the ocean glisten like greenstone, and may the shimmer of many summers dance across your pathway. Kia kaha, kia toa.

E te Whare tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. E ngā uri o Ngāti Whātua, te mana whenua o Ōrākei, kei te mihi atu i runga i te aroha. He tino mihi ki te whānau Hawke.

[Salutations, acknowledgments, and greetings to you all, the House. A loving tribute to you, the descendants of Ngāti Whātua, who hold jurisdiction over the land at Ōrākei, and a special welcome to the Hawke family.]

Warm greetings to the descendants of Ngāti Whātua, who have traditional authority over the land at Ōrākei. Special greetings to the leadership of Grant, to Sharon, and to Joe, and to the wider Hawke family, and to Ngārimu Blair and Tīwana Tibble for their important roles. This has indeed been a very long time in coming, and I acknowledge those who have passed on. I tēnei wā whakahirahira, ka huri ngā whakaaro ki ngā tini tōtara kua hinga atu, a Tā Hugh Kāwharu, rātou ko Ruby Gray, ko Cyril Talbot mā. He mihi aroha ki a rātou mā i whawhai mō te kaupapa. Waiho rātou kia moe. At this important time our thoughts turn to the great tōtara who have fallen: Sir Hugh Kāwharu, Ruby Gray, Cyril Talbot, and others. Warm greetings to those who fought for the cause. Let them now rest.

I stand to support this bill, the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill—kei te tū ake ahau ki te tautoko i tēnei pire. I join with others who have sent their prayers and best wishes to Grant Hawke. Even though he is exhausted and has fainted today, when I spoke to him he was, as ever, cheerful and thinking of others. We send our best wishes and prayers for his speedy recovery. It has been a very long and hard battle, and the people of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, although exhausted, have never wavered in their determination and in their resolve. Our congratulations go to them on this very special day, but they have paid a very high price for today’s historic settlement, and I acknowledge that.

The purpose of this bill is to give effect to the settlement of the deed entered into by the Crown and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. It is sponsored by the Hon Chris Finlayson, who continues, I think, to do a magnificent job of completing the work started by Sir Douglas Graham. If you judged the Hon Chris Finlayson by his achievements, I am certain that history will acknowledge that he is the most effective member and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations this country has ever seen.

I had the privilege of witnessing the Minister’s signature at the signing of the Tāmaki Collective a couple of months ago, at the museum. In the time I have been involved with this settlement I have welcomed the wisdom and the very balanced approach of the Minister and also of the Crown’s chief negotiator, Mike Dreaver, who has helped explain the detail of the settlement and helped the community on the North Shore to understand why the cultural and historical redress is so important and why it needed to happen.

Since we became the Government in 2008, National has signed 22 deeds of settlement, because we believe we need to resolve these historical issues. We need to do what is fair to right the wrongs of the past, so that we can leave the pain and the grievances behind us and move forward together as a nation. This John Key - led Government honours the partnership and the Treaty of Waitangi and, with tenacity and determination, has negotiated in good faith. This settlement focuses on the cultural and historical redresses and it forms the basis for the Crown’s apology to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

As the member of Parliament for the North Shore for almost 1 year next week, I can tell all of those who are gathered here in the House today for the third reading of this bill that this settlement has been contentious locally, particularly in Devonport, as others have said. But looking back at the history, to 1840, following Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s chiefs’ signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, some 32 acres of land was transferred to the Crown, much of which was then onsold for a vast profit. Although that land allowed European settlers, there were too few benefits and too few protections to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

As others have said, almost all of their land was lost, and the once-proud tribe was impoverished and suffered terribly. I commend Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei for your patience and your very generous spirit throughout the long and frustrating decades of inaction, and then through the robust negotiations over some 13 years now that have led to today’s historic settlement.

The financial and commercial redress recognises the economic loss suffered because of the Crown’s breaches of the Treaty. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, as the Minister has said, will receive $18 million plus interest. Using this and their own funds, they now assume the right to purchase two properties, and to purchase and lease back six more. This includes the Narrow Neck property, which is currently used by the Defence Force. It will be leased back to the Navy for a minimum of 15 years and for a maximum of up to 150 years. Public access to the land at Narrow Neck will continue to be available in exactly the same way as it is today. In fact, it will be improved, because the public walkway is now enshrined in legislation and will be available in perpetuity to everyone.

I am very aware, as the member of Parliament for the North Shore, that some of the European settlers in Devonport have a very strong sense of connection to that land at Narrow Neck. It is an integral part of their traditions and of their community, and it is very special to them. Knowing how important that land is to so many, I invited all the concerned parties to kōrero with Minister Finlayson at the end of March. On that Saturday morning in March some 500 people attended the meeting. The depth of feeling was very apparent, and there was robust questioning and discussion.

As the MP, I encouraged all of those with concerns to participate in the process and to make submissions to the Māori Affairs Committee. That committee received and considered 99 written submissions on the bill and heard 23 oral submissions at the Ōrākei Marae. As a result of that consultation, there were three amendments, and ultimately the committee unanimously supported the bill in its final form.

With today’s final reading, this settlement passes into law. Although I acknowledge the depth of sentiment that some detractors have, I urge them to now put that aside and to draw a line in the sand and welcome Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei with open arms. I know from my meetings and my discussions with tribal members, and with members of the Hawke family in particular, that they are completely sincere in wanting to be active and constructive members of our community.

From today, when this bill is passed into legislation, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei will become the biggest single landowners in Devonport. They will be great neighbours, and we are indeed fortunate to have them as part of our community, and to have them amongst us. My hope, as the local MP, is that the unity and the harmony that is expressed here today will continue on in the North Shore and will be very evident there. We do welcome you with all our hearts, and thank you for your forbearance, your determination, and your tenacity.

This is a day I will never forget. This is an emotional time, made more poignant by Grant’s collapse—the man whom many call “Uncle”. He is a remarkable individual, and somebody who has touched many of our hearts. It is symbolic that on this day he was affected by what happened. It is particularly poignant that such a strong and dedicated leader should have been taken to hospital to recover. We understand that he is there under observation. As I said earlier, our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and his whānau. His resilience and determination and the wisdom and leadership he has shown I think set the tone to celebrate today’s settlement.

I congratulate all of you on being here today and on making the journey in the buses—a hīkoi of sorts. I know you stopped along the way. I thank you all for being here today and making this such a special occasion. Nō reira, ka mutu taku kōrero mō tēnei wā—I have finished speaking for the time being. Ka tuku aroha ki a koutou o Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei mō ngā nawe me te mamae e ngau ana kai roto, me tū kaha koutou kia oti pai ai.

[I empathise with you of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei in respect of the imperfections and hurt that gnaw away inside. Stand staunch to ensure that you finish it well.]

I commend this bill to the House. Thank you.

Kia ora, Mr Speaker. E ngā mana, e ngā reo, rau rangatira mā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Ngā mihi ngā whānau o Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. Kia ora, Matua Joe. Kia ora to Alec, to Grant, to Sharon, to the entire Hawke whānau, to Danny—anyone else, Pare?

💬 Hon Parekura Horomia: No, that’s covered.

That is about it—other than everybody who is here today and all the rangatahi, especially, who are here today. Today is a celebration. I am very proud to be in the House today.

I actually want to begin my kōrero with a quote from Grant Pakihana Hawke, who is the chair of the Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei Māori Trust Board. Before I say that, I do want to acknowledge previous trust board chairs Sir Hugh Kāwharu and Ruby Hinemoa Gray. To quote Matua Grant, from your strategic plan 2011-12: “Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei are resilient yet humble people, with the unique advantage of having mana whenua in the largest city in Aotearoa. We have navigated our way through adversity, continually faced political challenges and yet we are still here, still claiming our stake in this world and forever striving to honour the moemoeā of our tupuna.” I am really proud to be here as the MP for Manurewa. I am on the Māori Affairs Committee, and I want to mihi to our chair, the Hon Tau Henare, and my fellow Māori Affairs Committee members. I want to mihi to the Minister of Māori Affairs. This is an area where there is consensus in the House. We are trying the hardest we can, as the Māori Affairs Committee, to resolve all our Treaty settlements. This is a very proud day, not only for Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. As Grant said this morning, this is your day, this your time, Ngāti Whātua.

I also want to acknowledge the hapū of Ngāti Whātua: Te Tāōū, Ngā Oho, and Te Uringutu. I particularly want to quote again from your strategic plan and “He moemoeā: te pai me te whai rawa o Tāmaki!”. This is from your strategic plan: “In the year 2030, 5000 descendants of Tuperiri live on the papakainga and contribute to tribal life … The papakainga is self-sufficient. We sell electricity back to the national grid due to all the solar panels and wind turbines in use. We collect and use rainwater. We produce very little waste as the resource recovery depot allows whānau to trade their compost for worms for their own gardens. Many whānau have built their own whare while others are happy to rent off the tribe … Our land is tax-free. Most of our whenua has regenerating ngahere on the reserve land and in between buildings. The bird-song is now louder than the traffic on Tamaki Drive! In between their bowls and dart competitions, our elders hold regular wānanga for the up and coming kai kōrero and leaders. They go en masse to tangi and important hui in Kaipara, Tauranga, Waikato, Rarotonga, Tahiti and Hawaii to represent the hapū and maintain our economic and spiritual ties.” These are the dreams and aspirations of Ngāti Whātua, and this settlement is only part of the how.

I want to highlight the loss of land that Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei has had. In 1840, at the Treaty of Waitangi signing, Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei tribal lands totalled 77,997 acres. In 1855, a mere 15 years post colonisation, 700 acres remained in Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei hands. That is 0.9 percent of your original tribal ancestral lands. By 1927 that had become 12.5 acres, which represents 0.016 percent of your tribal lands. To put the Devonport settlement into perspective, the 7.9 acres that you have paid for represent 0.01 percent of your original tribal lands. How incredibly generous of you to settle for that amount of land, so on behalf of all of us here I want to say thank you. And I want to reiterate the words of Maggie Barry that the people of Aotearoa, the people of Tāmaki-makau-rau, and the people of Devonport actually should look to you for leadership and look to you for a path forward. I want to acknowledge the generosity not only of spirit but of the leadership that you now have within Tāmaki-makau-rau as the mana whenua for where we are today. Kia ora and thank you very much.

I want to just quickly look at your history of protest. Right throughout the colonisation period you have fought and your tūpuna have fought for your rights. You have fought to get your lands back through the courts, through whatever mechanisms were available to you. Other people have spoken about what happened in 1951, and it is quite poignant, really, with Prince Charles being in Aotearoa, that in 1951 you were booted up Boot Hill, which is what I knew it to be when I first moved to Tāmaki-makau-rau. The fact that your houses were burnt down, that you lost your ability to live on your own lands, is actually a dark day in our history, but, again, it shows how resilient you are. In 1976, when the Crown attempted to sell the last 60 acres at Ōrākei, it was Joseph Parata Hawke and the whānau of Ngāti Whātua who stood strong for 506 days, with the collaboration of many other people. I think we should acknowledge that that protest also included Pākehā, it included union members, and it included anybody actually who believed in social justice. They stood side by side with you, because they acknowledged that as people of Aotearoa there was a great injustice being perpetuated on Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. I particularly want to acknowledge Alec and Miro, because they lost their daughter Joannee, and it does bring me to tears when I think about that fact, that actually blood has been spilt on Ngāti Whātua’s journey to where we are today. The memorial that is there on Takaparawhau for her is a wonderful thing, so I just want to acknowledge that.

I have been interested in what Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have decided are their strategic priorities. What do you want to achieve now that you are going to get a little bit of pūtea? You are going to get a capital base so that you can look at meeting the needs of your whānau. I was really interested in your five strategic priorities. No. 1 is about whānau. It is about Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei ora, whatever that means for you. It means that you are ngā whā ngā mana nāu. You want to be healthy. You want to be educated. You want to be housed. I just want to note that you have a heat-pump scheme, which is pretty cool. You want to make sure that your whānau live in healthy, warm homes. The second principle is kotahitanga. The third principle is whenua. The fourth principle is whai māia. The fifth principle is whai rawa. So, for me, Ngāti Whātua are well and truly on a path for ensuring that you will provide the opportunities for your tamariki mokopuna in the future.

I just want to end and quote again from your submission. This is your day. In conclusion, I quote: “the settlement provides Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei with the ability to again have a rightful place in Tāmaki. The cultural redress is very important in this. The ability to purchase the land from the Crown gives us the opportunity over time to buy back some small part of our rohe and so enhance the economic … benefits, which will flow from that to all members of our hapu. We see the settlement as a strong statement by the wider community in Tamaki, that they acknowledge Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei belong here and are an integral part of the fabric of Tāmaki.” Kia ora.

We come now to two split calls. It will be National and Mana, then Mana and Labour.

Ki a koutou e te whānau o Ngāti Whātua kua tae mai mō tēnei rā whakanui i a tātou, nei rā taku mihi aroha nui ki a koutou katoa. Ko tēnei e tū ake nei, te mema Pāremata mō te Maungakiekie ēngari, he hononga anō mai i ngā waka i tae mai i Hawaiki. Nō reira, he hōnore māku ki te mihi atu ki a koutou, ki a tātou, me te tautoko mō ēnei whāinga. Tēnā koe, Joe.

[To you, the family of Ngāti Whātua who have arrived here for this day that will exalt us, here then is my welcome of great love to you all. I stand before you not only as a member of Parliament for Maungakiekie but also with connections to the canoes that arrived here from Hawaiki. And so, it is indeed an honour for me to extend a welcome to you and to us collectively, and to offer support for these objectives. Hello there, Joe.]

I want to acknowledge every child, every mother, every father, and every individual who has come down here to celebrate this special day. I also want to acknowledge those back home in Ngāti Whātua who could not be here today, but equally share the joy that we here in Parliament will celebrate on this momentous occasion. I also acknowledge those who have passed on, those who were not able to witness this day. I remember them, as we all do, and many have been named in this Chamber this morning. Also, I want to send a message out to Grant Hawke. We know you are a strong man and our prayers will continue to be with you as you come back.

It is a privilege that I speak as the member of Parliament for Maungakiekie, where many of the people of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei live, where many of them work, and where many of them play. Although I am not a member of the Māori Affairs Committee, which heard submissions, I stand here to support both Ministers Sharples and Finlayson in this Government. It is a Government that is committed to recognising, addressing, and correcting the wrongs of the past, and especially to strengthening the bonds and relationships between the Crown, Māori, and others like myself who have come lately, into the future.

As I said, today is momentous because we move to resolve some of the historical issues that have been addressed here today, so that we can move forward as a country in Aotearoa New Zealand—iwi, hapū, and the Crown. We want to build a bolder, a brighter, and a better future for our kids and our grandkids. Much of the history of the grievance has already been laid out quite eloquently today, and I will not get into that given the time constraints. But the benefits and protection that Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei had anticipated from their initial engagement with the Crown following the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi were not always realised, and we know that. Despite promises of a land base for the future, almost all their land was lost.

As a witness to the deed of settlement not only for the Tāmaki Collective earlier on this year but also for this particular deed, I am proud that it has come to this peaceful and joyous conclusion. This settlement focuses on the cultural, the historical, and, some would say—as my colleague Brendan Horan said—also the spiritual, and includes Crown acknowledgments that form the basis for a Crown apology to Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. My hope and prayer is that this settlement goes some way to address those grievances of the past. My prayer and my hopes are that the children and the grandchildren of those executing this settlement will prosper and gain from the settlement in a way that their ancestors were not able to do. My hope is that the settlement will enhance the efforts of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei to improve education and learning outcomes, to promote healthy living, and to drive economic and business growth for the benefit of their whānau. My prayer is that they will continue to be the beacon up on that hill that was a place of such conflict and division in the past. As the local MP it is my wish and my petition that a tree also be returned to Maungakiekie as a sign of our peace and of unity and of love.

He rā whakahirahira tēnei kia whakatuwhera i ngā āhuatanga o ngā whakatipuranga e heke mai, kia puāwai ngā wawata o ngā tīpuna.

[This is a magnificent day that will open up opportunities for generations to come so that what the ancestors dreamed of will bear fruit.]

Thank you.

I call Hone Harawira—10 minutes.

Hoi anō e te mema Pāremata o Takaparawhā, ki a koe e Joe, tēnā koe. Ki a koe anō hoki e Grant—kei konei? Kāo! Hakoa kei hea koe e huna ana, e mōhio ana au e whakarongo mai ana, tēnā koe. E hoa, koutou anō rā e ōku tini whanaunga i haere tawhiti mai i Ōrākei i tēnei rā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou. Huri atu, huri noa, kia ora tātou katoa.

[And so to you there, Joe, member of Parliament for Takaparawhā, greetings. To you as well, Grant—is he here? No! Regardless where you might be hiding, I know that you are listening. Hello there. Oh shucks, you as well, my many, many relatives who came from far away Ōrākei today, acknowledgments and congratulations to you collectively. Thank you to us all throughout and all around.]

Today is a very special day for Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei. Today is your day. Although normally I am happy to speak off the cuff whenever I am out in public, today I refer to my notes because I want to enter into the parliamentary record just a few of the many special memories I will always have of Bastion Point. Joe said I had to start with the Ōrākei Māori Action Committee, which happened to have been led by Joe Hawke, Grant, Roger, Mike, and Colin, who ran the biggest-ever Māori land occupation in our history and had the truly unenviable task of trying to hold together the wildly divergent and often demented ravings of Albanian-aligned communists, Trotskyist socialists, Stalinist hard-liners, Mao Tse-tung fanatics, Christians and atheists, vegans and vegetarians, guys straight out of jail, kids straight out of school, housewives, farmers, and Māoris who had never done anything like this before, Pākehās who had never worked with Māoris before, all of our brothers and sisters of the Pacific, and Aboriginals and Native Americans, musicians and lawyers, singers and actors, and labourers and doctors—such was the ever-changing family of Bastion Point. So those are the guys at the front.

Behind the scenes, of course, Patu, Rene, and Rachel made sure the action committee did what they told it to do. Old man Eddie Hawke quietly made sure all the real work got done, while the chiefs were pontificating and the young bloods were preening; Auntie Piupiu, Auntie Haupī, and all the kuia who kept us safe; Sharon, Kataraina, Mei-Meri, Betty Sio, and Linda Tanoa’i, the girls from Auckland Girls’ Grammar School, who had come straight to the Point, still in their school uniforms; Joannee, and a life ended all too soon; John Denver coming up to jam with the locals, and all the other bands that gave us joy, getting blasted every night by Willie Wilson, the little man with the big voice. I was going to say big mouth, but he would probably hear about it and come and bash me. Willie Wilson, who was a hard-line communist back in the day, is now a preacher for the Lord.

While I am talking about preachers, there was Tom Hērangi, the pistol-packing preacher from Tainui, and of course Matt Tarawa, the singing Mormon who liked to belt out “My Way”, but his way. He was always dragging his poor kids up on the stage, to sing and help raise money for the occupation. I recall one of the women coming out of the toilets one night, and shining a spotlight on the cops who were trying to crawl into the camp, and screaming at them to “eff off”, and everyone watching these silly policemen scatter down the hill like rabbits, tripping over themselves in the dark, and being hounded by the raucous laughter from all the men, and dire predictions from all the women. That image of Ama Rauhihi up on the watchtower, with Rangitoto in the background; Aussie Bob and his pushbike generator; David Williams and his incredibly boring legal dissertations—kia ora, David—Diane Prince, winner of the Bastion Point porridge competition; Dilworth, Sam, Rex, and all the rest of the rat patrol for their hilarious night-time antics guarding the Point and teasing the cops; Tame Iti, Tītewhai Harawira, Syd Jackson, Betty Williams, Dun Mīhaka, Eva Rickard—teachers you could not help but learn from and teachers you did not dare disagree with.

And Tim Shadbolt—what a guy—the man with the million-dollar smile and a million different stories, gallantly defending his niece one dark night, and being handed a blade and challenged to fight for his life and her honour. Tim will be for ever grateful to Zena Tamanui for stepping in and slapping down her bloodthirsty relations from the north. There was Kīngi Tangirā from Kāretu, a true bender of reality, with so many stories about his life that if you added them all together, he would have had to have been 127 years old. And, of course, with Zena the rest of Whakahau, the effervescent, witty, and intelligent young Polynesians from Ōtara, quick with a smile and quicker with a song; Jimmy O’Dea, the stubborn Irishman from Kupe Street, with an accent and a commitment to justice that have never been bent over the years. Here is one—Sonny Waru, and his kōrero “The Tempestuous Winds of Circumstance”. It used to kill me whenever he got up to talk like that. Also, Meretā Mita and her Bastion Point Day 507 documentary, and Doc—I never really got to know what his real name was—and that little yap-yap of his, Bastion.

And I remember on the day of the arrest, Roger Fowler was up on the roof of the whare with his megaphone telling everyone to stay calm, and Bastion running around behind him the roof, yapping his head off. I remember marching into town for our court cases with Alec and having to tell everyone to get off the footpath, we march on the road. I remember listening to Ben Dalton blister the courtroom with a heavy, heavy kōrero in Māori and laughing at the judge demanding a translation from a shocked and shaken and red-faced translator—Vapi Kupenga it was, who simply could not bring herself to give the true translation and simply stammered: “Ah, ah, I think he is pleading not guilty, Your Honour.”

I remember Hone Kaa, for driving his congregation crazy when he used to let us come and stay at Tātai Hono while the court cases were on. I remember jamming up the courthouse with hundreds of defendants and hundreds more supporters, and driving the courts mad with our chanting and our singing and our hakas, and forcing them to throw most of the charges out. I remember standing on the picket line outside Mt Eden Prison to see our brother have to come out, because his snoring was driving the whole remand wing crazy.

Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei, koutou kua tae mai i tēnei rā. You have done so much in such a very short time for so many and today you carry the hopes and dreams not only for your mokopuna but also for the tens of thousands of urban Māori who look to you for a lead in how to act in Tāmaki-makau-rau.

On behalf of those who are privileged to be there in support of your stand, on behalf of a generation who are seeking a place in this crazy world, on behalf of the 222 who got arrested on 25 May 1978, and those like Hilda and Sharon who got arrested again and again and again in support of our kaupapa, I say thank you. It was through your actions in occupying Bastion Point, the stand you took in reclaiming that place we later came to know as Takaparawhā and then Takaparawhau, the commitment you made to win back your land and the heavy, heavy losses that you sustained, and that nobody else will ever feel as deeply as those of you who call Ōrākei home—it is from all of that that we drew strength and energy and knowledge and courage to carry the fight for land rights to other places in Aotearoa and to other lands throughout the world. Bastion Point was the haven and the heart of Polynesia’s largest city and our classroom in Māori Politics 101. And who can forget Shadbolt and his wonderful poem: “Hey you, you who spend 5 minutes voting every 3 years and call it democracy. Have you got 5 minutes to spare to hear the story of our home? It’s called”—and Tim thought it was—“Arohanui.” Dismantled out at Wiri, trucked to the Point by staunch unionists, and rebuilt as a whare as real warmth and shelter with all the humble little dwellings around her, a marae that lived and breathed 24 hours a day and sometimes more—Arohanui saw the birth of some, sheltered the pain and joy of many, and provided a final resting place for Joannee.

And you, e te whānau o Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei, you gave us a chance to learn and to teach, to challenge and to be challenged, to cop flak and to come back for more, to sing together and to cry together, and today you have come to this House, to reclaim a very, very small part of your history. Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei, today in honour of those who have passed on, and those of you who are left to carry on the struggle, today we thank you, today we honour you, and today we wish you strength for the many years to come.

E tika ana te kōrero o te waiata.

[What the song is on about is correct.]

We are the people of the land, through troubled times we will stand, the sun will shine through cloudy skies, and brighten our pathway as we unite for our land. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.

The Hon Shane Jones—5 minutes.

Only 5? Poto noa ake tēnei tū. Tautoko i ngā kupu kua puakina hei whakanui i tēnei rangi mō ngā uri a Tuperiri. He pēnei te kōrero. Tā Tuperiri, ko Tarahawaiki me tana kuia i roto o Waiōhua, a Mokorua, ka puta ko Apihai Te Kawau, koutou katoa ngā uri a Tuperiri, ngā maramara a Ngā Oho, Te Uringutu, Te Tāōū i roto i te karanga ā-iwi a Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[This stand is but a short one. I endorse the words that have been disclosed today about the relatives of Tuperiri. The talk goes like this. Tuperiri begat Tarahawaiki, who through his elderly woman from Waiōhua, Mokorua, gave birth to Apihai Te Kawau, and, as a consequence, all of you, the descendants of Tuperiri, the bits and pieces of Ngā Oho, Te Uringutu, Te Tāōū within the tribal calling of Ngāti Whātua at Ōrākei, came to be. Salutations, acknowledgments, and congratulations to us all.]

It is 100 years since 1912, when this House was petitioned by Ōtene Paora to address the iniquity, the erosion and loss of land and mana of people of the three hapū I have referred to in Te Reo Māori: Te Tāōū, Te Uringutu, me Ngā Oho, otherwise known in modern Māori parlance as Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei.

That it is in this particular year that this Treaty event is taking place is a reminder of how long the road has been for this section of Te Ao Māori to address what originated from the visit of Te Kawau’s son to my area in Ngāpuhi with the suggestion that the Crown move to a more tranquil area other than the Bay of Islands, and into Waitematā. It was a grand gesture driven in itself by a prophecy, but, unfortunately, as the fangs of colonialism, etc., sank into Tāmaki-makau-rau, our relations have ended up with only a small part of their original estate.

I remember in 1977, after Hone Harawira had left St Stephen’s School and it was a far better place, going with some of the Hawke whānau and being received at Takaparawhā—Bastion Point. St Stephen’s School was a somewhat conservative place, judged by the quality of rugby and occasional oratory, and I think the name of the kaumātua with the long, grey hair might have been Eddie Hawke, nāna ngā kupu whakatau.

He was the one who welcomed us, and despite my very strong Croatian credentials, I was the orator for St Stephen’s School, to be told by Colin Clark: “You kids at that St Stephen’s School, you need to hang out with us more often. Then you’ll learn to be real Māoris.” Unfortunately, we went there one night and came back with a black eye, so it was not a place for the faint-hearted, but to all the whānau whom Hone has referred to, the pathway ahead is clear. The super-city is large and formidable. Leave the pouwhenua of indigeneity in every corner of the super-city’s existence.

Do not surrender to the growing power of ethnic diversity unless you are absolutely confident that our indigenous identity, our language, and our heritage are respected by all. Aotearoa is now definitely a matarau place, a place of many faces, but there is one Treaty, and our tūpuna, with the Crown, ensured that our Māori identity, culture, language, and legacy must not be wiped out. Tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou, kia ora tātou katoa.

Tēnā koe e te Mana Whakawā, tēnā koe e te Whare. Rau rangatira mā, tēnei te mihi ki a koutou i runga i te kaupapa. Tēnā koutou ngā rangatira o Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Thanks to you, Mr Speaker, and the House. I extend this tribute to you collectively, leaders of a hundredfold, on this proposal. Congratulations to the leaders of Ngāti Whātua of Ōrākei, well done, well done, and congratulations to you all.]

I am immensely humble and proud to be the final speaker in this part of our history. The third reading of any Treaty bill really is a momentous occasion that each and every one of us as New Zealanders should celebrate. I stand here before you as the proud member of Parliament for the Taupō electorate, but I have spent more than half of my life in Auckland—as the Hon Tau Henare said, in Ngāti Whātua country. I cannot quite claim, as he did, that I was born in Ōtara, but I can claim that Rangitoto Island was the maunga that I looked to as my place of grounding as I grew up in Tāmaki-makau-rau. I am also a proud member of the Māori Affairs Committee. So I am very pleased to have been on this part of the very final part of the journey with you in reaching this settlement. I want to acknowledge Joe Hawke on the floor of the House, just as I want to offer my prayers and support for Grant Hawke, who was with us in this Whare earlier and is healing at the moment.

One of the things that I have to say is quite challenging as a Pākehā member of Parliament on the Māori Affairs Committee is getting a depth of understanding of the journey of the tangata whenua. So I am not going to stand before you and be trite and say that I have any ounce of understanding. But what I do commit to my colleagues in this House is that I will spend every moment that I can deepening my knowledge, learning the history, and sharing that with as many New Zealanders as I can.

I was only 7 when that battle took place at Bastion Point. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I was, as a young child, fascinated with politics, so I took probably a much stronger interest in what happened in those days than many of my age. I think the thing that stood out for me was that it was a collection of New Zealanders against another collection of New Zealanders. Yes, it was your iwi, it was your people leading that fight, but actually it became much broader than that. I think one of the things that really disturbed me at that age was the level of anger that two groups of what I, possibly naively, saw as New Zealanders could have against one another. I do have to say it left quite an impression on me, even at that age. Even just Monday last week I spoke at a meeting in my electorate, and you can probably imagine some of the conversations that come up from time to time in terms of “Why are we doing these Treaty settlements?”. I guess the thing that bothers me is the lack of understanding of your history, of the history of iwi up and down New Zealand. That is why I have made a point of trying to encourage people to learn more.

I said to the group of people whom I spoke to at that public meeting that every single bill in this House is available for people to watch on the internet. I challenge them to watch these speeches of the third readings today, because if you were ever to spend an hour and a half or 2 hours of your time doing that, you would get the best opportunity—absolutely the best opportunity—with the collection of speeches from every corner of this House, to at least have some better knowledge of what has gone on in the past that needs to be completed and acknowledged before we can move forward.

I am enormously proud of Ministers Sharples and Finlayson, but particularly Minister Finlayson. I have had some of the most memorable times as a member of Parliament with him, being witness to a Crown apology. And, again, I think it is just so important that as many members of the community as possible participate in some of these defining moments, because they are part of our history.

I read that in the 1950s your marae was burnt down. Mangakino is part of my electorate. The marae there was torched only 5 years ago. I got, admittedly, only a very small sense from Pouakani of just how gutting that is. You know, for some it is a building—big deal. But actually I know that to tangata whenua it is so much more than that. So I am really excited to be going to the reopening of the Pouakani Marae in Mangakino on Saturday, because I know for people in that community that they have not had a place to connect, to combine, and to be together as whānau.

There is an enormous amount of work that goes on to get to a day like today, and my colleagues have acknowledged many things. But one of the things that I do want to just reflect on is the select committee process. There have been some conversations about the views of others who opposed parts of the bill. That is why we have a select committee process. I actually think that the fact that people have an opposing view is the opportunity for people to learn more, and the public meeting that was referred to earlier, which Minister Finlayson led, I see that—so there is a misunderstanding; there is a conflict, but sort of discussion and the select committee process actually allows the ability for people to have a better knowledge than when they started. They might still not agree, they are entitled to their own views, and we will all have an opinion about what their views are. But then when we come together and as a select committee make agreements—and we are here today for the celebration of your signing—I think it is helpful that there are alternative views from time to time.

There are some Treaty bills that we do not have any submissions against, at all. This was not one of those, but I do not think that it takes away from the importance of this agreement because I think that through that conflict there is a willingness to reach a resolution, and through that resolution there is a better understanding.

So I just want to conclude by saying that it is fantastic to see a range of generations in the gallery today. I want to acknowledge that there have been generations of those past, and I know that they are also with us in spirit. But these settlements are about the generations to come—those who are not here yet—because I think that is the importance of days like today and the conclusion of yet another Treaty settlement. It is a day for generations of all New Zealanders to come together—reflecting on the words of the Minister—where we can go forward together with unity and optimism. Nō reira, kia ora.

Bill read a third time.

Waiata

The House adjourned at 12.45 p.m. (Thursday)