Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill

on behalf of the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: I move, That the Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the bill. This Saturday is the unveiling of the headstone of kaumātua George Whakatoi Rangitūtia. As we remember him, we remember his crucial leadership. George was the chair of the Raukawa Trust Board who started this latest negotiation phase, and I know that today he would be very proud of this milestone. There are many others no longer with us but whose legacy is written into this legislation. This is a settlement built on the vision of honouring the words of tūpuna and building a strong foundation for tamariki mokopuna. Me hoki w’akamuri kē ahau, w’akamua ka neke.

The future is behind us.

This settlement legislation is the absolute result of the Crown’s actions and omissions. In this first reading we acknowledge the impact of the Crown’s interventions upon Raukawa and on their commercial, social, cultural, and spiritual relationships with the land and waterways in their rohe. There is no question that the Crown failed to prevent Raukawa from becoming virtually landless. This restricted their ability to participate in new economic opportunities and contributed to the economic, social, and cultural impoverishment of Raukawa. Inevitably, then, in anticipating what tomorrow will look like for them, it is not just useful but vital that we look back over the history that has led us to today.

In telling the story, we must travel back to the wars of the 1860s. What this bill makes known now is that the Crown acted unjustly in sending Crown forces into the Waikato in July 1863 and occupying the land and the region between 1863 and 1864. The final battle of the Waikato War took place between 31 March and 2 April of 1864 at Ōrākau. Approximately 300 Māori, a significant proportion of whom were Raukawa, defended Ōrākau Pā against up to 1,800 Crown troops for 3 days. If ever there was a tale of David and Goliath, this was it. One wonders at the courage and the grit and the determination of the people of this tribe in standing strong against great odds. As a result of the sacking of the peaceful town of Rangiaowhia, many innocent Raukawa people were killed, including women and children. Those who escaped found their way back to the paramount chief of the day, Te Paerata, who led Raukawa forces against the invasion at Ōrākau. Some escaped, but many were killed, including Te Paerata.

After that battle at Ōrākau, Raukawa participated in fighting in Tauranga, particularly at the battles of Gate Pā and Te Ranga, including the bush campaigns. It was this support that led to the confiscation of the Raukawa lands and the earliest of the land courts. Raukawa trialled the land courts that would eventually sweep throughout Māoridom. Because of their actions, the Crown confiscated land at Tauranga and the Waikato that Raukawa had interests in as punishment for what the Crown regarded as rebellion. It is deeply ironic that the Crown returned some land to individual members of Raukawa hapū residing in Tauranga, but none to the hapū of Raukawa within Waikato. The loss of life and property because of war and raupatu had a severe impact on the overall well-being of Ngāti Raukawa.

So today we think back to the confiscation of land and loss of life during those wars. We think about the alienation of land through the operation of native land laws and subsequent Crown and private purchasing, and we acknowledge the impact of this history on the economic, social, and cultural impoverishment of this iwi. To give some sense of what we are talking about, in a census at the end of the 1800s Raukawa were identified as one of the largest tribes of this country. Close to a century later, in the 1980s, Raukawa had been reduced to seeking alliances with surrounding tribes, such as Tūwharetoa, Waikato, Tainui, and Te Arawa tribes, to retain their identity. This, then, is when the transformation started to occur. At this time the descendants of Te Paerata and other kaumātua of Raukawa resurrected the name of their tūpuna under the mantle of the Raukawa Trust Board and filed their first claim, Wai 443. These early trustees and kaumātua, many of whom are no longer with us, have paved the way for contemporary claims to be considered and negotiated. Some 28 years later, in May 2008, Raukawa mandated the Raukawa Trust Board to negotiate on their behalf for the comprehensive settlement of the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims of Raukawa. The Crown recognised the mandate on 23 September 2008. The rest is their history, our history as a Parliament, and our history as a nation.

This is the day that we acknowledge Raukawa and their ancestors and their descendants. It is deeply interwoven through the hearts of the generations of Raukawa, whose recent and past history is one devastated by suffering and hardship. It is a history that resulted in the loss of life and was destructive and demoralising to this tribe. In the legislation today, it is noted that Raukawa has practised manawhakahaere, kaitiakitanga, and ahi kā roa within their rohe. In saying this, the Government pays tribute to the special relationship that Raukawa hold to the land and the waterways in this area. Waterways, in particular, have been the centre of Raukawa’s commercial, social, cultural, and spiritual life. So as a nui from the rivers of W’angaehu and W’anganui, I acknowledge Raukawa on this pivotal day.

I want to thank Minister Finlayson for allowing me the privilege of opening the debate on this auspicious day. It is a day of tears, a day of memories, and a day to recall the enormity of the losses borne, but also a day to anticipate the next steps forward. I have a deep affection for the peoples of Raukawa—in fact, so much so that I have somehow managed to attract one of their brightest young leaders into my office. Tēnā koe, Chris. Finally, I mihi to Vanessa Eparaima, the dynamic energy force who as the chair of Raukawa is tasked with implementing the outcomes of the settlement. I have to say that the pace of this settlement has been extremely slick and impressive. That reflects well on the leadership but also on the commitment to kotahitanga—the pursuit of a shared future horizon.

There is a bold future plan included, which other speakers will attest to today, which encompasses a wide range of opportunities for development. I am particularly interested in two aspects of the settlement: the right of first refusal for 171 years over 84 properties owned by Housing New Zealand, the Waikato District Health Board, and the Crown, should they be declared surplus to requirements; and the cultural fund and cultural redress package designed around Raukawa’s aspirations to reinvigorate their relationship with cultural sites of significance. There are particular aspects of w’ānau ora—of our ability to thrive as people, to plant a legacy for our mokopuna, and to keep all our family safe and well now. I commend Raukawa for the vision and the commitment for this work. Finally, I acknowledge Nigel Te Hiko as the chief researcher, and Phyllis Tahere, Pat Cowley, Mal McKenzie, and Thelma Reti as the backbone of that team. Most of all, I pay my acknowledgments to the kuia, koroheke, pakeke, rangatahi, tamariki, and mokopuna who seek to participate in new economic opportunities and challenges emerging within their rohe in the 21st century. Tēnā tatou katoa.

Ā kāti, tēnā tātou katoa i roto i tō tātou Whare. Kore he Whare hira atu i roto i te ao tōrangapū i te Whare e tū nei. E ngā manuhiri kua tatū mai ki Te Ūpoko-o-te-Ika ki te mātakitaki i a mātou ngā kaitōrangapū Māori me ō mātou hoa Pākehā, tēnā koutou. Roa noa tēnei rangi e tāria ana. Roa noa tēnei rangi e whakaarohia ana nā reira tēnei koutou e mātakitaki nei pēhea rānei te rere o te kōrero, te tū o te tangata ki te tautoko i te whakaaro kua pau i a koutou ki te whakairo ki te kapu o te pepa ngātahi me ngā reo o te Karauna. Nā reira, e ngā mātua, e ngā whaea, e ngā huanga maha o roto o Raukawa, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou.

Me pēnei te tīmatanga hei whakahua ake kia mau ki te kapu o te pepa, o ngā kōrero ka pupurutia ki roto i tēnei Whare me whakahua ake i te rohe i puta mai ai koutou i tēnei rā. Mai i a Wairere Horohoro ki Pōhaturoa, tū mai rā ki Ōngāroto, te whare o te tupuna nei a Whāita. Mai i Nukuhou ki Taupō-nui-a-Tia ki Hūrākia ki te pae maunga i Hauhungaroa. Mai i Titiraupenga Maunga ki Te Paeroa o Raukawa, ki te tihi o te maunga a Wharepuhunga me te marae i Arowhenua, ki te pae maunga i Whakamaru; ka titiro ki te whānuitanga o te rohe ki Te Koakoaroa-o-Pātetere ki Maungatautau. Atu i konā ki Wharepuhunga ki te tupuna a Hoturoa ki te marae i Parāwera. Tēnei iwi a Raukawa mē tōna ingoa whakakakara.

Tēnā pea hore he kōrero ātaahua atu i te piringa o te tūpuna a Tūrongo, me tana pōuri i riro i te tuatahi a Ruaputahanga, i te tuakana a Whatihua ka tau te pōuri ki a Tūrongo. Ka ahu atu ki roto o Kauhungunu, tae rawa atu ki Kahotea. Nōna i reira ka waihangatia te whare, nāna i āwhina. Ko Te Angiangi te ingoa o te hungarei. Kātahi ka tau te titiro ki runga i te wahine pūrotu a Māhinarangi. Kīhai rawa i te tuatahi a Tūrongo i mōhio ko wai rānei tēnei whakaihi. Otirā nō tana rongonga i te whakakakara mai i ngā rau o te kawakawa kātahi ka tatū i a ia te whakaaro, kia riro mai i a au tēnā wahine hei hoa pūmau. Kātahi ka puta ko Raukawa. Ko koutou ngā mokopuna, ngā uri o wēnā tūpuna rangatira o Te Ao Māori, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Well then, greetings to us in our House. There is no other House in the political world as great as the House that stands before us. To the visitors that have arrived in Wellington to watch us Māori politicians and our European counterparts, greetings to you collectively. This day has been a long-awaited and thought-over one. So here you are watching to see in which direction the contributions will go and the position a person will take in support of the thoughts you each gave and crafted together upon the cusp of the paper in the languages of the Crown. Therefore, greetings and salutations to you uncles, aunties, and many relations within Raukawa.

I will begin by outlining the region where you have come from today, so that places mentioned are captured and retained in the records of this House. It begins at Te Wairere and Horohoro and goes to Pōhaturoa, where Ōngāroto, the house of this ancestor Whāita, stands. From Nukuhou it goes to Taupō-nui-a-Tia to Hūrākia, to the mountain range of Hauhungaroa. From Titiraupenga it goes to the mountain range of Raukawa, to the peak of Wharepuhunga and the courtyard of Arowhenua, to the mountain range at Whakamaru; and to gaze at the vast expanse of the region at Te Kaokaoroa-o-Pātetere to Maungatautari. From there it goes to Wharepuhunga, to the ancestor Hoturoa, to the courtyard at Parāwera. This is the tribe of Raukawa and its name derived from the aromatic scent of the Raukawa plant.

There is probably not a tale more beautiful than the one about the union of the ancestor Tūrongo and his distress at the loss of his first love, Ruaputahanga, to his elder male relative, Whatihua. He was overcome with sadness. He then moved on to the Kahungunu region and eventually settled at Kahotea. While he was there a house was constructed, and he helped build it. Te Angiangi was the name of his father-in-law. In time Tūrongo’s gaze settled upon the beautiful woman Māhinarangi. He did not know at first who this betrothed woman was. But when the aromatic scent of the leaves from the Raukawa tree on her came to him, he resolved immediately that he wanted that woman to be his wife. And so Raukawa was born. You are the grandchildren and descendants of those two noble ancestors of Māoridom, greetings, salutations, and acknowledgements to you all.]

We rise to support this Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill. This is a bill that relates to a tribe who are a living example of a very bleak period of New Zealand’s history in the North Island. Recently, we were told about the stories of a hapū of Ngāti Kahungunu and the effects of colonisation on that part of Aotearoa. But the story that lies behind this particular iwi is a story that opens our eyes and reminds us about how voracious the appetite was amongst our settler, pioneer, colonial ancestors. They came with a voracious appetite for land, and nothing—not the law, not tikanga, and not the gospel—was going to stand in their way. Ngāti Raukawa are a part of the broader community that we refer to in Māoridom as the upholders of the Kīngitanga, but in this particular story—and that is why this bill is so cleverly crafted—it tells the story that additional grievance was visited upon Ngāti Raukawa when 20,000 acres of their land was used to settle the grievances of a further dispossessed group of Māori from Ngāti Kahungunu. In that sense it has got the resonance of the history of the Native American people: moving tribes of Indians from one particular part into Oklahoma and dislocating others. So we have got a little burst of that in our own history.

The bill isolates the most egregious examples of what happened to the matuas of this iwi. It links their struggle to one of the most iconic battles in the history of the Crown, Pākehā, and tangata whenua. I refer here to Ōrākau. In addition to that, it points out that once matters in Tauranga Moana reached the point of bloodshed they also suffered. So, in many respects, when we deal with this bill we are dealing with an iwi that have had the harshest form of treatment as a result of, partly, standing up for their rights and observing the obligations of kinship, but also partly being at the wrong place at the wrong time and incapable of standing against the voracious appetite of the colonial land-gobbling taniwha. It is all laid out in this bill, and although it may not make for pleasant reading, unless we observe and acknowledge the debts of history, it is difficult to imagine how a small group like this can successfully move forward.

We will support this bill. We will take an active role in ensuring that the submissions coming to the Māori Affairs Committee are well received, but if there are areas where the bill can be refined, then both sides of the House—I have got no doubt in my mind—will have no hesitation in taking on such suggestions. The challenge for a select committee dealing with a Treaty bill is, however, that the tangata whenua on this side and the Crown on this side, they make a deal. It is never a perfect deal, because we are on the face of the Earth. We are not in heaven. You certainly are not in heaven when you are in Parliament. We can make only so many improvements, because at the end of the day it is a pact between the leaders of the Māori community—whether they come in the form of a hapū or an iwi or as in recent times last week in a bill known as the tokotoru tapu, or words to that effect. So they come in various shapes and forms but it is important that the members of this iwi realise that the bill will be expedited to the extent that it can be. There is no great politics of a divisive nature between this side of the House and that side of the House on these particular issues. Sometimes the exigencies of the parliamentary timetable and the kēhua known as urgency do interfere with the sitting time, but I have no hesitation in stating that we will be supporting this bill.

It is an area where in another time there would have been an inordinately large and flourishing set of Māori communities. However, the household labour force survey on unemployment is out today, and I can assure you that for Māori families living in that area it does not make flash reading. We are dealing with a situation in which for many of the Māori families in this particular area, young males are afflicted with an unemployment problem of 20 or 25 percent. This bill is not the elixir that will wipe all those problems away, but it does provide what Eddie Durie—in times gone by when he was the president of the Waitangi Tribunal and not suing the Crown Forestry Rental Trust—talked about in the Waiheke Island claim report. He talked about a tribal endowment, a capital base that the iwi can use, rely upon, and grow for future generations to grow the prestige of the tribe to maintain the tikanga, to maintain the heritage, and, as time goes on, to expand economic opportunities for the people not only of the iwi but of the community who live close to where the iwi is located. It is always a balance as to what can be transferred and what is available to be dedicated to an economic outcome.

We have no hesitation on this side of the House in acknowledging the people here today and in working constructively with the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and the Government of the day to ensure that the bill enjoys an expeditious passage. Kia ora tātou.

Mea tuatahi, kei a koe e aku rangatira, tēnā koutou. Tēnā koutou i a koutou i haere mai i roto i tō mātou Whare, te Whare o te Raiona, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ā, tēnā koutou katoa. Ki a koe, ki a koutou ngā mema o te Whare nei, tēnā koutou katoa.

[The first thing is to you my elders, greetings. Acknowledgments to you for coming into our House, the lion’s den; greetings, and greetings to you all. To you, Mr Deputy Speaker and members of this House, salutations to all of you.]

Having been around this place for a few years, I have been able to listen to and see many Treaty settlements come and go. Without wanting to be whakahihi, which is sometimes my nature—

💬 Hon Shane Jones: No, no.

—I said “sometimes”—this bill, the Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill, is one of the Treaty settlement bills that I have been looking forward to. My colleague, my tuakana, Shane Jones has mentioned one of the reasons why I have been waiting for this to come to the House. It is a glaring example of the theft of land and how the theft of land, the confiscation of land, can have such a devastating effect on the economy of its people, its social make-up, and its cultural make-up. You get all the three things that make a people tick, and when that is taken away from you, it leaves that entity in such an impoverished state that it is near nigh impossible to get out of. I take my hat off to Raukawa for being able to get out of it in such a way that they are still here today, talking about their stories, living the life that I am sure their tūpuna would have wished for them.

The settlement of this claim goes some way, not all the way. It will never go all the way. We should know that—well, we should; I am not sure whether Raukawa will—and we should accept that fact. My colleague Shane Jones talked about how iwi in America were moved from pillar to post, and he is absolutely right. One of the stories out of America that I liken to a number of settlements, and in particular this settlement, is the Trail of Tears. The iwi there moved their whole kit and caboodle thousands of miles and then were turned away after being welcomed into Canada. They turned round and had to go all the way back.

To have your own land used to settle somebody else’s grievance is, I think, to me, worse than the act of confiscation. Who knows what the relationship was between Raukawa and Kahungunu. I am not sure, and I will not try to figure that one out. But can you imagine the confiscated lands being given to your “enemy”? It beggars belief.

Like my colleagues around the House, I look forward, as the chair of the Māori Affairs Committee, to visiting the area and hearing the stories and the submitters on this bill. One of the peculiar things we face as a committee when we do these settlement bills is that we cannot change settlement bills unless, of course, the two sides agree. I have to say that for a long time, until very recently, the committee never delved into trying to change settlement bills. We had minor success.

My last point is this. I make a call not only to Raukawa but to any of the community that so wishes and feels the need to to make a submission, because there are far too many times when people do not make a submission, and then they wake up one morning and want to moan, and the deal has been done. Well, the time to moan and the time to support as well is at the select committee. It is at that stage of the passage of the bill. I am sure I speak for all of my committee members when I ask submitters to please make it interesting. Do not copy the last 50-odd submissions so that it becomes just a bit of an exercise.

Again, I want to say to the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations that he is one out of the bag. He is the sort of person who sees that there is a job to be done and goes for it. I think we have seen the number of settlements that have come across our table in our time as the Government as a testament—not boasting—that these things have to be done. I also want to thank my Labour colleagues, Green colleagues, New Zealand First colleagues, and Māori Party colleagues for the collegial job that we do on the Māori Affairs Committee, and not only for Treaty settlement bills. I have no compunction whatsoever in recommending the passage of this bill. Kia ora.

Ā, tiheiwa mauri ora ki te whaiao, ki Te Ao Mārama. E aku rangatira Ngāti Raukawa, tēnā koutou. Haere mai, nau mai, piki mai ki te Whare Pāremata, ki te ana raiona e takatū nei. Haere mai ki te whakatutuki i ngā wawata o rātou mā. Nō koutou tēnei rā; nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou. E rau rangatira mā huri noa i te Whare, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ā, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Behold the breath of life to the World of Light and Enlightenment. To Ngāti Raukawa, my esteemed elders, greetings to you collectively. Welcome and come hither to the House of Parliament, the lion’s den standing in readiness, ascend it. Come forth to realise the aspirations of those who have passed on. This is your day; therefore, congratulations and acknowledgements to you collectively. To the many leaders throughout the House, greetings, salutations, and acknowledgements to you collectively and to us all.]

Like an orator with a favourite pepeha, once again I stand and say that to understand whakapapa is to understand Māori history. Whakapapa is the ties that link Māori by a common strand of DNA, and it is about how the history of the past is for ever remembered by those of the present because of a shared history with a common ancestor. But whakapapa, genealogy, and oral history—kōrero onamata (ancient history)—is not about just the ancestors of past times; it is also about the here and now. It is about what is happening in the present and being able to guess what the future holds.

I would like to welcome the whānau from Ngāti Raukawa who are here. It is a great privilege for me to stand to tautoko this Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill at this first reading. It is in my time as a member on the Māori Affairs Committee that we have been able to listen to and read the historical accounts of iwi Māori who have been able to settle their grievances with the Crown. I also endorse the kōrero of our chair, my whanaunga Tau, that the history contained in these bills should be taught in every school throughout the motu, throughout the country. I know that other speakers will talk specifically about the various elements and redress that Ngāti Raukawa will receive in this bill, but for today I would like to take the time, as I do, to kōrero about those extraordinary times of the 1860s, and the significance of those times relative to today.

The 1860s brought significant upheaval in our young nation. Governor Thomas Gore Browne’s hui for loyalist Māori at Kohimārama in 1860 proved that Pākehā Governments had no real intention of investigating Māori hope and aspirations of the time, for in 1862 the return of George Grey—Hōri Kerei—from South Africa was about to set the scene once again. Fresh from oppressing natives and coloureds over in South Africa, he blew back into the country in the early 1860s to finish off what he started in Waitara 20 years earlier in starting the first Taranaki Wars. Also, he managed to kick up some dust by crossing the Mangatawhiri in July of 1863, thereby starting the Waikato Wars. The Kīngitanga’s refusal to sell any more land ultimately forced the Governor and Parliament to invade the Waikato. In the 1860s the New Zealand Parliament was semi-autonomous, and Grey still had some executive powers. It was at this time that Raukawa, as staunch supporters of the Kīngitanga, were drawn into the Waikato Kīngitanga confederacy because of that thing called whakapapa that I spoke of earlier.

Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato, Ngāti Hauā—these great tribes of the Tainui had shared a common ancestry, but on a more contemporary level there were many families of Ngāti Raukawa who had intermarried with the families of Waikato and the Tainui confederation of Kāwhia, as well as Ngāti Maniapoto. It was this genealogy that made the Kīngitanga strong. It was their staunchness that put pressure on Auckland and the Government. Grey, master of the conquer-and-divide method of operation, brought in New Zealand’s next biggest wave of immigrant: the soldier. Grey brought 18,000 soldiers into this country during his second term as Governor. Raukawa suffered because of this whakapapa, but especially at Rangiaowhia, east of Te Awamutu, in February and a few months later in March and April at Ōrākau in the year 1864. Ōrākau was the place where innocent people were slaughtered as they fled from their trenches. It was during this battle that Rewi Maniapoto gave his famous retort to Gilbert Mair’s plea for the Māori to surrender. Rewi’s famous words were translated as: “Friend, I shall go on fighting you for ever and ever.” Rewi was a fighting chief of Ngāti Maniapoto and leader of one group of rebels that included many individuals and families of Ngāti Raukawa. They joined because their immediate aunties, uncles, cousins, and grandparents were in direct conflict with Crown forces. For those Raukawa families, immediate whakapapa would have been the link—immediate kin of today, rather than a shared common ancestor of some 800 years previously. Like in the Waikato, there were Raukawa families who were related to the Tauranga tribes and were also drawn into the conflict in 1864 and 1867 in the Bay of Plenty. By the time Grey had Waikato and the Kīngitanga suppliant, there were still pockets of Raukawa resistance in parts of Tauranga.

In 1865 Raukawa’s interests in Waikato-Tainui land were extinguished, which seriously affected their ability to sustain and maintain their tino rangatiratanga and their mana motuhake. They lost important leaders in their conflict with the Crown. Some carried the stigma of the term “rebel”. Well, the Crown of the 1860s may have thought they were rebels then, but today the Crown thinks of them as victims of an oppressive, colonialist Government, and will make the necessary apology to Raukawa and also redress.

This bill will also address one of the country’s most shameful pieces of land legislation, the 20,000 acres lost from the Pouakani Block, which eventually turned into the incorporated township of Mangakino, whose beneficiaries are from a completely different tribe, Kahungunu, from southern Wairarapa. Could there be a more visible wrong than this travesty of justice? People from Wairarapa having mana over 20,000 acres in the township of Mangakino—could there be a more poisonous example of how to alienate rightful owners from their land?

But that was not the only case of Raukawa being left out of certain entitlements that were negotiated in the 1860s. They were left out of the Taupō-nui-a-Tia Block, and this also is a great mamae within the many hapū of Ngāti Raukawa. The omission at Taupō caused much suffering to those hapū of Raukawa. The incidences of the Pouakani and Taupō-nui-a-Tia land blocks are a glaring example of Government oppression and ignorance. Being from the south, a very similar situation occurred there as “landless natives”, folks from the top of the South Island, were given lands right at the bottom of Stewart Island to compensate them for their landlessness. These stories are very prevalent right across the country, and it is great that we can bring them to light through the enactment of this legislation. With the enactment of this settlement bill, the whānau and hapū of Ngāti Raukawa will be able to start their road back to economic wealth and sustainability.

I am looking forward to joining with my colleagues on the Māori Affairs Committee as we awhi the progress of the bill through this House, and, in particular, to hearing submissions up in Ngāti Raukawa territory. I would just like to conclude my contribution there and I mihi to Ngāti Raukawa who have travelled down here today. I commend this bill to the House. Kia ora tātou.

Tēnā koe, Mr Deputy Speaker. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Ki ngā whanaunga i te Whare Pāremata nei, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and greetings, salutations, and acknowledgments to you all. To the relationships in this House of Parliament, greetings, salutations, and acknowledgments to you all.]

I rise to speak on the first reading of this bill, the Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill, on behalf of the Greens, and I maintain that it is a privilege to do so. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge those in the gallery today who have travelled from Tokoroa and Te Awamutu. I particularly want to acknowledge the chair of the Raukawa kaumātua kaunihera, Hōri Dean; the kaumātua James Clare, and Lorna and Ross Pope; the deputy chair of the Raukawa Charitable Trust, Kataraina Hodge; the chair of the Raukawa Settlement Trust, Vanessa Eparaima; trustees Malvina McKenzie, John Stokes, and Chris McKenzie; Raukawa’s Settlement Trust chief executive officer, Mahanga Maha; and Treaty team members Nigel Te Hiko and Phyllis Tāhere. I know I will have forgotten a lot of people who are up there in the gallery today, and I mihi to you as well. For those in the gallery and those who are watching this at home, this is a great day because this is the first part of creating legislation that addresses the injustices that Raukawa ki Waikato have lived with since 1860.

I also want to acknowledge those who are not here today. On the long journey there have been very many people over many generations who have worked to bring this settlement to the House. In particular, I acknowledge kaumātua George Whakatoi Rangitūtia, who passed away nearly a year ago to the day. As the former chairman of the Raukawa Settlement Trust he played a huge role in the negotiations, and his work was, in turn, a continuation of the work that his father had done before him. The first claims were lodged in the 1980s, but the journey to this day started long before then.

I also want to acknowledge and thank the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Chris Finlayson, and the member of Parliament for the area, Louise Upston, for their actions on the day that the deed of settlement was signed at Aotearoa Marae during the Queen’s Birthday weekend last year in taking the deed to Waikato Hospital so that George Rangitūtia could sign the document. It was a great gesture and a completion of a life’s work to have this kaumātua sign the document on behalf of the settlement trust.

I do have to declare my interest. In Raukawa there is a saying: ko Ranginui te tuanui, ko Papatūānuku te papa, ko ngā poutūārongo kei Pikitū, ko te poutokomanawa kei Ngātira, ko ngā poutāhu kei Tārukenga, kei Te Ngākau, ōna maihi taka mai ki Te Wairere, ki Horohoro.

[Ranginui is the roof, Papatūānuku is the floor, the rear pillars are at Pikitū, the central pillar is at Ngātira, the front pillars are at Tārukenga and Te Ngākau, and the front barge boards hang downwards in the direction of Te Wairere and Horohoro.]

My iwi is Raukawa. My hapū is Ngāti Huri. Our marae is Pikitū, as is mentioned in the saying. Before entering Parliament I voted on this settlement, and I was honoured—very honoured—to join the Crown on the signing of the deed of settlement at Aotearoa Marae last year.

The importance of the apology that the Crown has offered can not ever be underestimated. In the bill—and in the piece of law that it will become—clause 10(2) of the apology says: “The Crown profoundly regrets and unreservedly apologises to Raukawa for its actions and omissions that led to the virtual landlessness of Raukawa in the Waikato, and which caused suffering and hardship to generations of Raukawa.” Those actions and omissions of the Crown are listed in the deed of settlement.

Other speakers have outlined in detail some of those injustices. For the record, I will include some of them. These injustices include the fierce reactions from the Crown to Raukawa’s involvement in the Kīngitanga movement and the Crown’s actions against Raukawa during the 1860s wars in Taranaki, Waikato, and Tauranga and the subsequent loss of Raukawa lives and the destruction of property. They include the confiscation of land in 1865—the raupatu—the creation of the Native Land Court and the introduction of laws that saw the alienation of Raukawa from their land, the gifting of the 20,000 acres of the Pouakani Block to an iwi with no ancestral ties to the land, and the refusal of the Crown to recognise the iwi status of Raukawa until the late 20th century, a subsequent failure to respect the rangatiratanga of Raukawa.

Section 3.10.2 of the deed of settlement document sums it up pretty well. It reads: “the cumulative effect of the Crown’s actions and omissions, particularly its failure to actively protect the interests of Raukawa in the land it wished to retain, left Raukawa virtually landless by the mid-twentieth century. The Crown’s failure to ensure Raukawa had sufficient land for their present and future needs was a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles.”

Looking at the settlement, it is obvious that the Treaty negotiation team have done a really good job in bringing this settlement to the House today. It also remains clear that Raukawa have been very generous in accepting the terms of the deal. The redress offered by the Crown will never ever compensate for the incredible losses this iwi have endured.

The commercial redress package, if the central North Island forestry deal is included, comes to around $50 million, but we need to put this amount into the context of other Government spending. I have said this before when commenting on the commercial redress in Treaty bills. We need to remember that the Government bailed out South Canterbury Finance to the tune of $1.2 billion, and those investors did not lose their mana or their land.

Too often we find the commercial redress packages for iwi are criticised by New Zealanders who are ignorant of our nation’s history. The history outlined in the House today in the settlement deed and in the bill is acknowledged by both the Crown and Raukawa as being accurate. It saddens me to have read of this terrible suffering of my tīpuna and to know that the ignorant in our society will call this attempt to right some of those wrongs a gravy train. As a nation we have a long way to go to educate all our people on these Treaty settlements and the partnership arrangement between Māori and the Crown, which represents everyone else in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The cultural redress aspect of this bill is also really important, especially when we consider that Raukawa were not officially recognised by the Crown as an iwi until around 1988. Ensuring that Raukawa are named and have their relationship with local authorities and Government departments outlined in legislation enshrines Raukawa’s rightful relationship with their traditional resources, which include geothermal areas, lands, rivers, and maunga, and it means that right cannot be disputed.

But it does not mean that Raukawa are the only iwi with claims in the area. Along with these negotiations, neighbouring iwi have also been involved, as these areas have shared cultural value. I note that Raukawa have been involved with the co-governance deal on the Waikato River and with Maniapoto on the Waipā River. Of course, there may also be other iwi or hapū from whom the Māori Affairs Committee may hear who feel that they have been left out of the process. That is not surprising, given that it is the Crown that dictates who it will and will not negotiate with.

For the record, I should state that the Green Party position on these Treaty settlement bills is that we do not believe they are a full and final settlement. It cannot be a final settlement when there are generations of Raukawa to come who will be affected by the injustices of the past, and it is not a full settlement, because how can you compensate for what has been lost? Raukawa are generous in accepting these terms. It was a very good deal, but it was a deal none the less. Having said that, this is a day of celebration. I acknowledge that this is the time for Raukawa to plan for their future with a much better economic base.

I will end with the last part of the Crown apology, which says: “The Crown apologises for its past failures to acknowledge the mana and rangatiratanga of Raukawa and looks forward to building an enduring relationship of mutual trust and cooperation with Raukawa that is based on respect for the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles.” It is my sincere hope that we can move forward with that in mind. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Ki Te Wairere, Horohoro, Pōhaturoa, ko Ōngāroto, ko Whāita, e. Nukuhou ki Taupō-nui-a-Tia, ki runga o Hūrākia, Hauhungaroa, Tītīraupenga, Arowhenua, Wharepuhunga, Whakamaru, Te Paeroa o Raukawa. Titiro atu ki Te Kaokaoroa-o-Pātetere, Maungatautari, ka titiro ki Wharepuhunga, ko Hoturoa, ko Parāwera, ko te manawa rā o Ngāti Raukawa, e. Ki te iwi o Ngāti Raukawa mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.

[From Te Wairere, Horohoro, Pōhaturoa to Ōngāroto to Whāita there, alas. From Nukuhou to Taupō-nui-a-Tia and up on Hūrākia, Hauhungaroa, Tītīraupenga, Arowhenua, Whakamaru and on to Raukawa range. Look upon the vast region of Te Kaokaoroa-o-Patētere to Maungatautari and gaze at Wharepuhunga, it is Hoturoa and the heart of Ngāti Raukawa, Parāwera, alas. To the tribe of Raukawa, I salute you all.]

The purpose of this Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill is to give effect to the deed of settlement signed by the Crown and Raukawa. The Crown failed to protect Raukawa from becoming landless, and the lack of land and resources undermined the ability of the iwi to participate in new economic opportunities in its rohe. This contributed to the economic, social, and cultural impoverishment of Raukawa. This settlement rights the wrongs of the past, and allows Raukawa to build a stronger future.

Raukawa grievances include the Waikato and Tauranga wars of the 1860s, and the confiscation of Raukawa land following that conflict. The introduction and implementation of native land laws facilitated the alienation of Raukawa, and the Crown’s failure to ensure that Raukawa had adequate lands for its present and future needs contributed to the economic, social, and cultural impoverishment of Raukawa.

The Crown acknowledges that its actions arising from interaction with Raukawa were in breach of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles. Clause 10 states: “(2) The Crown profoundly regrets and unreservedly apologises to Raukawa for its actions and omissions that led to the virtual landlessness of Raukawa in the Waikato, and which caused suffering and hardship to generations of Raukawa. (3) The Crown deeply regrets its actions during the New Zealand wars of the 1860s, which resulted in the loss of life and was destructive and demoralising to Raukawa. (4) The Crown apologises for its past failures to acknowledge the mana and rangatiratanga of Raukawa and looks forward to building an enduring relationship of mutual trust and cooperation with Raukawa that is based on respect for the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles.”

Raukawa will receive approximately $52 million, which includes value transferred under the central North Island settlement in 2008 and estimated interest. Raukawa will have the opportunity to purchase part of the Pureora North Crown forest licence land, and will also have the opportunity to purchase up to 25 Crown-owned properties within a deferred selection period after settlement date, ranging from 6 months to 5 years. Ten of these properties would be subject to lease back to the Crown. Raukawa will have the right of first refusal for a period of 172 years over 36 Crown properties.

The settlement provides support for the strengthening of commercial relationships between Raukawa and Mighty River Power. Raukawa will receive $8 million to explore future commercial arrangements with Mighty River Power. Mighty River Power owns and operates hydroelectricity generation along the Waikato River in areas of cultural significance to Raukawa. The settlement includes an $8 million payment to Raukawa to assist Raukawa and Mighty River Power to enter into commercial arrangements if they so choose. The payment does not impose any obligations on either party.

Cultural redress recognises the traditional, historical, cultural, and spiritual associations Raukawa has with places and sites within their rohe or areas of interest. These include the vesting of 11 sites and Maungatautari. The Crown acknowledges that Maungatautari is of significant cultural, historical, and spiritual importance to Raukawa and other iwi. The settlement provides for the interests of Raukawa to be recognised in the future transfer of Maungatautari to te hapori o Maungatautari, the Maungatautari community; a $3 million fund to assist Raukawa to negotiate the sale of, or access arrangements to, sites of significance; and a pouwhenua fund, which is a $50,000 fund to assist Raukawa in the creation and erection of pouwhenua at sites of significance. In respect of the Waihou River, the deed provides for the interests of Raukawa to be recognised in any future arrangement reached regarding the Waihou River within the Raukawa area of interest.

Overlay classification acknowledges the traditional, cultural, spiritual, and historical associations of Raukawa sites of significance. The declaration of an area as an overlay classification provides for the Crown to acknowledge iwi values in relation to that area. The settlement provides overlay classifications over the maunga Pureora o Kahu and maunga Wharepūhunga. A statutory acknowledgment recognises the association between Raukawa and a particular site or area and enhances Raukawa’s ability to participate in significant Resource Management Act processes.

The settlement also provides acknowledgment over several reserves. The settlement provides a deed of recognition over Crown-owned parts within the Raukawa area of interest, part of Lake Ōhākuri, the Waihou River, and the Arahiwi Scenic Reserve. In respect of place name changes, Ōmāhine Stream will become Māhina-a-rangi Stream, a currently unnamed historic site at the confluence of Ōmāhine Stream with Waiōmau Stream will be called Whatawhata, and a currently unnamed historic site at the source of Ōmāhine Stream will be called Whenua ā-kura. Those will be the place name changes under this deed.

Kotahi te hinengaro, kotahi te wairua, kotahi te ngākau, arā, ka tipu ai te māramatanga, ka rere ai te tūmanako, ka puāwai ai te aroha. With one mind, one spirit, one heart, understanding grows, hope soars, and love blossoms. I commend this bill to the House.

Ngā manuhiri nō Ngāti Raukawa, nau mai, piki mai ki tō mātou Whare kōrero, nau mai ki roto i te kaupapa o te rā nei.

[To the visitors from Ngāti Raukawa, welcome to our speaking House; ascend it and participate in the matter for today.]

It is good to see the Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill come to the House. I understand how much time and effort goes into getting to this milestone, and I congratulate the people of Raukawa on their commitment to their people, on their patience, on their determination, and on their diligence in getting to this place. I also recognise and grieve the passing of Raukawa kaumātua and kuia who have contributed to this settlement. As a member of the Māori Affairs Committee, I promise we will work hard and respectfully to pass this legislation through as quickly and as efficiently as possible. It is always exciting to see another claim nearing settlement. Since we have been in Government since 2008 we have watched 40 such claims, and there are more in the pipeline.

I come from the South Island. I come from the area, the rohe, of Ngāi Tahu, and so I have seen with my own eyes the value of these settlements. I have seen the benefits to the people of Ngāi Tahu and I have seen the benefits to the rest of us who live in the South Island. It has been particularly relevant recently, after our earthquakes. It has been relevant because Ngāi Tahu are jointly responsible with local government and central government as partners to rebuild Christchurch and Canterbury. They have a strong leadership role in cultural, social, and business recovery. Ngāi Tahu took a very important part in the emergency response immediately after the earthquakes, and that immediate response has continued. Now they have a particularly significant role in the development and the property sector of the rebuild of our city and our province. I believe that without this settlement, which goes back to the 1990s, they would not have the capacity and they would not be in the position to contribute so importantly to this role in our time of need.

It is right that the grievances of Raukawa have been recognised in this bill, it is right that the Crown has apologised for breaching the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles, and it is right that the Crown has apologised for its actions during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s. It is also right that the Crown apologises for causing suffering, for causing hardship, and for the demoralisation of the Raukawa people. Looking forward, it is also right that the Crown recognises the mana and the rangatiratanga of Raukawa, and looks forward to building an enduring relationship of mutual trust and cooperation, based on the respect of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles.

I and all members of the Māori Affairs Committee—and you have heard them speaking today—look forward to working with the Raukawa people and officials from the Office of Treaty Settlements to deliver this claims settlement legislation to the best of our ability, and we will try not to take too long either. Nō reira, e ngā rangatira nō Raukawa, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[So to you the chiefs from Raukawa, greetings, salutations, and acknowledgments to you all.]

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā whānau o Raukawa. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. It is my pleasure as a member of the Labour Māori caucus to stand here to tautoko this first reading of the Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill, which is a translation of this document, the deed of settlement, that Raukawa have entered into with the Crown.

In acknowledging this deed of settlement, I want to acknowledge that from April 1988 the Raukawa Trust Board has been formally recognised as an iwi authority. That is incredibly important in this process, as we all know, because that entity was then recognised by the Crown as Raukawa’s mandated entity to enter into what is a Treaty settlement process for Raukawa. Today is an end of that journey, in some respects, for Raukawa, and so I acknowledge that. I would also like to acknowledge the deed of settlement, which had 94.42 percent of iwi support and also 93.19 percent approval for the Raukawa Trust Board to be the governance entity to receive these funds, to receive this redress, and to work on behalf of the people of Raukawa.

So what does this piece of legislation say? I am going to take a brief call, as I am no longer a member of the Māori Affairs Committee. It is a pleasure for me to be involved in these settlement processes—our true reconciliation process as a country. But it is always very interesting to look at what is constituted within this particular piece of legislation. Firstly, the Crown apologises for, basically, two things. One is the conflicts of the 1860s, which did result in loss of life for Raukawa. I want to highlight the Ōrākau battle. In fact, it was within that Ōrākau battle that Raukawa chief Te Paerata was killed. That is obviously significant for the whānau of Raukawa. What I want to acknowledge about that particular battle was that the whānau of Raukawa were outnumbered, basically, seven to one. They held the fort, but eventually there was loss of life of up to 160 members of the Raukawa whānau.

So these settlements are actually very serious. We had our own land wars, our own civil war, here in Aotearoa New Zealand. I think we always must remember that these pieces of settlement legislation are a formal acknowledgment of the loss of life in our own country through our own land wars, and we must never forget those. The other highlight for me, always, is about the confiscation of lands, because, essentially, that is what this compensation package is always trying to redress—loss of life and loss of land.

Raukawa had 1 million acres of land, and how much of that land was taken from them? Well, 923,358 acres. So today, essentially, Raukawa has 7 percent of the land that they had before colonisation. When we look at these settlements—and Denise Roche, my Green colleague, touched on the generosity of Raukawa—we always must remember that the settlement that we have come to today is because of Raukawa. The settlement that Raukawa have entered into is a fraction of what was taken from them. That is what we always should record here in the House, through the Treaty settlement process: that ethic of generosity that all iwi have engaged in in allowing us to come to a place of peace, and also allowing Raukawa to come to a place of getting some of those assets back, working those assets on behalf of their 30,000 members.

The other part of this piece of legislation I want to highlight is the cultural redress. My colleague Claudette Hauiti has outlined some of those. But I particularly want to focus on the place name changes. For me, this is about the whakapapa of Raukawa. This is about the punga, the footprints, that Raukawa will have going into the future. Ōmāhine Stream is going to be called Māhina-a-rangi Stream. Obviously, that is incredibly significant for Raukawa. So for ever more that stream will be named after Raukawa tūpuna. That is incredibly important. There are also two unnamed historical sites. The confluence of Māhina-a-rangi Stream with the Waiōmou Stream is to be called Whatawhata. Again, that is incredibly significant for Raukawa whānau. Another unnamed historical site at the source of Māhina-a-rangi Stream is to be called Whenua ā-kura. So what is in a name, whānau? A lot. These Treaty settlement processes provide redress, but they also provide, I believe, a pathway for the way forward. We guarantee that Raukawa will for ever on their whenua have the place names that signify the whakapapa of that whenua.

Finally, I just want to talk a little bit again about the financial and commercial redress—$52 million, essentially, for 923,358 acres of land. I have not done the maths today about what an acre is worth within the whenua of Raukawa, but what I want to always record on the record is my position as part of the Labour caucus in being incredibly—how can I say it? There is a lot of gratitude that we have for Māori, for our iwi in this settlement process, for allowing us as a nation to move forward positively. All I can say as a member of Parliament is thank you to Raukawa. Thank you for your ability to enable us as a nation to move on. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Kia ora e te Mana Whakawā. Tēnā koe e te Whare. Kia ora, e ngā mihi i te iwi Raukawa, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. I will take a short call as I had not been expecting to speak in this first reading debate of the Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill, but I want to extend greetings from the Government senior whip and member for Taupō, Louise Upston, who is a Government member of the Māori Affairs Committee, and who very much regrets that she is unable to be here today to support this very important measure. As a fellow Waikato member of Parliament, representing the western side of Kirikiriroa, home of the stadium at which a magnificent, back-to-back Super 15 title was secured by the mighty Chiefs last Saturday—and my colleagues would have been so disappointed if I had not got that in somewhere—I do want to acknowledge, in all seriousness, the losses that Raukawa suffered in the 19th century. In particular, I acknowledge the goodwill of the iwi in their negotiations of this deed of settlement. They were not only losses of the 19th century but, obviously, losses subsequently, to the present time. Kia ora and thank you all for that.

Like my colleague the Hon Tau Henare, I also pay tribute to the outstanding work of the Hon Christopher Finlayson, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, who will close this first reading debate shortly. I acknowledge his dedication and boundless energy in meeting the demands of this major portfolio. He is playing a major role in helping this nation to resolve deep and longstanding injustices, and I admire his work immensely.

My colleagues on all sides of this House have covered the major provisions of this bill, and obviously the Minister will touch on more of them shortly. So I want to thank all members for their constructive contributions and for the unanimous support of members for this bill.

This is an important and a historic day for Raukawa and for our country: me whakanuia e tātou [we should celebrate it]. Kia ora.

He reo pari kārangaranga i te Whare nei, karanga mai, karanga mai, karanga mai. Karanga mai e ngā uri mokopuna o te tipuna māreikura o Heretaunga a Māhinarangi o te waka tapu o Tākitimu. Ka moe ia i a Tūrongo o te waka Tainui, arā, ka puta nā te kakara o te rākau rongonui, ā, ko Raukawa. Ka tū mai rā koutou i te Whare Pāremata nei. He pānui tuatahi o te whakataunga o ngā whenua raupatu o ngā kerēme o te Tiriti o Waitangi. Mihi mai, mihi mai, mihi mai rā.

[A resounding voice calls this House, calling, calling, and calling. Call the grandchildren and descendants of the noble ancestress Māhinarangi of Hastings and of the sacred canoe of Tākitimu. She married Tūrongo of the Tainui canoe, and Raukawa was born as a consequence of the aromatic scent from the famous tree. You stand in this House of Parliament here. It is the first reading of the settlement of confiscated lands of the Treaty of Waitangi claims. Extend your greetings, salutations, and acknowledgements.]

It is fitting that I take my first call in this House of Representatives to stand in solidarity with my Māori Labour caucus members and the House as a whole in supporting this bill, the Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill, to the House. It is fitting because I am a descendant of the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa people, who were, through the actions of the Crown, dispossessed of Lake Wairarapa and relocated to Pouakani. By standing in support, I acknowledge the remaining mamae that this action causes the people of Raukawa. Nō reira e te whānau, tēnā koutou katoa.

But today is a day of celebration. It is a day of acknowledging the hard mahi of the people of Raukawa and the commitment to getting to this point. As a former mandated negotiator for Rongowhakaata, I can share with you my emotions, sitting where you are today for the first reading of our bill. There were mixed emotions tinged with sadness for those no longer with us and mixed emotions of excitement for what lies ahead. So from me to all of you here today, I mihi to you for getting us to this point.

To Minister Finlayson, thank you for your support in bringing this bill to the House. It is not an easy journey to get here, but I know the efforts of all—be it the negotiators, be it the officials—to get us to this point, and I congratulate you all.

Members on this side of the House have touched on the details of this bill, but for me, and as I said in my maiden speech last night, it is about economic development in a post-settlement era. You, the people of Raukawa, have not been given all the tools, but you have been given a good start to aspire to those aspirations and those goals on behalf of your hapū and your whānau and your iwi. So I commend you again for your commitment and your undertaking to bring this bill to the House.

I am just sitting here, thinking about how quiet this House becomes when we are dealing with Treaty bills. Maybe the House can take a lesson from that—when it joins together in unification on settling Treaty settlements.

I just want to touch on the particular parts that I am interested in, around the mechanisms that will unleash and unlock your economic potential, particularly around your overlay classifications, your statutory acknowledgments, and your deeds of recognition. Can I commend and support the iwi’s desire to not only protect your taonga, in terms of waterways and whenua, but also unlock their economic potential, should you so wish.

There is a role for the Government to support the people of Raukawa. The burden of addressing what has befallen your people should not rest on your shoulders alone. Settlements are merely to help replace in some small part what has been taken away from you, as people, many, many years ago. I know that with the support of my Labour Party colleagues, particularly the Māori members, we are committed to supporting the aims and aspirations of whānau, of hapū, and of iwi. I have not much more to add, but it has been an absolute honour to stand and commend this bill to the House. Can I say in closing, nō reira, i rō i te whakataukī nei a Ngātai Huata, ka ora te wahine puapua, ka ora te whānau puāwai, ka ora te hapū puawānanga, ka ora te iwi pūrotu nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[So in this aphorism from Ngātai Huata, it says if the woman is cherished then the blossoming family, the satellite subtribe, and the beautiful tribe will do well, greetings, salutations and acknowledgements to you all.]

I too extend a very warm welcome to the representatives of Raukawa who have joined us today for this occasion. They may be wondering why I, as the Minister in charge of the Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill, was not here for the first speech. The reason for that is quite simple. Mrs Turia is the local MP, and she asked me whether she could give the first speech, because of her fondness for Ngāti Raukawa. When Mrs Turia asks someone to do something, you do it, and the reason, quite apart from the fact that she is the local MP, I have to confess, is that she is my favourite politician—utterly principled and a very decent woman. In this place folk say that it takes a lot of courage to stand up to one’s enemies. Well, it takes a lot more courage to stand up to one’s friends. That is what Mrs Turia did 10 years ago, and she won. I just wish that she would forget about retirement and decide to follow Mrs Thatcher’s dictum to go on and on and on.

So that is why she gave the first speech. But I acknowledge that it takes skill and courage to reach a settlement. The Raukawa negotiating team has navigated this very tricky river with pragmatism, with leadership, and with diligence. It is because of these dedicated people that we are here today, and I certainly want to pay tribute to them. I acknowledge past and present negotiators Chris McKenzie, Vanessa Eparaima, Nigel Te Hiko, and Patricia Cowley. I think Stephanie O’Sullivan, David Bennett has just said to me, is not here today but she is watching it on television, and I wish her all the very best. She has done great work for Ngāti Raukawa. I first met her when we were still in Opposition in about 2006, with Chris in Hamilton. I know how much she means to the iwi and how much the iwi means to her.

But I particularly want to say a few words about George Rangitūtia, who has passed away. He championed Raukawa with wisdom and with humility and leadership. I have many memories of George. George, the quiet leader. George, who just settled things down at that airing of grievances in Tokoroa some years ago. George, the very kind host, who picked me up at the top of the Kaimais one beautiful summer’s morning in January, in the bus. With members of Raukawa, we drove around the rohe, and he dropped me off near Taupō because I was heading off to be shown the Whanganui River by Archie Taiaroa the next day. The sad thing is that both those fine, fine people are gone. So I always remember George as a kind host on that beautiful day, and I remember George the ill, but optimistic, patient. I was very pleased to go and visit him, with Louise Upston, on the day we signed the deed of settlement. We got his signature on the deed, and that was a very special occasion for me.

I want to thank Denise Roche for her very kind words. I was, frankly, in a state of shock because it is the first time a Green member has said anything nice about me. In fact, I was so shocked—

💬 Hon Trevor Mallard: She’s been smoking!

Speaking of enemies, I hear Mr Mallard piping up. Judith Collins was so surprised, she called me over for counselling, and wondered whether something had gone wrong. But, anyway, I want to thank Denise. I will treasure that memory. I want to acknowledge all these people because they have played their part, but I particularly want to place on record my deep respect and affection for George, and I wish his family all the very best on this special day.

Raukawa are no strangers to this House. In 2008 they were here as a party to the central North Island forests land collective settlement legislation. In 2010 they joined us here, along with their neighbours Ngāti Tuwharetoa and Te Arawa, to witness and celebrate the passage of the Ngati Tuwharetoa, Raukawa, and Te Arawa Iwi Waikato River Act 2010. The aim of that legislation, as you yourself know, Mr Assistant Speaker Tisch—not that I am bringing you into the debate, but simply to say in passing that, as the MP for Waikato, you know—is to restore and protect the health and well-being of the great river that flows through your electorate.

Raukawa are again our guests today, this time for the final steps to their settlement journey. It does address the longstanding historical grievances of Raukawa, which are many, as this House has said. I thank particularly Mr Tirikatene for his contribution. These matters are long overdue for settlement, because what happened up there was simply unjust. I do recall so very well the airing of grievances in Tokoroa, when the elderly lady stood up and said that she was forced out of her home because of Public Works Act takings and hydroelectric development in that part of the country, and that she resisted going until the waters were just about lapping at the entrance.

These unjust actions started in the 19th century and continued right through to the mid-20th century, and what they did resulted in the economic, social, and cultural impoverishment of Raukawa and their special relationship with their lands and waterways. These are not formulaic statements; they are statements from the heart, particularly as a result of having got to know these people and the utterly justifiable claims that they have had over such a lengthy period.

These grievances started with the wars of the 1860s in the Waikato, where the loss of life and property, through armed conflict, through occupation, and through raupatu, had such a severe impact on the well-being of Raukawa. Picking up on what Mr Tirikatene said, and coming back to that day in Tokoroa, I too recall the statements about Mangakino and the Pouakani lands, and so on, and the utter unfairness of that. It is unfairness that repeats itself year in and year out, and I know that it has been—to call it an irritation minimises it—a severe question for Raukawa over the years. Mind you, it was not very fair to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa either. Of course, they were given that land because I think people thought it was worthless, and then after World War II it proved to be economically viable. What happened there was simply unfair and unbecoming of the Crown, and that is why we have these settlements. That is why, as others have said, it is important to know the history of what happened.

So the Crown acknowledges that it has breached the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles in its relationship with Raukawa. It failed to protect the mana and the rangatiratanga of Raukawa. It failed to protect Raukawa interests in customary resources and significant sites. That is why we have had a settlement. That is why this legislation was introduced. That is why I am so very keen to see the legislation move through the House as quickly as possible, so that it can be legislated for before the end of the year.

Last week I was talking to Vanessa, who was a little bit upset that perhaps it was not debated last week, and I said to watch this space. We have managed to get it done quicker than either of us thought. I am just so very pleased that now the bill will be off to the Māori Affairs Committee, led by the great Mr Henare and his team. They are going to be very busy because they are dealing with the Te Tau Ihu Claims Settlement Bill, where there are eight settlements, and the haka; the Ngā Punawai o Te Tokotoru Claims Settlement Bill, where there are three settlements; the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Bill; the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Hapū Claims Settlement Bill; and now this bill. So I simply say to the members of that committee, and to Mr Henare in particular, that there is no time to muck around. You have got to knuckle down, get these bills through the system, and get them back to the House as quickly as possible.

💬 Hon Member: Listening, Tau?

Of course he’s listening, because he is an outstanding chair of the Māori—the member is listening, is he not?

💬 Hon Tau Henare: Yep.

He is an outstanding chair of the Māori Affairs Committee. He is a great friend and colleague, and I know that he is going to get these bills back post-haste.

Bill read a first time.

Bill referred to the Māori Affairs Committee.