Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill

on behalf of the Minister of Māori Affairs: I move, That the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill be now read a third time. Ki a koutou te w’ānau a Mokomoko, ka nui te mihi rawa atu ki a koutou kua tae mai nei ki te w’akanui i tēnei kaupapa ō koutou.

[A respectful acknowledgment to you all, the Mokomoko family, who have come to honour this important event of yours.]

Today we honour the Te Whakatōhea rangatira Mokomoko and the generations of his family. This bill gives legal effect to the agreement to introduce legislation to give statutory recognition to the Mokomoko pardon signed by Dr Pita Sharples on behalf of the Crown, and Tūirirangi Mokomoko on behalf of the w’ānau, at Waiaua Marae on 28 September 2011. A large number of w’ānau gathered that day, kaumātua, pakeke, and rangatahi, and also signed in support. I mihi to the w’ānau today gathered in the House and acknowledge the long journey that they have travelled to see justice for their tupuna.

As the world mourns the loss of a great leader and pays tribute to the long walk to freedom that represented his life, it is indeed fitting to consider the influence of his example across many lands, including those who act as a similar force for change here in Aotearoa. I want to note the contributions of Tūirirangi Mokomoko and Matenga Biddle. Both passed away shortly before the first reading of this bill. During their lives, Tūirirangi and Matenga helped carry the burden of this kaupapa and guided their w’ānau forward. I think of them now and the enduring legacy that they have left behind for their mokopuna to inherit. Moe mai rā, kōrua, moe mai rā.

This bill will formally restore the character, mana, and reputation of their tupuna Mokomoko, a rangatira of Te Whakatōhea, who was executed by the Crown in 1866 for his alleged involvement in the murder of Rev. Carl Völkner. Some in this House will vividly recall that 19 years ago a free pardon was provided to Mokomoko for his role in this event. For others, that history may be less well known. My hope is that with this legislation we as New Zealanders understand the grief that has haunted successive generations and learn from it.

I want to emphasise the significance of this bill to the descendants of the Mokomoko w’ānau. It progresses the Crown’s express undertaking to restore the character, mana, and reputation of their tupuna Mokomoko and of the w’ānau by providing statutory recognition of the free pardon. It represents the efforts of the leadership group to bring this issue to the Crown’s attention and to enable the w’ānau to finally start their healing process. The bill is a sign of the Crown’s commitment to restore its relationship with the w’ānau by expressing its regret that the shame and stigma carried by them were not remedied by the pardon that was provided in 1992.

Tried and sentenced to death for the murder of Carl Völkner, throughout his trial Mokomoko maintained his innocence. The suffering, shame, and stigma associated with his w’ānau from the alleged involvement of their tupuna in those events has been carried by generations. Today we address the shame and stigma carried by those generations—shame and stigma that should never have been theirs to bear.

It has been a burden few families have ever, ever had to bear—a burden that saw the public execution of their tupuna Mokomoko at the Mount Eden stockade just after 8 a.m. on Thursday, 17 May 1866. It is a burden that months earlier saw their tupuna the hoa rangatira of Mokomoko, Kimohia, repeatedly raped, and bayoneted to death by Government soldiers. What sort of shameful history are we all a part of? It is a burden that saw Crown soldiers who raided the lands of Te Whakatōhea killing civilians, burning homes, and destroying crops. It is a burden that saw hundreds of thousands of acres of land taken by the Crown within the rohe of Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Awa, and Tūhoe. It has been a burden that has seen generations of these descendants wrongfully blamed for this unjust, appalling raupatu and killing.

Over 147 years, through generations, this family has fought to clear the name of their tupuna, the name of their w’ānau, and they have fought to see justice pass. After generations of struggle a free pardon was granted for Mokomoko in 1992. This should have been a constructive step for the w’ānau. The Crown’s intention was right, but the way that the pardon was provided compounded their grievance. The Crown did not consult w’ānau on the wording of the free pardon. The wording, in fact, implied it was done only because of similar pardons provided to the co-accused of Mokomoko. It did not expressly restore his character, mana, and reputation, nor the character, mana, and reputation of his uri, and it did not record the pardon in statute. As a result, we the Crown perpetuated the shame and stigma endured by this w’ānau, and for that, on behalf of the Crown, I fully and unreservedly apologise.

This bill intends to correct those omissions. The w’ānau has consulted closely on the wording of this bill, and I hope it will go some way to restoring the character, mana, and reputation of their tupuna and their w’ānau. I want to mihi to this w’ānau once more for their courage and foresight in proposing to the Māori Affairs Committee that the recognition for their tupuna be provided in both Te Reo Māori and in English. Enacting legislation in Te Reo and in English is a first for our Parliament. Currently, Standing Orders enable members to conduct many aspects of the business of Parliament in Te Reo Māori if they choose. This is the logical next step. It is a truly historic development, and I thank you. I want to acknowledge the committee for this huge step that it has taken in establishing a precedent that is based on Te Reo rangatira.

The committee also noted the w’ānau request for the wider historical narrative to be told and for an apology from the Crown. The committee noted that these issues will be addressed appropriately through future historical Treaty settlements. Until then I will, on behalf of the Crown, apologise to the w’ānau for perpetuating the shame and stigma heaped on te w’ānau a Mokomoko.

I do note that the preamble records the background to the treatment of Mokomoko and the men of Ngāti Awa in relation to the murder of Carl Völkner and the Waitangi Tribunal’s findings in 1992 of a free pardon. In this respect the bill is confined to correcting omissions related to the 1992 free pardon. It restores the mana of te w’ānau a Mokomoko. Much of the history has been recorded by the Waitangi Tribunal in its Ngāti Awa Raupatu Report and Te Urewera: Pre-publication, Part 1 report. This history will form the basis of discussions to be held with the Crown to settle historical Treaty claims.

When this bill first came before the House earlier this year a reporter asked a w’ānau elder to tell her what motivated him. The koroua replied that his motivation was quite simple: “Our tūpuna, our w’ānau, our hapū, iwi, and our children, and their children, and their children, and their children. We may not be the greatest w’ānau in the world, but we are loyal, we have fought for our country, we are humble people, and we have big hearts.”

We say to that w’ānau who have big hearts that this is a huge understatement. Their incredible spirit of generosity enables us to stand before them today. The Crown is standing alongside them today to look at the past with its eyes wide open, and it does not look away. All those things that this w’ānau have suffered and lost due to the actions of the Crown can never be replaced or forgotten, and yet today they are here. Their presence honours this Parliament.

Arrested, tried, and convicted, and finally executed by the Crown while in prison, Mokomoko composed a waiata that has become a guiding philosophy for generations of w’ānau: “Tangohia te taura i taku kakī kia waiata au i taku waiata” [remove the rope from my throat so I may sing my song]. Today we pay tribute again to ngā uri o Mokomoko who, like their tupuna, have had the strength to speak up, who have refused to let the truth be silenced, who are the reason why we are gathered here today to pass milestone legislation not just in the history of their family but in the history of our nation.

Today we consider legislation that seeks to restore the character, reputation, and mana of a man, a rangatira, and his w’ānau. The dying words of Mokomoko are words that have never been far from his descendants’ hearts: “E mate harikoa ana ahau. Tēnā koutou, Pākehā, hei aha.”

[I die happily. Thank you, Pākehā, and so be it.]

Tēnā koutou te w’ānau. Tēnā koutou. I mihi to you and to your tupuna for having the strength, the mana, and the determination to speak up so that the truth will not be silenced. Thank you for your courage, your compassion, your enduring patience, and your willingness to forgive. This nation is better because of your generosity. Nā reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Hei tīmatanga ake me mihi atu ki ngā uri o te kaumātua rangatira nei o tēnā pito o Aotearoa. Me pēnei te kī: ko Waiaua awa, he rerenga roimata; ko Waiaua marae, he rerenga kupu hei whakairo i a rau mahara—ā-ngākau, ā-hinengaro, ā-wairua. Tā koutou, e tatū mai ai ki Te Ūpoko i tēnei rā, ehara i te mea nā te hiriwā, te koura rānei koutou i tae mai ai. Ehara nā te pānga whenua, kāhore. Otirā, hei whakatūturu i te ngākau, hei whakatūturu i te wairua, ka ea tēnei kaumātua, ka murua ēnā whakapae i whiua ki runga i a ia. Kāhore pea he whānau tū atu i a koutou. I amo, i waha i tēnei kīkauranga kārawarawa pai te tuarā, taimaha atu ai, tae noa mai ki tēnei rā. Uaua rawa te kite i tētahi whānau kotahi i roto o Aotearoa ka rite ki te wāhi e tū nei koutou i tēneki rā, atu i tēnei rā. Nā reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātau katoa.

Ko tā mātau i tēnei taha o te Whare he tautoko i ngā kupu mai i tō tātau ruahine o te ao Māori, i roto i te ao tōrangapū, a Tariana. Me te mōhio, i roto i ngā taukumekume o te ao tōrangapū, he pakeke rawa, he auau noa iho ngā wā ka kite mātau ngā kaitōrangapū i tētahi take pēnei. He take māku te kī, e ngoto tonu ana ki te wairua o to tātau motu Aotearoa. I roto i ēnei tini tau ka pahemo, ka whai wāhi ai tēnei Whare, hei muru i tēnei hara. Ehara tēnei i te mahi māmā noa iho nei. E kore te whānuitanga o tēneki mahi e oti i a mātau te whakakaupapa mā roto i te kupu. Tā te mea mō koutou he kaupapa wairua tēnei. Nā reira ko tāku he mihi ake ki a koutou ā-Māori , ā-tōrangapū. Nā reira, koutou Ngāti Patumoana, Te Whakatōhea, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Firstly, I acknowledge the descendants of this chief Mokomoko from that part of New Zealand. The saying goes like this: the Waiaua river is awash with tears; the Waiaua courtyard is awash with words that fashion out hundreds of emotional, mind-blowing, spiritual, and memorable reflections. Your arrival here in Wellington was not for silver or gold; it was not for land interests, not at all. You came to settle the spirit and liberate your ancestor from the allegations that he faced. There is no family stronger than you. You bore the immense responsibility until this day. It is difficult to imagine another family in Aotearoa that has reached the point that you have accomplished. And so congratulations, salutations, and well done to you all.

We members on this side of the House endorse the sentiments expressed by our esteemed elder of the Māori and political worlds, the Hon Tariana Turia. We also know that within the political struggle, it is extremely rare for politicians to witness an issue such as this. It is an issue that invokes intense feelings for our whole country. Over the past several years, Parliament has dealt to this injustice. It is not an easy task, and one cannot adequately describe how much work went into it. For you in particular, it is a spiritual journey. Therefore, I acknowledge you as a Māori and a politician. Ngāti Patumoana and Te Whakatōhea, salutations and greetings to you all.]

I take a brief call and, as I have said in our Māori language, this is an unusual day in the sense that we are dealing with a piece of legislation after many years have passed, and it is almost as if we are laying to rest one of the ghosts of our colonial history. It is a very rare experience. Indeed, a very rare status is now enjoyed by this whānau, who, as we have said in Māori, have had to endure a very uncomfortable position both in their own tribal area and in the broad history of New Zealand, knowing that they are descended from someone who suffered the most grievous wrong and paid ultimately with his life.

When Te Ururoa Flavell first came into Parliament, the kīnaki, or the waiata, that he sang when he made his original speech was the waiata contained in this bill. It may come as some surprise to him that I remember that. But I hope that in joining today with my Māori colleagues on the other side of the House, and all of us as a community of parliamentarians, we can, as the stewards of the most senior court of the land—the House of Representatives—actually provide some closure and bid this man farewell in a way that befits his legacy. I encourage members of this House to learn the English translation, where he sang: “Only then will I get peace and eternal rest”. So, to Mokomoko I say, as a parliamentarian and as a steward of this House, rest in peace. Tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou, kia ora tātou katoa.

Te mea tuatahi ki a au ki aku rangatira, tēnā koutou i haere mai i tēnei rā mō tēnei kaupapa. Nō reira, ngā mihi, ngā mihi, ngā mihi.

[The first thing for me, my leaders, is to acknowledge you. Greetings to you who have arrived here today in respect of this matter. And so, salutations, acknowledgments, and congratulations.]

Interestingly enough, across the other side of the world, or rather the other side of the southern hemisphere, they are laying to rest—or are about to lay to rest—a man who I think we all understand is the master of forgiveness. We know about his long walk to freedom. I suppose we could say that what we are doing today is taking one more step in our journey to freedom—in our country’s journey to freedom. Today what we are doing is taking just one of those small steps, but it is a big step towards the final goal of what I think Nelson Mandela was on about—that is, being respectful to one another and of each other’s cultures. It is about remembering the past, but not wholly forgetting what a lot of people have gone through.

It was 147 years ago that a man was taken to the gallows in Mount Eden, ostensibly on trumped-up charges. I have read the transcripts and the historical record of this case, and suffice to say that if this had been in our court today, it would have spent probably half an hour in the court and all charges would have been dismissed—and rightly so.

I do want to congratulate the Ministers involved—in particular, the Minister of Māori Affairs, Pita Sharples. I suppose that there is a bit of serendipity that he is on the other side of the world representing New Zealand at a funeral for the man whom we have talked so much about these past few days. I also want to thank my colleagues on the Māori Affairs Committee because I think that what we achieved is, I believe, nothing short of a miracle—that is, not in passing this legislation, the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill, but in the fact that we were able to convince the powers that be that the legislation be in our mother tongue, in this nation’s only indigenous language. For the first time, Parliament has taken this on board. I think that is just another huge step. I think that the whānau of Mokomoko can be quite proud of the fact that it was their tupuna who created the opportunity for us to do that.

I will not take too long. Suffice to say that whenever I drive down the coast now to my wife’s area, on the way down I look right and on the way back I look left, and I never did that before. I pay my personal homage, when I am driving State Highway 35, to Mokomoko and to those people who live there. I think that one of the things we have to understand in this country is that there are people such as the whānau of Mokomoko who have suffered 147 years of shame—147 years of being downtrodden, 147 years of not being taken seriously. When you do that to a people, the effects on their young people, on their old people, on all of their people are huge, and I do not think we realise what can happen after generation after generation after generation of being treated like some sort of pariah. In many countries around the world, if this was the same situation, there would be hell to pay for generations to come.

So we can stand up here and pontificate about how good we are, but how good are they, for all of what they have taken on board? These people were a thriving people—economically, culturally, and in every shape and form. Because of this heinous act, for the last 147 years I think they have on the one hand suffered huge consequences, but on the other hand they have shown the spirit of Mandela, they have shown the spirit of Mokomoko. Although they have had to live with the consequences of what happened 147 years ago, they have held their heads up high. They have said to the rest of the nation that there may have been an injustice, but that what they would do every day, every minute, and every second is fight for the restoration of that man’s mana and that man’s kaupapa. So it is not only the likes of Nelson Mandela, not only the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, and not only the likes of all those people around the world who get recognition for that, because in this country we too have our examples of the way to do it. So I take my hat off to the whānau of Mokomoko, and, like I said, I look right and I look left when I travel State Highway 35. Kia ora.

Tēnei e tū ake ki te tuku i taku mihi maioha ki a koutou Te Whakatōhea, te whānau o Mokomoko, e tau mai nei i roto i tēnei Whare, hei whakarongo ki ngā whakahaeretanga i tēnei wā. Tāpiri atu āku whakaaro ki ērā momo i waihotia i mua i a koutou i tēnei wā, tēnā koutou.

[I rise to deliver an affectionate greeting to you, Te Whakatōhea and the family of Mokomoko, who have arrived here in this House to listen to proceedings at this moment. I add my thoughts to those put before you, so thank you collectively.]

I rise to confirm Labour’s support for the third reading and final passage of the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill. I reflected on the preamble, and for people who are new and listening to the debate in the House today, the context of this particular bill is best reflected, I think, in the preamble. I want to draw from the first line in the whakataukī that has been offered by te whānau a Mokomoko to the Māori Affairs Committee, to gain some appreciation of what we are trying to do here. They say: “Tangohia te taura i taku kakī, kia waiata au i taku waiata—Have the strength to speak up and the truth will not be silenced”. I have to say that as the bill progressed through the select committee it was only with time, with the consideration of the detail of requests, and with understanding the long walk to reconciliation that has been taken that we began to have an insight into, and an appreciation for, why this bill is so important.

The bill is set within the context of a broader historical narrative dating back to the 1860 Land Wars, which has shaped the determination and tenacity of iwi to uphold those taonga so cherished by our tūpuna at the time and, importantly, the mana with which they undertook to preserve all that they held dear to them. The policy intent of the bill is to rectify specific omissions from the free pardon granted to Mokomoko on 15 June 1992. The free pardon did not provide for the restoration of the character, mana, and reputation of Mokomoko and his uri whakatupu. It was not provided for in statute, and the whānau was not consulted on the wording of the pardon. And as we heard the submissions we began to really understand and appreciate the significance of why this bill was so necessary.

The bill is the result of extensive consultation between Crown officials and the Te whānau a Mokomoko Leadership Group on the terms of the agreement underpinning the bill and the drafting of the legislation that we are currently passing today. I think we are taking a step towards the path of reconciliation alongside the whānau to ensure that those things that they seek can in part be addressed. Clause 3 and clause 6 of the bill really are the substance of the request and how it has been responded to, certainly by the Government and the Crown. The bill contains in the schedule a reproduction of the free pardon that was granted to Mokomoko in 1992.

I want to comment just briefly on the Royal Succession Bill, which was debated in the House prior to this one, and say that the Royal Succession Bill does to a strong degree reaffirm New Zealand’s connection to the Commonwealth and to the monarchy. It would seem to me that the free pardon on behalf of the monarchy is a significant recognition of wrongs that have been achieved within Commonwealth countries. So when I consider the request of the whānau to have the pardon and the apology contained within statute, I for one certainly believe that that is the strongest affirmation that the Crown can give that a grave injustice has been done. That may not be adequately addressed by the select committee, but, Minister Turia, in recognising your role on behalf of the Crown, I think that in some way you have done an honourable act on behalf of the Government today.

In the other parts of the bill that are contained in clause 3, and also clause 6, the Crown: “acknowledges with regret that the free pardon did not expressly restore the character, mana, and reputation of Mokomoko nor the character, mana, and reputation of his uri [whakatupu] and expresses the Crown’s regret for any ongoing shame or stigma this has caused for his uri;”. It “acknowledges that the Crown should have consulted te whānau a Mokomoko about the wording of the free pardon;”, declares that it “restores the character, mana, and reputation of Mokomoko and the character, mana, and reputation of his uri;”, and furthermore reflects that the legislation “does not prevent te whānau a Mokomoko from seeking through the Treaty settlement process the settlement of their historical Treaty of Waitangi claims.”

The Māori Affairs Committee was informed by officials that the Crown is currently engaging with all of the te Whakatōhea groups, including te whānau a Mokomoko, to assist in the design of an inclusive and representative mandate for Whakatōhea that can uphold the mana of te whānau a Mokomoko through the historical Treaty settlement process. But by way of comment as I reflect on this, it may well fall short of the expectations of te whānau a Mokomoko in that they are seeking specific redress for their grievances, which we have acknowledged in part by the passage of this bill. If it were that policy prevented them from seeking specific redress, then I think that the policy should be amended, because what we are doing today is recognising that the nature of the grievance of te whānau a Mokomoko is identifiable. It has some tangible effects on a generation and generations following, and therefore the nature of their grievance must be recognised by the Crown.

Redress to settle the historical Treaty grievances of te whānau a Mokomoko, including the Waitangi Tribunal suggestion of an appropriate tribute, which in part has been noted in the preamble, will be explored further with te whānau a Mokomoko—this is what the officials had informed us—through the Treaty settlement negotiations. We took that in good faith and believe it to be the case. I mention this because there was an expectation that the Crown would make an apology within the context of this bill, the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill, and enshrine it in statute.

Our committee received a submission from the Te whānau ā Mokomoko Leadership Group on 8 May 2013, requesting proposed amendments to the bill’s preamble to include a historical account of the actions that took part prior to and during the conviction of Mokomoko, and to also include an apology from the Crown for the fact that the pardon granted in 1992 was inadequate. In response to that request, officials raised those proposed amendments with the Minister of Māori Affairs and the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations for their consideration and decision.

The Māori Affairs Committee was advised that both Ministers wrote to the whānau confirming that it continues to be the position that an agreed historical account and any related Crown acknowledgments should be located within the context of Treaty settlements. Ministers also reconfirmed their views that clauses 6(1)(b) and 6(2) give appropriate effect to the agreement that the Crown entered into with te whānau a Mokomoko in September 2011 and reflect the Crown’s regret for its omissions in 1992 and the unintended consequences that impacted on te whānau a Mokomoko. Ministers also confirmed that at this third reading debate they would include in their speech an official apology to the whānau. I say that by way of explanation to again reaffirm the point that within the further progress of the Treaty settlement engagement with Te whānau a Mokomoko, there is some way to go.

The select committee received a number of submissions on the bill and gave them thorough consideration, but can I say that probably the most significant request was to translate this bill into Te Reo Māori. In the 16 years that I have been in this Parliament, this is the first time that legislation has gained enough recognition to be translated into both languages. After all, Te Reo Māori is a national language. It is something that we should do more of, but I am absolutely delighted that on a bill of this significance, with such a weight of history and a responsibility to the next generation to get reconciliation better recorded, we have managed to achieve that. Nō reira, he iti noa nāku kia tuku i roto i tā tātou kete i tēnei wā, hei whakakīkīngia mō ngā whakahaeretanga o tēnei pire, tēnā tātou katoa. Kia ora koutou.

[Therefore, although my contribution into your basket at this time may be somewhat small, in terms of filling in and adding to the governance of this bill, I acknowledge us all, and thank you collectively.]

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Ngā mihi nui ki te whānau whānui o te rangatira Mokomoko, me Whakatōhea hapū katoa. Tēnā koutou.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. A huge welcome to the extended family of the chief Mokomoko, and Whakatōhea. Greetings to you all.]

The Green Party wishes to acknowledge the physical and spiritual journey for justice that you have pursued. We acknowledge this whānau who have travelled here three times for this bill, the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill, and to reach this moment of celebration and sadness here today—inseparable realities. We acknowledge your beloved tupuna, who was killed by the colonial State as it pursued its agenda of raupatu. We acknowledge the extraordinary dignity and beauty of his final waiata, his final communication to the future. We acknowledge who has benefited from his murder and who has suffered.

It is fitting, on this day, to acknowledge the tangi in South Africa for a great freedom fighter and leader who survived oppression with full humanity, and that we reflect on the connection between the truth and reconciliation processes that both countries are engaged in, consciously and unconsciously.

This bill is the story of one whānau and the ongoing price they have paid for unjust myth-making to justify the taking of a life. There was an attempt by the Crown to pardon Mokomoko in 1992 but this attempt failed to satisfy the hurt. This is a very important matter. The State was the oppressor, and it is profoundly true that the oppressor cannot dictate the terms of an apology or define what an acceptable basis for reconciliation is. The definition of an apology that can be accepted must be negotiated and be owned by those who have been hurt; otherwise, they will not accept it. Why should they? An apology that is not accepted is meaningless—a gesture that satisfies one party but cannot heal the damage.

One of the most challenging issues in the story behind the bill is being recognised here today, but in any truth and reconciliation process there are some deeper issues that cannot be addressed. The bill can restore a better relationship between the Mokomoko whānau and the Crown, and do it with clarity. We would like to recognise the good work of the Māori Affairs Committee to get this work done, the Ministers, and particularly Minister Turia’s ngā kupu ātaahua that she gave here today in her first speech. But the bill cannot return the land. The loss of land and all the terrible consequences cannot be put back together like a jigsaw. The cracks are still visible, and the huge holes in the wealth and well-being of Whakatōhea and iwi katoa.

When the colonial State used Völkner’s murder to confiscate and destroy, it needed someone to blame, and it paid little attention to the facts. Mokomoko was chosen to justify what followed. But the violence of the State is now being owned. The apology is being accepted. It is not the end of the processes we need in this country to not only restore truth and reconciliation but return resources.

A young South African man who was a survivor of police violence told me that an apology alone can slip smoothly from the tongues of the powerful. He wanted more. He wanted genuine healing and a future. This bill today is a step towards healing and a future for the whānau. Story by story, law by law, we need to do this work. It is not over until every citizen knows the true history of Mokomoko and understands what this has meant to his whānau and to Whakatōhea katoa.

How painfully are the scapegoats and their descendents disowned and disrespected by virtually everyone as the convenient myths do their work, but today is a step into fresh air, a better space, and, what is more, a Te Reo Māori - based bill. I would like to just acknowledge your extraordinary achievement in this regard, not only for the bill but for the language of the bill, the gift of Te Reo Rangatira, which I am afraid I am unable to give full justice to, and to recognise that it is a gift to this country and that that language has come to be a natural and normal part of our legislative programme. Because Te Reo Rangatira is the first language of Aotearoa. It is not the second language; it is the first language.

To te whānau o Mokomoko, thank you very much for the gift to our country, your persistence, your generosity, and your determination that the truth be recognised and owned. We here today must endeavour to take the story that you have given us, through your dignity and persistence, and make sure that our descendants, whether they are tangata whenua or tangata Tiriti, understand the price you have paid and the willingness you have given to forgive us for what has taken place. For us who have been beneficiaries of colonisation, this burden is particularly on our shoulders. It is an opportunity for us to take it up with the same generosity that you have given to us. The Green Party would like to say again he mihi nui ki te whānau whānui o Mokomoko. Tēnā rā koutou, tēnā rā koutou katoa.

Te whānau o Mokomoko, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā anō koutou katoa. I rise to support this bill, the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill. I feel very honoured to do so. Initially, I was going to speak about the need for the apology within this bill, but we hear the tūpuna singing and this is such a special, special day. But I would ask the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations whether he could look further than large natural groupings when dealing with Māori claims. It is inappropriate for the whānau of Mokomoko to be included in Whakatōhea, because this family suffered at the hands of many of Whakatōhea, and other local tribes as well, as well as the English. We see continually in our Māori Affairs Committee where people are unable to be heard because they are not recognised immediately as being part of a natural large grouping, so those words need to be looked at. We need to get back to what is important. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata, the people, the people, the people are what is important, because it is our people. So I would ask the Minister to look at that, and I would ask him to please meet with this family.

Mokomoko—it has been said what an amazing man he was. If you look through Taranaki history you see that he is mentioned in Taranaki history because they recognise that not only did he help his own people but he would help anybody. As the Hon Tau Henare said, and other speakers before, 147 years is a long time to endure, and Mokomoko and his descendants have endured like the great kauri. So today is such a special, special day.

I would like to talk just a little bit about the endurance of suffering. We can say “suffering” and it rolls off the tongue but we look at the East Coast today and I think about the 3,000 acres that were confiscated from the Mokomoko family and what it meant to the descendants. What we see is that as Māori land was taken and rolled into blocks, those Māori landowners who ruled supreme, who were proud, and who were at one with the land were suddenly serfs to European farmers who when they came here were starving and lived because of the generosity of Māori. These European farmers were able to graze their cattle. They were able to leverage off their land, but Māori farmers were unable to. This has happened to nearly all Māori in the past 147 years. We see on the East Coast particular hardship because of this. I find it quite incredible that we have so many MPs from the East Coast and yet still there is such hardship there, and we could not get even a little apology for this family.

I will touch on the persecution of this family from the Māori side. That persecution is still alive and well today, as the family well knows. But this restoration of character, of mana, and of reputation will ripple outward. Many of the family cannot see me but you can hear me, and be assured that this will ripple out, these words will ripple out throughout New Zealand, and Manny can rest in peace, and Mokomoko can rest in peace. As the Hon Shane Jones said, taking that excerpt from his poem, “Only then will I get peace and eternal rest …”. I would like to leave the Mokomoko family with best wishes from all parliamentarians, from my family, from my wife’s family out at Kutarere, and with this poem from Tainui:

Kia hora te marino. Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana. Kia tere te kārohirohi i mua i te huarahi.

May the calm be widespread, may the ocean be as smooth as greenstone, and may the shimmer of light ever dance across your pathway forevermore. Kia ora.

Ki te whānau o Mokomoko, ngā mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa.

[To the Mokomoko family, affectionate salutations to you all.]

“Take the rope from my throat so I may be able to sing my song. Violent shaking will not rouse me from my sleep. They treat me like a common thief. It is true that I embrace eternal sleep … Tangohia te taura i ō taku kakī kia waiata au i taku waiata. Have the strength to speak up, and the truth will not be silenced.”

On 15 June 1992 the Governor-General issued a free pardon to Mokomoko. The wording of the free pardon was prepared without consultation with te whānau of Mokomoko. The Crown acknowledges that it should have consulted the Mokomoko whānau about the wording of the free pardon. It also acknowledges that the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill does not prevent the Mokomoko whānau from seeking the settlement of their historical Treaty of Waitangi claims through the Treaty settlement process.

We need to resolve these historical issues so we can move forward together as a nation. For what is mana? It is honour. And so today we honour our tupuna Mokomoko, and today we honour the descendants of Mokomoko. Ka whakatuku ahau i tēnei pire, ki tēnei Whare. Kia ora.

[I commend this bill to this House. Thank you.]

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Te Whānau o Mokomoko, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou. Nau mai, haere mai ki te Whare Paremata e takatū nei. Tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. Greetings to you, the family of Mokomoko, salutations. Welcome to Parliament, standing here in readiness, welcome. Greetings and salutations to us all.]

It is a great pleasure to speak at the third reading of this bill, the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill. We have heard a lot about the background that has brought about the passage of this legislation. The enactment of this bill and the apology given by this House to Mokomoko, as I mentioned in my second reading speech, is proof of why it is important that we get things right and get things right the first time.

The apology offered to the whānau of Mokomoko back in the 1990s was inadequate, and his family felt that the mana of their tupuna had not been fully redeemed. That is why this House has had to go back and relegislate so as to restore the mana of Mokomoko. We now know how this great chief was wrongly accused and sent to prison. We know that he faced his accusers without fear, believing that the Pākehā law would find him an innocent man. When he was found guilty he faced his impending death on the gallows with courage and a song in his heart.

To our ancestors of olden times mana was an important aspect of everyday life and a key to maintaining social order. To impugn that by saying that Mokomoko was the killer of Völkner was a serious accusation. He was transported to jail in Auckland, and there he was found guilty. He was hanged in an Auckland jail and buried there. In the second reading of this bill I quoted Abraham Lincoln, who had this to say about mana: “Character is like a tree, and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” His pepeha is to remind people that having character is a true blessing, and that reputation is only what someone else thinks. The chief Mokomoko was hanged for a crime he did not commit. Is there anything more rotten in life than that? Where was the justice for this man who was carted away in chains because of a false accusation that the rope used to hang Rev. Völkner belonged to Mokomoko?

It is said that the first casualty of war is the truth. It is as true today as it was back in the 1860s, as New Zealand faced its own internal conflicts. The truth in this case was that Mokomoko was an innocent man, wrongly accused, tried, and hanged for the murder of Rev. Völkner, and with his hanging his whānau faced the shame, the whakamā, of their tupuna being called a murderer. For 147 years Mokomoko’s descendents shared their tupuna’s shame. They faced accusation and ostracism. They felt the burden and shame that their tupuna had. Mokomoko’s descendants lost their mana. They lost their good character and reputation.

But this is not the first time a bill has been enacted to restore the reputation of Mokomoko. There was one in the 1990s, but it was flawed because it related to two of his confederates in Ngāti Awa. An apology was later delivered in the free pardon, but it failed to wholly redeem Mokomoko. Instead, it made much of his two co-defendants, who were, in fact, as I mentioned, from another tribe—Ngāti Awa. So the family felt that their ancestor was not fully cleared and so came back to this House, in what has been a very long journey to rectify what they saw as a continuing injustice.

This House is only as good as the research it is provided with, and back in the 1990s consultation did not take place. The process that took place made poor law, and when the apology was first issued to the family of Mokomoko it was inadequate. So this time around we have made sure we have got it right. It has to be right or the whānau Mokomoko will never believe that the mahi we do in this House is important work on behalf of all New Zealanders.

The third reading of the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill, as has been mentioned by many speakers today, comes in the wake of the passing of freedom fighter, activist, protestor, and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. I draw no comparison—they are men from different times and with different political motives. They do, however, share in having been poorly treated by the justice systems of their times. At the end of the day, to be treated fairly and justly, without being judged by one’s skin colour or race, is what all human beings hope for. It is, after all, a basic human right.

The whānau Mokomoko will finally receive the justice they have sought and fought so long for, and it comes to them borne on the cold winds and chilly rains of mourning that have encircled the world these past few days. In the way that is unique to our culture, the whānau Mokomoko will be able to bookmark the passing of this bill with the historical significance of Mandela’s passing.

So I for one extend my good wishes to the whānau Mokomoko. In doing so, I also include my own direct connections to the whānau Mokomoko through my grand-uncle, Uncle Joe Bull, whose proper name was Teone Aperira Mokomoko, and his father was Makarini Mokomoko. So there is a connection for me in there. There are many Mokomoko whānau in the south. So I extend my good wishes to all the whānau Mokomoko and say thank you for sticking to your kaupapa and for making sure that this House and the MPs within it are held accountable and that we get the job done properly. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Ngā uri o Mokomoko kua tae mai, nau mai, nau mai, haere mai. Haere mai ki tō Whare i te wā whakahirahira. Tēnei te mihi ki a koutou mō ō koutou kaha, mō ō koutou tautoko mō te pire nei. Nō reira, e te iwi, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ā, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. To the descendants of Mokomoko who have arrived here, welcome, welcome, come hither. Welcome to your House on this auspicious occasion. This is my acknowledgement to you all for your great efforts and support for this bill. Therefore, to you the people, greetings, salutations, and congratulations to you collectively, and acknowledgements to us all.]

As the member for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti I am pleased to stand with my Labour Party colleagues to support the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill in its third reading. Mokomoko, a rangatira from Te Whakatōhea, was tried and executed in 1866 for the murder of Carl Sylvius Völkner. Mokomoko maintained his innocence throughout the trial. He was originally buried at the Auckland jail and courthouse, but was reinterred at Waiaua Marae at Ōpōtiki in October 1989. Mokomoko was granted a free pardon in 1992 by the Governor-General, who at that time was Catherine Tizard, I believe.

However, this pardon was granted without consultation with the whānau of Mokomoko, and it differed from the pardon granted to two men of Ngāti Awa for the same event. The whānau of Mokomoko were concerned that the terms of the 1992 pardon for Mokomoko did not expressly restore his character, his mana, and his reputation, or that of his descendants, who join us here in the House today.

In September 2011 the whānau of Mokomoko and the Crown signed an agreement regarding the introduction of legislation to give statutory recognition to the Mokomoko pardon and to further the Crown’s objective of building healthy relationships with the whānau of Mokomoko, and we do have a long way to go in that regard.

There have been far more eloquent speakers who have talked before me about the pain and struggle of the whānau. I too want to acknowledge their patience and their commitment in getting us here today. As a former Treaty negotiator with my own iwi, I can say that we had a tipuna, Te Kooti Arikirangi. By no means can I compare the two, but I want to acknowledge the whānau’s work in terms of the patience and the commitment in getting us here today. It is not an easy road, and I am not one to tell you of your own journey to be present here to pass this bill. It is a struggle not only to get agreement amongst whānau around how much we want but also to get agreement on what is the end outcome, so I want to acknowledge you all here.

I want to acknowledge the compromises that you have made for us to see this bill through. It is a very challenging role to negotiate the restoration of one’s tipuna, one’s rangatira, to the state he once was in and should always have been in. So I stand here in all humbleness to acknowledge you all for the work that you have done for your tipuna, and particularly, as I look and see the mokopuna who are up in the gallery, it is important for them to realise that and acknowledge the mana that their tipuna had.

Like I have said, it is not an easy journey to get us here, but I do want to acknowledge the work of the Māori Affairs Committee. I want to congratulate the committee, and particularly the chair, Mr Tau Henare. Sometimes I wonder, as a new member of that committee, whether he is on the right side of the legislation in terms of when we debate issues at that committee, but I do want to commend Tau and the members of that committee. I particularly want to acknowledge the Te Reo initiative that you have brought through with this bill. Like the Hon Nanaia Mahuta acknowledged, in 16 years of her time here she has never seen this happen, so I want to congratulate the committee members on the kaha and, I guess, the tenacity with which you are bringing in this bill and the manner in which you are bringing it in, with both the Reo and the English versions together.

I have not much more to add, but I would stand in absolute commitment and acknowledgment for this important bill. It is timely; it is probably well overdue. But I want to acknowledge all members of the House, particularly members on the Māori Affairs Committee, and the whānau for bringing this bill to the House. I commend the bill to the House. Thank you.

Kia ora tātau katoa i tēnei rā. Ko te wāhi ki a au a Pāti Māori he tautoko i ngā kōrero katoa kua utaina ki runga i a koutou kei aku rangatira kua haramai i te wā kāinga kia tatū mai ai ki roto i ngā pakitara o te whare nei. Haere mai, haere mai, haere mai rā. I te rā nei kei te kōrerohia tā koutou tupuna a Mokomoko. Ko ia tērā kua riro. Ko rātau katoa e kōrerohia ake nei. Nō reira me pēnei rawa te kōrero, hoki wairua mai rā e koro mā e kui mā. Kia rangona ō koutou taringa ki te wairua o te kōrero i te rā nei. Ko te hiahia o te ngākau o te Whare Pāremata kia ūkui katoatia ngā hara kei runga i a koutou. Mā koutou tērā kōrero e whakawā. Nō reira, waiho rātau kia moe kia okioki, engari kia hoki wairua mai rā, i roto i ngā i te rā nei. Kia whakatau i te āhuatanga o te ngākau o te hunga mate, otirā koutou ngā uri o rātau mā. Haere mai, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātau katoa. Ko te wāhi ki a au he whakakōpani. Poto noa iho taku kōrero. I te mea i ngā kōrero, i ngā wā e rua e toru pea kua hipa ake, ā, i kōrerohia ngā take. Kāre au i te hiahia ki te whakatuarua, tuatoru rānei i ngā kōrero.

Kua oti kē i a Tariana, te Minita otirā aku hoa mema Pāremata te whakatakoto i ngā kōrero katoa mō te tupuna nei mō Mokomoko. Ko te wāhi ki a au kia whai tonu i te āhuatanga o te reo Māori i whakanuia e koutou i roto i te pire nei. Kua rongo koutou i te kōrero, kotahi anake te pire kua tae pēnei mai ki roto i te Whare Pāremata i Te Reo Māori. Nō reira ko te wāhi ki a au he whakamana i tērā whakaaro rangatira i puta mai i a koutou, nō reira ko te reo e kōrerohia ana, ko te reo o ngā mātua o ngā tūpuna.

Me pēnei rawa te kōrero. Tērā pea i ngā tau kua hipa ake, i haere te Minita mō ngā take Māori nā runga i te karanga ki waenganui i a koutou. Me te kī atu i hoki ohorere mai. I hoki tumeke mai te Minita mō ngā take Māori, i te mea i tae atu ia ki tērā o ngā marae ki Waiaua. I rongo ia i te tangi o te ngākau o koutou mō te āhuatanga o ngā pēhitanga i utaina ki runga i te tipuna nei o Mokomoko. Nā koutou tērā i whakaari ki mua i a ia. I tana hokinga mai ki te Whare Pāremata ki a mātau o te Pāti Māori, ko tana kī mai ā kāti, he take nui whakaharahara tērā ō roto i Te Whakatōhea tērā takiwā. Ā, whakatakotohia te pire ki roto i te Whare Pāremata, nā wai nā wai ka tae atu te komiti whāiti o te Whare Pāremata ki a koutou, ki runga i te marae. I pērā rawa te āhua. I rongo i te tangi o te ngākau, ngā auē, ngā āwangawanga, ngā anipā, ngā mamae. Ko te aroha anō hoki, ērā āhuatanga katoa i puta i a koutou, ā i rongo te ngākau i tērā momo āhuatanga. A kāti nō te rā nei, ko te whakatutukinga o ngā mea katoa, nō reira ko te wāhi ki a au ko te tautoko ake me te mihi anō hoki ki a koutou, nā koutou mātau i manaaki i te ekenga ki runga i tō koutou marae.

E tika ana te kōrero a te mema o te Reipa a ShaneJones. Nāku tērā kōrero i whakatakoto ki roto i te Whare Pāremata. Tangohia te kakau i taku kakī. I pā tērā kōrero ki a au i te wā i āta mātakitaki au i tētahi whitiata, tētahi pikitia nei. Ko te īngoa o te mea nei - mō ngā tamariki mokopuna tēnei kōrero—ko te īngoa o te mea nei One Land, Two People. Arā kei reira te kōrero e hāngai tonu ana ki tā koutou tupuna. Mēnā kāre koutou i te mōhio, kimihia tērā kōrero. Kei reira tonu ngā kōrero e whakaatu nei i ngā kōrero katoa o tā koutou tupuna o Mokomoko. I wero tērā, i ngau tērā kōrero ki tōku ngākau. I te mea koirā te auē o te ao Māori i roto i tēnei Whare Pāremata. Nō reira koinei au e whakatakoto i tērā kōrero i te wā i tū atu au i te wā tuatahi taku ekenga ki roto i te Whare Pāremata i ngā 8 tau kua hipa ake, kei te rongo tonu au i tērā momo kōrero i tēnei rā tonu nei.

Inātatanei i pātai mai tētahi niupepa, tētahi reo irirangi ki a au ā kāti, kua ea ngā take katoa o tēnei whānau mō ake nei. Ka kī atu ē taihoa kāo. Kāo. Ko te take i te rā nei, he rerekē anō rā ki ngā whakataunga kerēme. Ko te take i te rā nei ko te mana o Mokomoko. Kāre i kō atu, kāre i kō mai. Ko ngā take kerēme, he rā anō mō tērā. Nō reira kaua e pōhēhē kotahi tonu te whakatau ka puta i te rā nei, kāo. Ko te mana o Mokomoko, koirā te kaupapa nui i te rā nei. Waiho ake ngā take mō ngā kerēme mō te wā.

Ko tētahi kōrero i kōrerohia e te mema a Brendan Horan, kei te āhua rata tonu atu au ki tērā kōrero. Ana ko tērā take i kōrerohia mai nā e ētahi o koutou i te ekenga atu ki runga i te marae i te kāinga. Ki taku mōhio, i rongo nei koutou i te mamae mō ngā take e rua. Tuatahi, ngaro te whenua i a koutou nā ngā mahi a te Kāwanatanga, ka tahi. Ka rua, kua rongo anō hoki koutou i ngā pēhitanga o te takiwā, o ngā iwi o te kāinga. Anō nei ko te take o Mokomoko,koirā te take i murua te whenua. Nō reira e rua ngā take kua tau nei ki runga i ō koutou pokohiwi. Kua ngaro te whenua, engari, e hāngai tonu ana te kōrero ki a koutou ko te whānau anō nei nā koutou, a Te Whakatōhea whānui tonu, i whakararuraru, i tāmi, nā ngā mahi a te Kāwanatanga. E aroha atu ana au ki tērā kōrero. Koinei au e kī nei i te wā i kōrerohia i te wā tuarua, mā te Minita mō ngā take kerēme tērā e kōrero. I rongo mārika tonu ngā taringa, he hiahia nō koutou kia whakawehewehe i te āhuatanga o tā koutou kerēme ki tā tētahi atu. Nā te aha? Nā ngā pēhitanga kua tau mai ki runga i te whānau. Kua rongo ake au i tērā kōrero, ā mā mātau tērā e kōkiri ki mua i te aroaro o te Minita.

Nā, hei kōrero whakamutunga māku pea, ko te mea nui ki a au, ko te taenga mai o ngā tamariki. Ngā tamariki mokopuna, ngā uri o Mokomoko. Ko te take e kawe haerehia nei e ō koutou mātua e ō koutou pakeke te āhua nei kua pā mai ki a koutou. Nō reira, te tūmanako ia, ā muri o tēnei rā, ka tangohia katoatia ngā raruraru kua pā mai ki a koutou. Kia kore koutou ngā tamariki, ngā mokopuna e rongo nei i te mamae. Pēnei i ngā māmā i ngā whāea, i ngā koroua i ngā kuia. Nō reira tamariki mā, ngā mokopuna, o te tupuna nei. Haramai ki tēnei whare. Kaua e wareware i tēnei rā. He rā nui whakahirahira, kaua e wareware mō ake nei. He wā tōna pea ka haramai koutou ki te kōrero ki te āhuatanga o tā koutou tupuna. Kaua e tere mai, kāre he take o tēnei Whare engari, ā te wā pea ka hoki mai koutou. Engari kei wareware i a koutou tēnei rangi me ngā auē, me ngā taumahatanga kua roa e kawehia haere ana. E kawe haere ana e ngā mātua e ngā tūpuna. Nō reira ko tāku ko te kī atu, nau mai. Waiho te take ki konei. Kia puta koutou i te kuaha, kua mōhio. Kua ea, kua ea, kua ea. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Greetings, everyone on this day. I speak on behalf of the Māori Party to support all of the acknowledgments to the family that has come here from their homelands to Parliament. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Today we have discussed your late ancestor Mokomoko, along with other dearly departed. And so I urge the elders to return in spirit so they may hear the speeches today. The heart of Parliament wishes to extinguish the injustices that have beset you. I will allow you to judge that statement. And so may they rest in peace but be here in spirit to settle the hearts of the living and the dead. Salutations to you all.

I will be providing a short summary, because I do not wish to repeat what Minister Tariana Turia and other members have said about Mokomoko. My contribution will focus on your celebration of the Māori language in this piece of legislation. You heard that only one other bill to come before Parliament has been in Māori. And so I stand to recognise your noble gesture in our native tongue.

Let me say this. A few years ago, perhaps, the Minister of Māori Affairs went to visit you, and returned surprised. He was surprised because at Waiaua Marae he heard your heartfelt cries pertaining to the persecution of Mokomoko. When he returned to Parliament, he told the Māori Party that this is an important issue in Te Whakatōhea. The bill was brought before Parliament and then the Māori Affairs Committee visited the marae and the same cries were heard. We felt the concerns, the anxieties, and the pain, and sympathised with you. Today, at the completion of the bill, I take the opportunity to thank you for taking care of us at your marae.

The Labour member Shane Jones was right about Mokomoko’s statement to “remove the rope from my neck”, and it is something I touched on previously. I heard that statement when I watched a movie called One Land, Two People. If you do not know, then search for that movie, which shows the history of your ancestor Mokomoko. It challenged me and struck my soul because those are the same cries of Māoridom in this Parliament. That is why I said that statement when I made my maiden speech in Parliament 8 years ago, and I still hear those sentiments today.

I was recently asked by a newspaper or radio station whether the family’s issues have all been settled. But I said no—no. That is because this is different from the Treaty settlements. This bill pertains to the mana of Mokomoko, nothing else. Treaty claims are left for another day. So we must not make assumptions; this occasion is about the mana of Mokomoko. Leave Treaty claims for the future.

I agree with what Brendan Horan said he heard when the select committee visited the marae. I understand that you were hurt for two reasons. Firstly, you were dispossessed of your land by the actions of the Government. And, secondly, you faced persecution from your own people at home, as if the situation with Mokomoko caused the loss of land. Therefore, you have shouldered two issues: the loss of land, and the persecution you experienced at the hands of your own people of Te Whakatōhea due to the Government’s actions. I sympathise with that history. That is why, during the second reading of the bill, I said it is the responsibility of the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations to speak on that matter. I heard clearly that you wish to have a separate claim due to the hardships that the family has gone through, and I will take the matter to the Minister.

In conclusion, what is most important is that the descendants of Mokomoko are present. The cause that your parents and elders have carried appears to have affected you. The children and grandchildren must not feel the pain that their parents and elders experienced. And so to the descendants of Mokomoko, welcome to Parliament. Do not forget this important occasion. In time, perhaps you will return to speak about your ancestor. There is no need to come back in haste to this House, but perhaps in the future. But never forget this day and the longstanding difficulties carried by your elders. Once you emerge from the door, leave this matter here as you will know, that the bill has been completed. It is done, finished, and dusted. Salutations, greetings, and congratulations to you all.]

Bill read a third time.

Kei te īnoi atu. E te whānau: kua whakaaetia mai e te Whare kia waiata koutou i tētahi waiata ēngari i te mea, kia ea tonu tēnei āhuatanga, ka waiho ake pea, ka tono atu ki te Whare kia waiho ake mā koutou tētahi paku karakia hei whakakōpani i te āhuatanga o ngā mahi nei. Mā koutou tērā whakarite i mua o te wā ka whakakōpanihia i te rā nei. Nō reira he tono tēnei ki te Whare kia waiho ake mā ngā tamariki, mā ngā mokopuna, mā ngā uri o Mokomoko e tuku i tētahi karakia ā te wā ā, e tika ana ki a rātau.

[I seek leave. I say to the family: the House has given its approval for you to sing your song of embellishment, and after that I will seek leave for the House to allow you to conduct a closing prayer to end these proceedings. You can decide that amongst yourselves before proceedings are closed off for today. And so I seek leave for the House to allow the children, grandchildren, and descendants of Mokomoko to conduct a prayer at the appropriate time that suits them.]

Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there any objection? There is no objection.

Waiata

Karakia