Ngāti Hauā Claims Settlement Bill

I move, That the Ngāti Hauā Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time. I want to welcome the Tumuaki, the people of Ngāti Hauā, and their supporters to this great occasion, the third reading of their bill. Nau mai haere mai ki tēnei Whare o tātou. I greet those watching and listening elsewhere, and, of course, I want to acknowledge the people of Ngāti Hauā who have since passed on and cannot be here today to mark this achievement: moe mai rā.

Today is a very important day in the history of Ngāti Hauā and this country, as we settle this great iwi’s remaining non-raupatu historical claims. The settlement represents the culmination of six generations of work, beginning with the rangatira Wīremu Tamihana Tarapīpipi Te Waharoa and continuing today with the actions of Ānaru Thompson, the Tumuaki of Ngāti Hauā. The Crown recognises the long and heavy burden this iwi has shouldered in pursuing justice for the wrongs of the Crown, so I congratulate them on their decision to settle their claims against the Crown, and it is my hope that the settlement heralds the beginning of a new relationship between the Crown and Ngāti Hauā based on the principles of the Treaty.

We have arrived at this milestone because of the strong leadership and the commitment of Ānaru Thompson, of Lance Rāpana, and the other trustees of the Ngāti Hauā Iwi Trust, as well as Mr Willie Te Aho, who worked on the settlement for Ngāti Hauā. Ngāti Hauā approached the Crown in 2012 with a settlement proposal that demonstrated their vision and their pragmatism, and I still remember that day in Bill English’s office where they said they wanted to get settlement in 7 months. It was a Tui advert kind of moment. They walked out and we said: “Yeah, right!”. Well, a deed of settlement was signed just 7 months later because they were utterly committed to the task.

This settlement is special not just because it is the fastest Treaty settlement; it is special because it has all the hallmarks of what the Treaty partners were aiming for in signing the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. It is a partnership that is courageous, it is pragmatic, it is future-focused with strong leadership, and it is able to harness its collective strength to work for the mutual benefit of two peoples who do want to do something extraordinary, regardless of what people may hear in this Chamber from time to time. This settlement set a new standard in the resolution of Treaty claims. I want to thank my parliamentary colleagues past and present who have worked on this settlement: the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Kate Wilkinson, the Hon Louise Upston, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, and—without bringing you into the debate, Mr Assistant Speaker Tisch—you, and the Hon Nick Smith. I want to thank the Matamata-Piako District Council, the Waipā District Council, and the Waikato Regional Council for their contributions to this settlement. I also want to acknowledge the various agencies of Government involved in the negotiations, who fully embraced what we were trying to achieve. I do not need to remind you, Mr Assistant Speaker, that Ngāti Hauā is an eastern Waikato iwi, represented in these negotiations by the Ngāti Hauā Iwi Trust.

The people of Ngāti Hauā descend from their ancestor Hauā and they affiliate to the Tainui waka. Their customary rohe spans from Te Aroha and Te Rapa in the north, moving south to Te Weraiti and to Maungatautari. The deed of settlement is the final settlement of all historical Treaty claims of Ngāti Hauā resulting from acts or omissions by the Crown prior to 21 September 1992. The raupatu claims of Ngāti Hauā were settled through the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims Settlement Act of 1995 and the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act. The settlement addresses the non-raupatu historical claims of Ngāti Hauā not settled by earlier settlements. The Crown recognised the mandate of the trust in December 2012 and, as I said, the agreement in principle was signed on 19 February 2013. The bill gives effect to the undertakings by the Crown in the deed signed by the parties on 24 May 2013. The settlement provides financial, commercial, and cultural redress. The settlement also acknowledges where Crown acts and omissions have breached the Treaty and its principles, including the operation and impact of the native land laws on Ngāti Hauā, the Crown’s purchase of Ngāti Hauā land in disregard of the collective decision of the owners not to sell, and the cumulative effect of the Crown’s actions and omissions, leaving Ngāti Hauā with insufficient land for their present and their future needs.

The settlement acknowledges paramount chief Wīremu Tamihana’s historical fight for justice in the wake of the Waikato war and raupatu. On several occasions he petitioned Parliament, detailing the injustice of the war, to seek recognition for the harm done to his people, and to find a pragmatic way to move forward. In his third and final petition Tamihana referred to his great darkness and sorrow of heart, and stated that he had travelled to Wellington in the hope that the great weight upon him might be lifted. Following his death, his second son carried on his fight for justice. The role of tumuaki is a historic role and it is a hereditary role. It encompasses significant political and spiritual functions for Ngāti Hauā and the Kingitanga, and it is pivotal to the Ngāti Hauā identity. Wīremu Tamihana and successive tumuaki sought a pragmatic way forward on behalf of their people, so I am honoured to stand in this House and work with other members to make amends for the past and to move forward into the future.

The deed of settlement envisages a new, mutually mana-enhancing relationship between the tumuaki and the Crown. In setting out to achieve a new relationship, the settlement provides unique redress that includes meetings with the Crown, the tumuaki, and Ngāti Hauā to occur on an annual basis. A special feature of the settlement is a relationship agreement between Ngāti Hauā, the Department of Internal Affairs, and Te Papa in respect of the restoration and protection of Te Kauhanganui o Mahuta. This is a whare taonga and it is a monument at that beautiful Rukumoana Marae, dedicated to the establishment of the Māori Parliament, and it holds a very impressive collection of taonga.

The loss Ngāti Hauā suffered can never be fully compensated for by the Crown, and much of what was lost simply cannot be returned. However, the people of Ngāti Hauā have graciously agreed to accept the redress contained in the deed of settlement, and in so doing I acknowledge their generosity towards this land. I certainly do look forward to a strong relationship in the future. That is one of the reasons why this Government has established a Post Settlement Commitments Unit, to ensure that the Crown keeps its promises—not just tomorrow but in the years to come. I can say this: the National Party and the Labour Party understand the importance of this because they have experience in Government, and down through the generations successive Governments of whatever hue have done their best to address these issues. I think of names like Ngata, Hanan, Rata, Horomia—whose book by a good National Party person was launched last night—Graham, Bolger, and Cullen. These are people who, regardless of political affiliation, have done their best to address these issues. There are those who can simply snipe on the sidelines, because that is all they have to offer. They may be very pleased with their moral superiority, but actually they contribute nothing; they never do.

Tomorrow we hold the Waikato-Waipā River iwi fora and both sides, in the language of the diplomats, are going to have a full and frank discussion. I will be meeting with Maniapoto, Waikato-Tainui, Raukawa, and other iwi, and we will be addressing issues arising out of their settlements over the river, and other matters. It will not be, quite frankly, a “Kumbaya” love-in. There will be some pretty straight talking. But that is as it should be—straight talking on both sides, because both sides want this to work. It is all very well to come down here and snipe and exhibit one’s great moral superiority. But that means nothing. The proof of the pudding is in this kind of meeting, as both parties understand it. I commend the bill to the House.

Anei anō te pai te āhuareka te nohotahi o ngā tēina me ngā tuākana i raro i te whakaaro kotahi. Nō reira, e Te Tumuaki, koutou o Ngāti Hauā, kei reira te nako o ngā taonga i waihotia ki waenganui i a koutou mō tātou o Waikato, taua taonga o te whakapono. Tēnā, kāre pea e tino mārama ngā tokomaha o tēnei Whare ki ngā hua ō tā koutou tūtukitanga kerēme. Te āhuatanga o Te Kaipupuru o te taonga me ngā mahi hei whakawāhi i taua āhuatanga, kei runga i a koutou, i a Ngāti Haua tērā, te wāhanga ki te pire, arā, ngā kōrero e pā ana ki ngā tiaki i tō tātou Tumuaki, ngā wāhanga katoa o taua mahi, te āhuatanga ki tō tātou Kauhanganui me ērā whāinga o ngā mātua tūpuna ki te mana motuhake Māori, taua taonga mō tātou katoa te motu e whāia ana i tērā hiahia. Me te mōhio anō, kei roto, kei waenganui i a koutou me ngā whakatipuranga ngā kōrero hōhonu e pā ana ki taua whāinga o te here i ō tātou iwi ki tēnei taonga o Te Kīngitanga. Pai kē kia waihotia ētehi o ngā whakamārama ki roto i te reo Pākehā ēngari, ko te nuinga o ngā kōrero ka waihotia ki roto i te kokonga o te ngākau. Nō reira, kei a koutou tērā Ngāti Hauā.

E tika ana me mihi atu ki Te Minita me te ū o tōna kaha ki tēnei hiahia kia tutuki ngā kerēme tiriti. Ēhara tōna huarahi he huarahi māmā. E pātōtō te tokomaha i runga i tōna kuaha me ngā kōrero hei wero atu ki a ia i mua, i muri hoki. Pai kē tērā! Koi nā te āhuatanga o tēnei mahi ēngari, he kōrero poto i roto i tō tātou nei Reo Māori mō taua āhuatanga, te maha o ngā hua o tēnei tutukitanga kei roto i te kokonga o te ngākau, kua kite au i tērā! Waimarie au, i tae atu ki tērā marae o Rukumoana mō te hainatanga o tā koutou tutukitanga, me te mīharo anō ki te kite i te tokomaha o ngā rangatahi i puta mai me ō rātou koa, ō rātou hari ki te whakaputa whakaaro ki mua i te aroaro o te iwi i taua wā. Waimarie mātou ki te kite i tērā!

[How pleasant and nice it is for the younger and elder brethren to live together in unison. And so to you, the Head, and you of Ngāti Hauā, the angst over the effects left amongst you for us of Waikato is there in that treasure of faith. Perhaps, not a lot of this House are very clear about the outcomes of your settlement claim in regards to the situation of the keeper of effects and operational functions to devolve that situation. That responsibility is on you, Ngāti Hauā, in so far as the part relating to the bill—in other words, the details about protecting our Head, all parts of that function; the situation relating to our trustee; and those ancestral forefathers’ objectives in terms of Māori autonomy—that treasure for us all of the nation, who are seeking that desire. I am quite aware that you have amongst you and the following generations some deep knowledge about the aspiration of strengthening the connections of our people to our prized treasure, the Kīngitanga. It is better that some explanations be left in English, but most of it should be left in the corners of the heart. So that is over to you, Ngāti Hauā. That is apt.

I acknowledge the Minister and the strength of his commitment to settle Treaty claims. His path is not an easy one. Many will be knocking on his door with remarks that will challenge him directly or indirectly. That is fine. It is the nature of this job, but a brief comment about it in Māori. Many outcomes of this settlement are in the corners of the heart. I witnessed that. Luckily, for me, I got to the signing of your settlement at that marae of Rukumoana and was amazed, once again, to see how many young people appeared with their elation and delight, keen to express their views before the tribe on that occasion. We were fortunate to witness that.]

Mr Assistant Speaker Tisch, like you, as the local member, and like my friend Sue Moroney, who lives in Tauwhare, as you well know, we are very pleased to be able to support the passage of this particular bill. There is so much more to it than what we can say on paper, but let it be known that the aspirations of Ngāti Hauā—as you too would agree, Minister Finlayson—like those of Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, are aspirations that have been forged over a long period of time. In fact, their settlement experience has spanned some 20 years in relation to the Waikato settlement, the raupatu settlement, and the river settlement, so I am absolutely confident that the nature of the negotiating conversation that you had with both Ngāti Hauā and Ngāti Koroki Kahukura brought with it that 20 years of experience and expectation of what could be achieved.

We have to consider that within the context of what is happening within the broader review of Waikato-Tainui. They are reviewing the governance of the entity. The two settlements that have been reached today will undoubtedly put greater expectations on how Waikato-Tainui become relevant today and tomorrow to the aspirations of Hauā and Koroki Kahukura within the Waikato iwi collective, as it can actually achieve far greater things now that these discrete and important settlements have been achieved.

Can I say that this was a very speedy settlement. Everybody gasped at the thought of having such a fast settlement put through, but, actually, all the elements are right there. I had the pleasure of attending some of the hui that were held in Ngāti Hauā, as a lot of extensive discussions were happening around how to form the marae and the hapū within Hauā in relation to the settlement, in relation to what was happening back in Waikato, and in relation to the future opportunities the settlement provided to the people of Hauā. There would be none short for hui, which were held on a fairly regular basis—around about 60 people turning up. Anybody who goes to their own marae committee meeting knows that is a huge feat in some communities, but that was a regular kind of expectation within Hauā. So that gave me great confidence that, despite the speed at which this settlement was reached, the intent had probably spanned a far longer period of time with a greater maturity of conversation about the intent of outcome.

The rangatahi in Hauā in particular have a beautiful kura kaupapa there that holds on to the many rich and vibrant stories, as well as the local schools. We can only but use that as an opportunity to say here are the hallmarks of opportunity arising out of settlements when we have the ability for Hauā to not only have their rights and interests recognised within their rohe but to be able to tell those stories through the education system. There was a time there when our own local histories were never told. Now it is an absolute reality and expectation of a modern education system, and we see examples of that amongst Hauā.

I wanted to make a brief comment on the letters of introduction because, Minister, you too highlighted that point. It is an opportunity to forge a new type of relationship with Government departments. Many iwi have come to this House and said: “Well, the faces on the other side of the table change on a fairly regular basis, but we are always the same face on this side of the table.” One might only hope and expect that the continuity of knowledge that is transmitted from iwi to the Crown in terms of monitoring against expectations and the terms of settlements can be retained within the post-settlement unit. I am sure that is the expectation of Hauā.

The ability to restore Te Kauwhanganui at this particular point in time is a comment that I really want to focus on. On 20 December we will be celebrating 20 years since the Waikato-Tainui raupatu settlement was achieved. Much of the contribution of the elements of that settlement were shaped by many of the kaumātua who are from Hauā, but Te Kauwhanganui in particular is the name right now of the modern governing house, if you like, of Waikato-Tainui. The relevance is not lost on me that as the modernising of Waikato-Tainui’s governance structure and the gifting back of the name to Hauā happens over this period of time, so too will the restoration of Te Kauwhanganui be happening. I think it is absolutely coming together at the right time for the right reasons.

Can I say that within Te Kauwhanganui there is a rich history of all the parliamentary-type meetings that occurred since the establishment of that particular whare. I hope that some of the future relationships in terms of the national archives and in terms of the restoration of significant historical documents of nationwide significance can be the type of partnership that we might see out of this particular settlement. This is a small and discrete settlement. It is one that adds value to what Hauā is already doing, but it also raises expectations within a community where Hauā engages with no less than four district councils and a regional council.

It also leverages for Hauā a real opportunity to have a say in the ongoing preservation of, and caring for, the environment: the Hauraki Gulf; the Sea Change project, an integrated marine plan where the Waihou flows into the Hauraki; the integrated river-catchment plan where Hauā have many vested interests; the ongoing care of reserves and conservation areas where Hauā have many vested interests; and the ongoing care of reserves and conservation areas where Hauā absolutely assert their connection and relationship with the lands around them. Hauā is a place where rich horticultural activity has always occurred and will continue to occur. I hope that, as a culmination of this particular settlement, we will once again continue to see Hauā thrive and prosper in such a way that the next generation knows that it has had great tūpuna who have made great tracks for them to follow.

Nō reira, i raro i tērā paku korero, e Te Tumuaki, ka waihotia i mua i tō aroaro ki tō iwi i tēnei wā, hei tāpiri atu ki tērā o ngā tino whāinga, kia ea tērā hiahia, te mana motuhake o Te Iwi Māori i tēnei wā, tēnā koutou katoa.

[And so further to that brief statement to you, the Head, I leave it before the tribe at this point in time, and add it to the other one of the key objectives to achieve autonomy for Māoridom in this time frame. Thank you. My appreciation to you all.]

E Te Mana Whakawā, ā, tēnā koe. Ka tangi tī, ka rua tī, ka noho mai te tawhiti tōrērē, ka raunā, ka raunā, ka noho mai te kīwī, kīwī he pōhē waitakitaki nō pī, nō pā ka huria mai. Kei hea ana whetū, kei hea te mārama kōtītī auē! Rērere rā i ruka i te pekapeka tōroro wīwī, wāwā eke, eke, kia mānu, kia tau, tihei mauri ora!

Ko Kaitahu tēnei. Tēnā koutou, e ka mihi. Te Ati Awa Toa Rangatira mana whenua, ka mihi. Nō reira, tēnā koutou e ngā manuhiri o tuāraki o te iwi o Ngāti Haua o Waikato. E mihi nei, e tangi nei nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. One fantail, two fantails remain, hovering at a distance, circling, circling. The kīwī remains. The kīwī settles. It is night, a water barrier, a barrier of sorts surrounds it. Where are its stars and the nomadic moon? Alas! Fly up on the branch, stretch out, float up, up, up, settle. Behold! It is the breath of life!

This is Kaitahu. Greetings to you collectively. I acknowledge the indigenous authority here Te Āti Awa Toa Rangatira. Greetings and welcome to you, the visitors from afar, Ngāti Hauā of Waikato. I salute and grieve here for you. So acknowledgments, greetings, and welcome to you all.]

It is an honour to stand in this House to speak on the Ngāti Hauā Claims Settlement Bill. Ngāti Hauā has a special place in the history of Māori, the history of the Kīngitanga movement, and, therefore, the history of our nation. It was a Ngāti Hauā leader Wīremu Tamihana, the first Tumuaki or kingmaker, who placed the Bible on the head of Te Wherowhero to anoint him as king. That tradition continues to this day, and I acknowledge the presence of the current Tumuaki Ānaru Thompson, who anointed Kīngi Tuheitia in the same way.

It was fitting that the deed of settlement was signed on the 148th anniversary of one of Wīremu Tamihana’s petitions asking the Crown to redress confiscations of land from Ngāti Hauā. It stands as a tragedy of our history that no attempt was made to provide this redress when it was asked for. In fact, the Crown went on to commit further breaches of the Treaty, including Public Works seizures of land in 1951.

The deed of settlement that this bill gives legal power to seeks to put right these wrongs. It cannot fully address the loss that the people of Ngāti Hauā suffered. As Minister Finlayson said, your acceptance of this settlement is an act of generosity. Although it has already been recognised during the second reading of this bill, I want to acknowledge the work of the Māori Affairs Committee of the 50th Parliament, and the chair, the Hon Tau Henare. I also want to acknowledge here in this House today my parliamentary colleagues who were also on that Māori Affairs Committee of the 50th Parliament. One of the hallmarks of the Māori Affairs Committee is the collegiality of that committee, and the fact that we like to think we park everything—including political affiliations—at the door, and then we go into that room and do what is best for Māori.

The committee considered this bill before I took my place as a member of Parliament, so I have not had the chance to consider the bill in the same depth as some of my colleagues and those who have actually come before me. But in doing my research, I have been impressed by the universal acknowledgment of the leadership of Ngāti Hauā—the leadership that they have demonstrated throughout this process. The Minister has spoken of his surprise at the speed with which the settlement was concluded, as a result of the excellent and focused negotiations undertaken by Ngāti Hauā. That was the true essence and the reason for why it was concluded, in a lot of ways.

Issues and tensions can easily arise when Treaty claims overlap, but I note that Te Poari Matua o Raukawa—the Ngāti Raukawa Settlement Trust—put in a submission on this bill, and they did that to specifically show their support for Ngāti Hauā. Their submission acknowledges the open and respectful way Ngāti Hauā engaged with them and the way that this strengthened the relationship between Ngāti Hauā and Ngāti Raukawa. This again demonstrates the leadership Ngāti Hauā has shown throughout this process.

This Treaty settlement bill marks the end of the grievance process. But more than an end, it is indeed a beginning. As we in Ngāi Tahu know from our own experience, the hard work starts after the settlement is complete. Now it is about realising the economic potential that this settlement gives you and your people. It has taken diligence, it has taken resolve, and it has taken hard work to get to this point. It will take more of the same to move forward from here, but I can see that Ngāti Hauā is in good hands.

Finally, again, there is the recognition of this Government throughout not just this claim settlement process, but right across the settlements that have been done to date under this Government. There is a really interesting proverb—I would like to say it comes from Ngāi Tahu, but it does not—and it is: “After all that was said and done, there was more said than done.”, and e koutou mā this is not what we have done. This Government has gone out and done the work—implemented it—and this is just one of the amazing results that have been achieved. I will give you a Ngāi Tahu proverb: “Mō tātou, ā, mō ka uri ā muri ake nei.” [It is for us and for the generations that follow.]

That is for us and our children. I leave you with that, Ngāti Hauā. This is a wonderful opportunity—the third reading of this bill and the acceptance that you can move forward. Nō reira, e koutou mā, ngā kākā waha nui ō rātou mā, rātou ki a rātou, tātou ki a tātou. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, e mihi, e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.

[Therefore, to you, the great orators of those who have departed, allow them to remain there amongst themselves, while we remain here amongst ourselves. Salutations to you all.]

E Te Mana Whakawā [Mr Assistant Speaker], I commend this bill to the House. Kia ora.

Kāti rā, tēnā anō tātou. Otirā, anei a’au e tuku mi’i atu ki a Ngāti Hauā kua tae mai i tēnei rā w’akahirahira mō tēnei pānuitanga o tēnei pire. Nō reira, tēnei te mi’i atu ki a koutou, ki a koe anō hoki e Te Tumuaki, tēnei hoki te mihi ki a koe i roto i ngā manaakitanga o rātou mā i te wā’i ngaro. E tika hoki kia huri atu ki te mi’i atu anō ki te ā’uatanga ki a rātou mā kua wehe atu. Nō reira, rātou katoa anei a’au te tuku atu te reo poroporoaki ki a rātou. Nō reira, ki a tātou katoa, ngā mema katoa o Te W’are nei, tēnei te mi’i atu. Nō reira, e Te Māngai o te W’are, tēnā koe.

[Well, greetings to us once again, but at the same time, here I am acknowledging Ngāti Hauā, who have arrived here on this important day for the reading of this bill. So I salute you collectively and you, as well, the Head. I particularly acknowledge you through the generosity of those in the unseen realm. It is appropriate, as well, that I turn to acknowledge the circumstances that pertain to them and others who have departed. I therefore farewell them. To us, all members of this House, I greet you, and so thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker of the House.]

It is indeed an honour to speak on this bill. I have read through the historical account in the deed of settlement, and what it highlights to me is the ongoing action of Ngāti Hauā to address the breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. We have already heard from members about the actions of Wīremu Tamihana. I want to pay attention particularly to the deeds of his son Tupu Taingakawa. Can I read an extract from the historical account: “In the early decades of the twentieth century Tupu Taingakawa continued to petition and protest for the rights of all Māori under the Treaty to be upheld by the Crown, securing nearly 30,000 signatures to one petition. In 1909 Tupu Taingakawa presented this petition to the Government. The Government denied the allegations levelled that the Crown had breached the Treaty of Waitangi, including through its confiscation of Waikato land during the 1860s.”

It carries on to say: “When Mahuta died in 1912, his son, Te Rata, was anointed as King by Tupu Taingakawa as the Tumuaki. In 1914 Taingakawa and King Te Rata travelled to London in the hope of gaining redress for their grievances from the British Crown. The pair was introduced to King George V and Queen Mary but their appeal was referred back to the New Zealand Government. … In 1924 Tupu Taingakawa returned to London, this time in the company of the prophet Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana. They were denied the opportunity to present their petition (signed by 34,000 people) to King George V but subsequently travelled to Geneva in the hope that the League of Nations would intervene to secure justice for the Māori people. The petition, along with a copy of the Treaty of Waitangi, and a huia feather and kiwi cloak, was deposited with the League of Nations by Tupu Taingakawa.”

I mention these because they show ongoing action to address the breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. It is an honour for me to stand and speak to this particular bill because of those connections between Tainui, the Kīngitanga, and Rātana. The name Tupu Taingakawa is very well-known in the place that I come from—Rātana. It is a huge-ish thing to get a petition of 30,000 people today, in 2014, with all of the technology that we have available to us. But imagine in 1909 a gentleman by the name of Tupu Taingakawa was able to collect 30,000 signatures, and to then again be part of another petition some 10 years later to collect another 34,000 signatures. This represented a huge number of the Māori population at that time, and it should be acknowledged in this House again that these petitions are finally being addressed today.

I want to acknowledge the negotiators of this Treaty settlement. I want to acknowledge the tenacity, the fortitude, and the resilience of the Ngāti Hauā people, over a period of more than 160 years, to get to settlement today. I greet each and every one of you who has arrived here today for the reading of this bill.

Within the bill also are Crown acknowledgments and the apology, as every Treaty settlement bill has within them. The breaches that are acknowledged relate to the operation and impact of the native land laws, which undermine the traditional tribal structures of Ngāti Hauā. It made their lands more susceptible to partition, fragmentation, and alienation. The Crown’s purchase of over 1,400 acres of Ngāti Hauā land from individuals in the 20th century left the iwi, again, virtually landless.

I stand here today, as I have in the previous readings, to acknowledge the work that the people of Ngāti Hauā have put into this settlement in addressing it, and, indeed, I have to say again—as I have said on the two previous times that I have spoken in the House on Treaty settlement bills—that this iwi has performed an act of generosity in settling this claim. It is, indeed, a start. I look forward to seeing the progress that Ngāti Hauā make for the benefit of their future generations.

Within this settlement there are, of course, commercial redress items, which are a beginning. It is a beginning because it is redress, not compensation. I think it is worthwhile that the House recognises the difference between the two. Redress gives the opportunity for iwi to receive a small financial redress within this act. It is but a fraction of what the compensation will be, and I would expect that Ngāti Hauā would have asked themselves the question whether it is worth going down this pathway. The fact that we are here means that they have answered yes. I suspect it is about the future generations, because this settlement will provide an opportunity to grow that asset, to provide a better future for Ngā Uri o Ngāti Hauā. Finally, I want to acknowledge again all of the people who have come here today to celebrate the passing of this legislation into law.

Ā, nō reira ki a koutou katoa, Ngāti Hauā, otirā, ki a koe anō hoki e Te Tumuaki, anei a’au e tuku mi’i atu mai i taku Pāti o Te Rōpū Reipa, otirā, mai i tōku rohe, mai i tōku kāinga me tōku w’ānau o Rātana Pā ki a koutou katoa, nō reira, tēnā tātou.

[So, to all of you of Ngāti Hauā, but at the same time to you, as well, the Head, I extend greetings to you and to us all from my Labour Party, but at the same time, from my electorate back home and from my Rātana Pā family. Thank you.]

Tēnā koe, e te Mana Whakawā. Ā, mai ara rā, mai ara rā! Mai ara rā te rangi i runga nei, mai ara rā te papa i raro nei. Mai ara rā Te Kāhui Ariki, Te Kahui Tipua, Te Kāhui Tauira. Tuku ana, tuku ana. Tuku ana te reo kia rere. Tuku ana te take kia mau. Ū e hā, ū e hā. Ū e hā nuku, ū e hā rangi. Ū e hā Tāne-nui-ā-Rangi. Tāne whakapiripiri nāna te rangi i runga nei i tuku kia tū hāhā, kia tū kē āna rangi. Ka tangi te hau, ka mātao, ka ao, ka awatea, tīhei mauri ora. Nei taku mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa. Ki a koutou e whakarongo mai ki ngā kōrero e whakawhiti haere ana i roto i te Whare. Ā, ko koutou tēnā kua tutuki tēnei kia tae ki tēnei wā kia whakarite i te huarahi kei mua i a koutou.

[Where has it come? Where has it come from? It has come from the Sky Father above and Mother Earth below here. It has come from the cluster of aristocracy, supernatural, and the pre-ordained. Release it, let it go. Allow the language unfettered licence to flow. Allow the purpose to be captured. Be resolute and unyielding on earth and in the stratosphere. The wind shrieks, it becomes intensely cold. Light comes, then the dawn. Behold! The breath of life! This is my affectionate salutation to all of you listening to the cross contributions flowing around the House; and that is you, as a collective, who have completed this and ensured that it arrives here at this point in time to consider the path that is before you.]

Each time I listen to the claims in these settlement readings, they make me a little emotional. I admit that I shed a few tears. I struggle to hold in the pain of loss, the empathy of frustration, and also the bubbling and the tenacity of the mangōpare that drives us—the drive that makes us more determined to work a little harder, to search a little longer, to push on to rectify the injustices and the atrocities that have been meted out to our people.

It is right and fitting that these bills, the Ngāti Koroki Kahukura Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Hauā Claims Settlement Bill, receive their third readings on the same day. Ngāti Koroki and Ngāti Hauā are linked through geography, adjacent relationship of their rohe, and also through whakapapa. In standing to tautoko this bill, I acknowledge the uri of Ngāti Hauā kua tae tinana mai i tēnei wā—those who have come to this House.

We pay tribute to all of those who descend from the eponymous ancestor, Hauā—Ngāti Te Oro, Ngāti Werewere, Ngāti Waenganui, Ngāti Te Rangitaupi, Ngāti Rangi Tawhaki. We draw on their vision, their optimism, and their faith in a future for all their mokopuna to benefit from.

I say “faith” deliberately because on Monday night I was a in a debate with my fellow colleagues from New Zealand First and the Greens, discussing the opportunities for Māori representation that will emerge from the creation of a Māori ward in Taranaki. I say “faith” because, despite our celebration here today of this final reading of the settlement bill, from the comments on Monday night, we need to have some faith, because it is obvious to me that there is still much to do. On Monday night one of the locals came to me and talked on stage, and said that if Māori just tried a little harder, and if they just did their homework, they would find success in gaining positions in local government. It was an interesting argument, based on the view that everyone is born equal. There is nothing more challenging to that point of view than the tragic histories associated with our settlements.

In this settlement we retrace the impact of Treaty breaches from the 1860s onwards. The context for this bill is set out in the 1840s and 1850s, when the people of Ngāti Hauā were benefiting from a thriving economy—an economy that was systematically destroyed. The bill tells of the direct and devious means employed to strip Ngāti Hauā of their fertile lands, rivers, and maunga. I feel like I have said this already today. During the invasion of the Waikato in 1863 and 1864 countless members of Ngāti Hauā were killed or wounded.

In 1865 the Crown confiscated a large area of Waikato land. The raupatu caused destitution within the Ngāti Hauā rohe and left them virtually landless. Until his death in 1866 Wīremu Tamihana sought the return of Ngāti Hauā lands, a cause pursued by his son Tupu Taingakawa. By the 1880s private parties had acquired a large quantity of Ngāti Hauā land.

The alienation was exacerbated in the 19th and 20th centuries though public works takings for roading, railways, and schools, and for hydroelectric purposes. In the 1940s the land was taken for the aerodrome, for the war, after which there was a complete failure to return that land. Slowly, surely, and comprehensively the landscapes and waterways within the Ngāti Hauā rohe were forced out of their hands. The loss of land, of these taonga, undermined their social and traditional structures, removing their ability to exercise customary rights and responsibilities. The story of Ngāti Hauā has been told in various forms for other iwi across this nation.

This is not a matter of Ngāti Hauā just needing to try a little harder and do a little more homework. In actual fact, the clear and pragmatic approach that Ngāti Hauā have brought to their claim is inspirational. Ngāti Hauā co-lead negotiator Lance Rāpana revealed the secret to their success was the ability of the iwi to pull together 100 percent and move on as one. The concept of kotahitanga is one I am committed to, and Ngāti Hauā’s example is one that again gives me faith. Their hard work and unity, their ongoing pursuit of peace and justice as an iwi whakapono, is inspiring not just to iwi in Waikato and around the country but to all New Zealanders. The hurdles they have had to jump have been ongoing and massive. Surely, we have given, and they have given, more than they were required to give.

Although the negotiations for this bill were one of the fastest on record, as has been explained, for Ngāti Hauā, its passage began 150 years ago, instigated by their rangatira Wīremu Tamihana. At this point I want to acknowledge all of those who have passed in the time it has taken to finally get to this point here. I acknowledge their lives and their commitment.

Despite a long history of seeking a meaningful relationship with the Crown, and despite Ngāti Hauā’s insistence on peace and justice, the iwi has endured great prejudice at the hands of the Crown. This settlement acknowledges the wrongdoings of the Crown in this regard. In doing so, this settlement heralds a new chapter in the relationship between Ngāti Hauā and the Crown based on respect, mana, and the rangatiratanga of Ngāti Hauā and its leaders.

The settlement will recognise in law the importance of their relationship to their whenua. Ngāti Hauā will be involved in the co-management of the Waikato River within their area of interest as with Ngāti Koroki, through Waikato-Tainui. This and other redress included in the settlement package in no way fully compensates for the full extent of loss experienced by Ngāti Hauā at the hands of the Crown. However, I am profoundly moved and encouraged by the attitudes of Ngāti Hauā and, indeed, the spirit of settlement approached by the Crown.

At this point I want to acknowledge Minister Finlayson, who is held in high regard around the country. His pragmatic approach to honouring a pathway of partnership is one that we can take faith in for a future for our people. No one can say that the two partners entered into the relationship on an equal basis. The hardship, the suffering, and the loss incurred by Ngāti Hauā has been extreme. Their courage in moving forward is now on public record.

Joy, tears, and applause greeted this settlement when it was signed in July last year. Today I stand to support the third reading of this bill with the same acclamation and praise. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Tēnā koutou e te Whare. He mihi nui ki a Ngāti Hauā, Te Kīngitanga; he mihi nui ki Tainui me Te Kotahitanga o Ngāti Hauā, he mihi nui.

[I extend a huge acknowledgment to Ngāti Hauā, the King Movement, the collective of Ngāti Hauā, a real mighty one.]

I would just like to acknowledge the people in the gallery, the people who have travelled from the Ngāti Hauā rohe down here today, and to say that the Green Party stands in respect and celebration of your achievement in this time of progress.

I am going to make a contribution that the Minister may describe as a “nothing” contribution, the Green Party’s contribution on this take, but actually I believe that in order to fulfil the vison of Te Tiriti o Waitangi all of our contributions are needed, all of our korero is valued, and all of our challenges are part of the story. So as we celebrate, we can also challenge, not out of moral superiority but out of respect for history and out of a recognition that we are in a political evolution towards a vision not yet fulfilled, but it is a vision that this iwi before us has contributed to generously on behalf of their people to my people.

I have to say as a Pākehā that I feel very small today, not because the contribution is not important but because the history is quite overwhelming for me. I lived in Hauraki, on the edge of Ngāti Hauā, and the history is overwhelming. Also I need to say that unlike the Prime Minister, who has a somewhat bizarre view of history, I do not believe that this country was settled peacefully and that the myths of the 1950s are useful any more. I think the history of Ngāti Hauā makes it pretty clear that colonial settlement was, from the 1840s on, a troubled and violent process, and that we cannot hold our heads up and say it was better than in other countries.

The story of Ngati Hauā, the recognition of what “landless” means, is the story that absolutely refutes the view that somehow we have anything to be superior about in terms of the way in which Aotearoa was colonised. So today is a positive day for Ngati Hauā, but the history is heavy and the need for challenge is ongoing.

I would like to also just acknowledge all of the parties in the efficient—you could almost call it speed-dating, compared with some of the other settlements, but effective speed-dating whereby a genuine relationship was completed. But behind that there was a lot more—many, many many years, which others have touched on, of deep and profound research, so that when Ngati Hauā came to the Crown they were ready with their objectives and the Crown was ready to hear them. So that is a credit to everybody. Fast can be effective. It was a credit to all who were involved.

I want to talk a little bit about the tupuna Wīremu Tamihana Tarapīpipi and how his attempt to engage with the Crown left him dissatisfied. I am sure, however, that today he would be very proud of his own. And when we think about the sacredness of he maungarongo, covenant of peace, it is a challenge to all of us now, in 2014, that we need to respect the unfinished business. That is why the Greens are prepared to say that we do not believe in full and final settlement. We believe in the ongoing relationship. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not a divorce; it is a marriage. It is quite important in marriage that we keep talking. Maybe in divorce you make the deal and walk away; but in marriage we keep talking—hopefully. We keep laughing, we keep arguing, we keep challenging, but we keep communicating, with love and respect for each other. That is what the Greens would like to say about the importance of the ongoing right for tangata whenua to say: “We are not finished. We are not settled.”, and that to me is a fair and just position.

There are many aspects of this settlement that are interesting and important, and the history, particularly around the Public Works Act in the 20th century, needs to be acknowledged. Sometimes settlements are presented as a long way away, way back in the 19th century, but, in fact, there is a sustained and ongoing way in which—maybe it was not direct raupatu, but it amounted to the same. So if we look at 1951 and the issues around the rohe, and particularly Waharoa and other places, we realise that the Public Works Act was an instrument of confiscation that needed to be challenged, and still does.

I am actually looking at a review of the Public Works Act because I believe that there should be something in there that makes it clear that no tangata whenua land can ever be taken again under public works. I think that is a critical issue. Patricia Grace’s whānau, Te Ātiawa, have experienced that, and others are facing threats of that. It is really, really important that, even if you win in the Environment Court, tangata whenua should not have to go there. That is an instrument of the past that should be silenced. It should be shut down and there should be a way in which that Act cannot be used for any further form of raupatu in our time, in our name. That is what I want to stand up for.

There are very interesting issues within here. I would love to know what Wīremu Tamihana would have thought of the latest Waitangi ruling where the Waitangi Tribunal makes it clear that Māori never ceded sovereignty in 1840. The Crown may not want to engage with this but, nevertheless, it is a profound and significant moment in the history of Aotearoa that the Waitangi Tribunal has ruled what tangata whenua have always known. So that has to be part of the picture when we are talking about settling things: recognition that something was never given away and that rangatiratanga was never ceded, and that the role of the Kāwana is a different role from the way in which the Crown in the last century or so has tried to present it.

So for us in the Greens we are really interested in that conversation and we want to hear the voices of the descendants of Wīremu Tamihana as to how they see that; what that means for them. This is a day of celebration but also a day to raise questions about where to from here. How do we interpret the current rulings based on past knowledge? How do we actually deal with these things? It is really relevant to situations referred to in the settlement around statutory authority and statutory overlay. I have been having a little look at that and having some conversation with some tangata whenua groups around the motu who are struggling post-settlement because, although the law is clear in the settlement, some of the local authorities are not as clear in their understanding of the world.

It is reassuring that the Waikato region has Māori seats but, nevertheless, the regional and district councils have an obligation. I am pleased to hear about the post-settlement commitment because it is my culture that has to be brought on board. It is my culture, represented in councils, that has often been the block and the barrier to the genuine expression of Te Tiriti o Waitangi relationship. There is not much point, as Te Tau Ihu tangata whenua said to me that they were going to have to spend their Treaty settlement money fighting local authorities to get the Treaty settlement realised. That to me is a gross abuse—that once the settlement is settled and supposedly final, they have to use their settlement money to go to court to persuade their local authorities to do the right thing by those elements of the Treaty settlement process.

I am more hopeful for Waikato. I am more hopeful. We have to be hopeful, but we have to be real about experience. The Pākehā culture has tremendously sophisticated ways of resisting change. We also have a new generation who want change. So there are a lot of positive people out there who understand that this is a new era and a lot can be done. But there are also pockets of resistance. I think my colleague Marama Fox just mentioned a pocket of resistance, the myth of equality, and all the other myths. We really need to engage so that Ngāti Hauā can fully realise, through their relationship with the Department of Conservation, through their relationship with Heritage New Zealand, and through their relationship with the local authorities, the nature of Te Tiriti o Waitangi relationship in all its meaning.

I as a Green am confident that if Ngāti Hauā have the ability to express their rangatiratanga in the rohe, the rivers will be cleaner, the whenua will be healed, the mokopuna will have some kai to inherit—all of the things that really matter, the real economy, which is our whenua, our awa, our moana. All of those things are better looked after if there is a full realisation of what is actually committed to in the settlement in terms of statutory overlay and authority. I know that the challenge then comes back to my people: make it real. But congratulations, he mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. We wish you all the very best and we will continue to find ways to stand beside you in the realisation of Te Tiriti.

Tēnā koe. Tēnā hoki tātou e Te Whare nei me koutou i tū ake i mua i a au ki te tuku atu i ō koutou whakaaro ki te kaupapa o te pire nei. E tātou mā, wena te mea pai o tēnei wāhi! Ahakoa korekau ana koe e ‘hakaae ki ngā kōrero o ētahi rōpū i te mutunga o te rā, nā rātou te kōrero. Ēngari, i rongo au te āhuatanga o ēnā o ngā kōrero a te kaikōrero i tū ake i mua i a au. Ki a au nei, e āhua ‘hakaiti ana i a ia ki a koutou nā te mea, nā koutou i ‘hakaae atu ki te pire nei ēngari nāna i mea mai, ‘E, kāhore, ēhara kē i tētahi g kāhore kau kē he pire mutunga. Ēngari waihotia! Nānā wēnā kōrero! Horekau ia e ‘hakararu i a ia ēngari, wēnā te mea pai o tēnei wāhi. Ēngari e tū ake nei ki te tautoko i te pire ahakoa mōhio ana tātou, horekau i tino tau ki ō koutou hiahia. Ēngari e tika ana te kōrero, ‘kei te huri haere te ao!’Mēnā e hiahia ana tātou ki te anga whakamua tērā pea ko tēnā tētahi huarahi hei ‘hakatau i ēnā whakaaro. Ēngari taku pūhaehae mō koutou! He uri tēnei o Hineāmaru te tuahine o Rongo-patu-taonga. Kāhore anō mātou o te hau kāinga kia tae atu ki tēnei wāhanga nā te mea, kei te raru tonu mātou, kei te whawhai tonu ki a mātou, ē, ko wai rā te kaikōrero ka tae atu ki te tēpu kia kōrero tahi ai me Te Karauna? Ēngari ki a koutou kua pau kē tēnā āhuatanga, kua tīmata mai, kei te taka mai ngā huruhuru ahakoa he iti noa iho. Ēngari a mātou mā.

[Thank you, and greetings also to us, this House, and to those of you who got up before me to express your thoughts about the purpose of this bill. I say everyone; that is what is so good about this place. Even though you disagree with some parties’ sentiments, at the end of the day, the sentiments are theirs. But I heard the tenor of those sentiments by the speaker who preceded me. It appears she was being somewhat disrespectful to you, because you were the ones that approved of this bill. She was the one that said: “No, it is not really a conclusive bill”. But leave it there. Those are her sentiments. She is not going to contradict herself, and that is what is so good about this place. But I stand here to support the bill, even though we know it was not really settled according to your expectations. But the aphorism ‘the world is evolving’ is correct. If we want to go forward, that is possibly a way to appease those kinds of thoughts. But I am envious of you. I am a relative of Hineāmaru, sister of Rongo-patu-taonga. We, back home, are not yet at this part, because we are still experiencing problems. We are still fighting with each other. Hey, who is to be spokesperson at the table to negotiate jointly with the Crown? As far as you are concerned, however, that situation is over. It has begun, outcomes are dropping down in your direction, even though it is mere pittance, but, as for us.]

The deed of settlement was signed last year, and I think that the fact that we have come to this day is a testament to the resilience of Ngāti Hauā and their desire to move on. People have talked about the generosity that this iwi have shown in terms of this agreement, but I should say that they are no different from other iwi who have also settled, and I think history will show the level of generosity that Māori, who, quite rightly, should feel aggrieved, have shown to ensuring that the future of their following generation will be able to benefit from the fruits that this settlement will bring to them.

It was 151 years ago, just 24 years after the signing of the Treaty, when, quite clearly, the Crown forgot what it had signed at Waitangi on 6 February. Because Ngāti Hauā chose to use their whanaungatanga in asking that they provide allegiance to the Kīngitanga—and quite rightly so; they were looking for protection—unfortunately, the Crown saw that as a threat and in 1853-54, it invaded the geographical area occupied by Ngāti Hauā. Consequently, we saw the confiscation, or the raupatu, of their lands and the loss of their social and traditional structures. It removed their ability to exercise customary rights and responsibilities. This bill brings to an end the prejudice endured by the iwi, and it brings us to the point of reaching a meaningful relationship with the Crown.

The bill also refers to cultural redress. A previous speaker in this House said in the debate on an earlier bill that history was being made. Can I just say, from my point of view and the point of view of New Zealand First, that history has been corrected and that the real events of the day are now part of the record of this country, and I think that is the most important part of this bill. Future generations, whether they be Māori or non-Māori, will come to learn that these are the sacrifices that iwi have made as a consequence of the actions of the Crown.

But, having said that, I too—like many of my colleagues on this side of the House—want to acknowledge the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. I am sure that it has not been an easy task for him because he has to go back to the Minister of Finance to see how much of a pūtea he can have so that he can negotiate with the iwi. But I think it is to the credit of the leadership of Ngāti Hauā that they have come to this stage. They want to carry on. They want to progress.

As I said earlier on, always look behind you. May the sun and the wind be at your back, and the future relationship with the Crown will be much better than that experienced by your ancestors.

Nō reira tātou mā, ka hoki mai ki te kōrero i ngā wiki e tū mai, kei maumahara i a tātou te whānautanga o tō tātou Kai’hakaora. Nā reira, tēnei ngā mihi ki a koutou i raro i taua kaupapa, ngā manaakitanga o Te Runga Rawa kei runga i a koutou mō tēnei wā, ā, mō ngā tau kei te heke mai. Nā reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora mai anō tātou.

[Therefore, as far as every one of us are concerned, come back to talk to us in the weeks ahead, as we reminisce now about the birth of our Redeemer. So under that matter, greetings to you collectively, and may the kindness of the Almighty above be upon you and us all at this time and in the years ahead. Thank you.]

The next call is a split call of 5 minutes—Meka Whaitiri.

Ā, tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Tēnā tātou katoa ngā mema o Te Whare nei. E te iwi, Ngāti Hauā, tēnā koutou. Tēnā koutou, nau mai, haere mai ki Te Whare nei, e Te Tumuaki, Anaru, ka nui te mihi ki a koe.

[Thank you to the Assistant Speaker, and acknowledgments to us all, members of this House. I salute you, the tribe of Ngāti Hauā. Welcome and draw near to this House. I acknowledge you greatly, Anaru, the Head.]

Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me pleasure to speak in support, with all members of this House, of the third reading of this settlement bill for Ngāti Hauā. Can I too stand and acknowledge on behalf of the iwi that I represent here: we stand in support and acknowledge the significant day of the passing of this important legislation. I want to say that in the earlier contribution I made to the Ngāti Koroki Kahukura Claims Settlement Bill, I forgot to acknowledge my ancestry to Māhinarangi. So I stand here as an uri of Māhinarangi, also, to acknowledge those who have travelled far to support this important piece of legislation going through today. It is a day of remembrance. It is a day to rejoice. It is a day to reflect. I know from being, before coming into Parliament, a negotiator for my Rongowhakaata people that it is a huge commitment.

When I look at each Treaty bill that comes through the House, there is always a point of difference with each and every one of these settlements. I have heard some great contributions in the House today, starting with the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations about this being the fastest settlement in history—like the fastest gun in town—at 7 months. When I was negotiating—I was one of four negotiators for our own iwi—that was our plan: to negotiate within 1 year. So you had 7 months; we took about 7 to 8 years. So I want to acknowledge your commitment. Some people may think that the haste in which you settled means there may have been some corners cut, but I see the positive side of your settlement, and that is one that was carried out on the basis of a very good strategy and a very good plan.

Like other members in the House have said, unification, kotahitanga, is critical. Those who know me know I am a planner from way back. I cannot operate without a plan, otherwise I get lost. So for you to achieve settlement to a point where you are happy with it after 7 months is, I have got to say—from my reading of it—because you have done your homework. You have done your research. You have gathered your people together, and you had a clear strategy and a plan to get to the end point. So I want to acknowledge Ngāti Hauā and the negotiators who led that negotiation on your behalf, for not only developing your plan but for sticking to it.

Can I acknowledge, of course, the Minister Christopher Finlayson for his work in bringing us to today. He is a man of his word. He is a practical man. When he says he wants to do something he will do it, so I do want to acknowledge the Minister for his work there. I acknowledge his officials, of course, and the Māori Affairs Committee, which saw the passage through at the pace that you obviously wanted to achieve, so I want to acknowledge all the officials who worked on it.

We are getting to the Christmas period, but I know for the good people of Ngāti Hauā that this ends many, many years of hard work, but again opens the commitment to many, many years going forward. I look upon you all—and I look at those who are not here but are at home, probably listening to this broadcast—and think about the vision, the aspirations, that you have for your people. When I see the rangatahi and tauira in the gallery, it is about their future.

I do hope that historical accounts of this settlement bill, and all settlement bills, become an automatic part of our national curriculum throughout our schooling system. That is something that we need to take on in the next generation—around how chequered our past and the history of this country is, and to keep the stories alive. For the Ngāti Hauā uri, it is important in your rohe that your stories, your histories, and the commitment of your tipuna to bring us to today are never, ever forgotten.

Otirā, e te iwi, huri noa, tēnei te mihi maioha, tēnei te mihi aroha ki a koutou katoa. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ā, tēnā tātou katoa.

[But at the same time, I acknowledge and salute you, the tribe, and us all, lovingly and affectionately throughout. Thank you.]

Kia ora e Te Māngai o Te Whare, ngā mana, e rau rangatira mā; ngā mihi ki Te Tumuaki me ngā whānau o Ngāti Hauā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Greetings to the Assistant Speaker of the House, authorities, and many leaders; acknowledgments to the Head and families of Ngāti Hauā. Congratulations, and well done to you and to us all. Thank you.]

I have to say that I think we have had some of the most thoughtful contributions this morning to the Treaty settlement process. From my perspective, I think we are in a new era. It is a new era of resistance. Sitting here listening to the contributions—thinking of people like Tamihana, thinking of people like Taingakawa, and thinking of people like Ānaru Thompson, who now has the mantle in terms of the resistance of Ngāti Hauā—it makes me really proud that where we are now is a period of what I call rehabilitation. We have survived. We have survived, and we have survived to a point where we are getting some of our lands back, and, actually, our culture never died, and neither did our language. But the biggest challenge that we have going forward is to make sure that 100 percent of our whānau have access and opportunity in terms of our culture and our language.

For me, today is a significant day, and I want to mihi to all the people who have been involved in this process. The Wai claims—Wai 306, Wai 1017—were lodged by Alan Gillett, by Eru Kaukau, and by Marsden Kaukau. I acknowledge the trustees who signed the terms of negotiation in December 2012. Again, I want to acknowledge the chair, Ānaru Thompson, the tumuaki. Today is actually the 74th settlement in this House. We are now 60 percent of the way through the Treaty settlement process. I want to acknowledge the Hon Chris Finlayson, because I think that the process he has now instituted is meaning that we are moving at a quicker pace. As you have seen displayed today, this is a place where we can debate the significance and the meaning of some of the things that have been included in our Treaty settlement process.

Again, I want to highlight the statutory acknowledgments that, for me, give meaning to our status as mana whenua, as tangata whenua, not only within the context of these Treaty settlement processes but our relationships with local councils and other things. For me, it also means: what is our relationship with the Ministry of Education, our boards of trustees, and all the schools and the kura within your Ngāti Hauā rohe? I think the next task of this post-settlement commitment unit is actually translating this process and this history into history books that our kids learn generically, not just ngā uri o Ngāti Hauā but actually ngā uri o Aotearoa New Zealand, because it is a taonga in itself, and everyone should have the right and opportunity to understand and know our history.

When I look at how we translate this recognition of our status, conversations about what is happening in New Plymouth—and the mayor and the council there saying we should have a Māori, and a specific Māori, on that local board of the local council—actually have significance and relevance right across the motu. I think the driver of that opportunity has to come from our iwi and our hapū. If we want it, then we need to add some value to the statutory recognitions in our status, in our relationships, and in our partnerships with our local council. I think the evolution of that will mean that forevermore our status will never be diminished, because fundamentally we, as tangata whenua, as mana whenua, as the guardians of our mokopuna and our tamariki—the future actually now is in our hands. I look forward to the challenge that that now poses our post-Treaty settlement resistance fighters, as I called them before, because this is only the beginning.

So I mihi to you all and acknowledge you. It must be an incredibly proud day. As a member of Parliament, I am incredibly humbled to have an opportunity to be a part of this process. Safe travels home. On behalf of my Labour Party colleagues and the rest of the members of this House, I hope you know that this is a genuine process of consensus and that as a House we are actually really committed to this Treaty settlement and to the next phase in our status as tangata whenua in Aotearoa. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Kia ora, Mr Assistant Speaker. Recently I was challenged by my kaumātua and kuia: when speaking on Māori issues or Māori causes within this House I should revert to my native tongue of Te Reo Māori. No reira ka huri atu ahau. He pito kōrero ka whakahokia. Ka papā te whatitiri, hiko hiko te uira, kahukura ki te rangi. Te ai tū ka riri ka rongo mai ka hē ko Ngungunu, ko Ngangana, ko Apārangi; ko te titī o te rua, ko te tao whakahoro, ko te tao whakawahine, ko te tao o tōku tupuna a Hineamaru. Tihei wā mauri ora.

Ka waihonā tū taua kōrero hei whakataki ake i tēnei kōrero kei mua i te aroaro o tēnei Whare i te rangi nei. Ko te tikanga o tērā e Te Māngai o Te Whare, ka tuituia ōku mātua tūpuna ki ngā tāngata katoa kua tatū mai nei ki runga i te kaupapa kua whakakāhui nei tātou i te rangi nei. Arā, ko ngā whakapapa kei waenganui i a mātou, arā, ko tōku tupuna ko Hineamaru kua kōrero nei e tōku pāpa a Pita, mō te āhuatanga ki te rongo pāpū taonga te wahine o Tāwhiao. Ka heke iho mai ki a Heni Ngarino, ko tōku tupuna tērā ko Ngāti Hine e tū. Nā ka huri tua atu ki ōku wheinga, tōku toto ki roto i a Te Taitokerau ko Reitū, ko Uaoneone, tēnei ka tangi, tēnei ka mihi, tēnā koutou katoa. Kāti, ka huri ngā whakaaro ki ngā tai kua mimiti atu ki te pō. Rātou kua hinga mai nā, kua hinga atu rā. Rātou i takahia ai i te ara whānui ki Te Rua o Tāpokorau, te huarahi i heke ai a Māui ki te pō ki te anu mātao. Ka whakapiki atu rā koutou ki tua o rei ao anā ka tau ki runga i Te Pae o Mahara ki te whakamaungā kekete, e kekete mai ai te kekete, e ara mai ai te ara. E takahia atu rā i te Aratiatia i takahia ai tō tātou tupuna a Tāne nui ā rangi. Ka tiaho mai rā ki runga i te kahu o te tupuna o Ranginui, ka tangi tonu ahau. Haere e ngā mate, haere.

Ka tika huri ngā whakaaro ki a tātou e te hunga ora tēnā tātou e Te Māngai o tēnei Whare. E tautoko ana ahau i ngā kōrero katoa kua pahure ake nei ki roto i te āhuatanga o tēnei kaupapa, e āta wānanga, e āta kōrerohia nei tātou ki roto i te Whare. Nā, e tautoko ana, e rere tonu ana ngā mihi ki te Minita ki te Hōnore ki a Chris Finlayson. Kua kōrero te Whare mō tōna māia e Te Māngai. Kua kōrero Te Whare mō tōna kaha ki te tutuki i ngā take e pā ana ki Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Nā kua waha nei ētahi o ngā mema o tēnei Whare ki ngā o mahi i oti i a ia. Nō reira e rere tonu ana ngā mihi ki a ia me ōna āpiha ki roto i ngā Tari Kāwanatanga.

Nā e manawanui ana ahau e Te Māngai o tēnei Whare. E manawanui ana ahau ki te kōrero a te Minita e mea ana ka whakatū i tētahi rōpū hei āwhina atu i ngā iwi kua tatū nei ngā kerēme, hei āwhina atu i ngā iwi ki roto i te wāhanga a muri ake i te tatūnga o ngā kerēme, ka manawanui tēnei. Ka haere tonu ngā mihi ki ngā Āpiha, ki ngā Āpiha o ngā kaunihera, ki ngā Āpiha o ngā Tari Kāwanatanga ā ko te tari tatū ai ngā kerēme. Ka mihi atu ahau ki a rātou e kawea nei i tēnei kaupapa ki roto i te Whare.

Ka mutu, ka huri atu ahau ki a koutou e Ngāti Hauā. Nā, kua kōrero mai ngā mema o tēnei Whare mō te tupuna o Tai Ngākawa. Ka tīmata mai i te tupuna a Te Waharoa ka heke iho mai ki a Wīremu Tamihana Tarapīpipi. I tēnei tāima e te pāpā, e Te Tumuaki, ko te aroha o tōku pāpā, otirā, o tōku whānau, ka tau ki runga i a koe i tēnei tāima. Kua ārahi nei e koe i tō iwi. Kei te arahi tonu koe i te iwi Māori, arā, me te Kīngitanga i roto i ngā nekehanga o tēnei wā ka heke iho taua mana ki runga i a koe, tēnei ka mihi, tēnei ka tangi.

Nā ka hoki atu ahau ki ngā whakapapa kua takia nei e au ki mua i a koutou, mō tō koutou ake whakapapa e, e Te Tumuaki. Nā, ka kapohia ake ahau i ngā kōrero e pā ana ki a Taingakawa. Nā, kei roto i tēnei whare tētahi pikitia. Ka tū ko Taingakawa me te Pirimia o taua taima, arā, ko Dick Seddon. Nā, ko taua pikitia hei tohutohu, hei tohutohu ki ngā mema Māori o tēnei taima mō te māia o ngā mātua tūpuna ki te mahi ngātahi me te karauna. Nā, ko tō tūpuna tēnā, i arahi nei i te iwi Māori me tōna iwi i roto i ngā nekehanga ahakoa ngā tūkinotanga o te karauna ki a Ngāti Hauā otirā ki te iwi Māori. No reira, e mihi atu ana ahau ki a Ngāti Hauā. Ko te tohu tēnā o te rangatira kā kōrero tātou katoa ka whakataukīhia e tātou ki roto i tēnei taima, ko te kai a te rangatira ko te kōrero. Nā, ko taua kai kei roto i te ringa o Ngāti Hauā ki roto i ngā tau, tae noa mai ki tēnei wā. Kia kaua e pōhēhē mā te kāwanatanga tēnei kerēme e tatū wawe mai. Kāhore. Engari, mā te arohanui o Ngāti Hauā, ki ngā take me ngā mokopuna me ngā whakatipuranga kei te haere mai tēnei kerēme ka tatū noa.

No reira, e te Māngai o tēnei whare, nā wai rā te kī mā te pūtea anakē te iwi Māori, otirā, Ngāti Hauā e ora ai. E tika ana te whakataukī ‘mā te huruhuru te manu ka rere’ o te pūtea e kōrerohia nei tētahi o ngā kahukura ka tau ki runga i taua manu. Engari, ka whakaarohia ake ahau ki ngā kiko kei roto i tēnei pire, he nui ngā huruhuru, he nui ngā kahukura ka taea e Ngāti Hauā te manu ka rere.

Nā ka tiro atu ahau ka kōrero atu ahau e te Māngai o tēnei whare, mō ngā taonga kei roto i tēnei pire. Nā kua kōrero mai i tēnei Whare mō te Kauhanganui. Ko te Kauhanganui o Mahuta e tino hari koa ana te ngākau ka ora mai taua taonga ki roto i ngā tau kei mua i a tātou. Kia kaua ngā kōrero i pahure ki roto i ngā poupou o taua whare, te mahue ake mō ngā whakatipuranga e haere ake nei.

Nā, ka kōrero anō au mō te taonga e kawea nei e tōku pāpā e Anaru i tēnei rangi. E tino hari koa ana kei roto i tēnei pire te wāhanga hei tautoko atu i te tapu, i te mauri o taua taonga. Nā, ko te taonga i te Huiipukawa. I reira taku tupuna nō te Taitokerau ki te whakarongo atu ki te titiro atu ki te tapu o taua taonga, ka tau ki runga i ngā pokowhiwhi o te Tumuaki i tēnei rangi. No reira, e hari koa ana ahau i ngā kiko kei roto i tēnei pire.

Koi nā tāku e mea ana ki tēnei Whare mai i tēnei taha o te Whare mai i te Rōpū Reipa. Ka riro ki a au nei te wāhanga hei whakakapi ake i ngā kōrero o tēnei taha o Te Whare. No reira, ki roto i tēnā, ka huri atu ahau ki te reo pākehā mō tētahi wā paku noa nei kia kaua a Peeni i kōhuru i ngā kupu a tētahi atu.

[And so I go back into a short incantation, which I will wind back. The thunder crashes, and the lightning flashes, as there is a rainbow in the sky. It is flashing an ill-omen, as a war party is heard by Ngungunu, Ngangana an Apārangi at the opening of the pit, as the incantations releasing the warriors from tapu are recited, the incantations of my ancestor Hineāmaru. Behold! The breath of life!

I leave those words to introduce this speech before the House today. The reason being is that those words bind my ancestors to all of the people that are present and here today for this prestigious occasion. The genealogical links between us lie with my ancestor Hineāmaru and Te Rongopātūtaonga, wife of Tāwhiao, who was mentioned by my uncle Pita Paraone. Descending from that line is Hēni Ngārino, who was of Ngāti Hine lineage like this person standing before you. Then I turn to my elders, to my Far North blood linkages, to the ancestors Reitū and Uaoneone, as I weep and acknowledge you all. And so allow me to turn our attention to the tides receding to the darkness, to those deceased here and there. Those who traversed the expansive pathway of Te Rua o Tāpokorau, which Māui travelled on his journey down to the darkness, to the coldness. You then soared past Reiao and settled beyond memory, beyond the veil. Scale the celestial ladder that your ancestor Tāne-nui-ā-Rangi climbed. It shines above the cloak of Ranginui as I continue to cry out. Farewell to the dead, farewell!

And it is appropriate to pay respects to the living. Greetings to the Assistant Speaker. I endorse all of the previous speeches pertaining to this matter, as we examine and discuss this bill within the House. I also support the acknowledgments to the Minister, the Hon Christopher Finlayson. The House has spoken about his courage. The House has also spoken of his sterling efforts to settle Treaty of Waitangi claims. Other members of Parliament have spoken about his accomplishments, and he continues to be acknowledged along with his officials from various government departments. To the Assistant Speaker of the House, I am heartened. I am heartened to speak because a group will be established to assist tribes that have settled claims, and to assist with the work involved after the claims are settled. I am heartened with this. I wish to acknowledge the officials from the local councils and government departments, including the Office of Treaty Settlements. I would also like to congratulate those who brought the bill to the House.

Now I turn my attention to Ngāti Hauā. The members of Parliament have spoken about the ancestor Tai Ngākawa. We begin with the ancestor Te Waharoa, down to Wīremu Tamihana Tarapīpipi. At this time, I wish to express the love of my father and my family to you, the Head. You have led your people, and you continue to lead the Māori people and the King Movement within the current affairs, as the authority was passed down to you, and so I stand to acknowledge you. Now I will refer back to your geneology that I recited before you, the Head.

Now I will recount a story relating to Taingākawa. Within this building, there is a photo showing Taingākawa and the Prime Minister of that time, Dick Seddon. That photo depicts to the current Māori members the confidence of our ancestors to work with the Crown. And it was your ancestor who lead the Māori people, in spite of the wrongdoings of the Crown, to Ngāti Hauā and, indeed, the Māori people. Therefore, I wish to congratulate Ngāti Hauā, as it is a sign of nobility to express these proverbial sayings at this time, for the food that sustains chiefs, is oratory. And that food has always laid within the hands of Ngāti Hauā.

Let us not assume that the Government settled this claim with haste. No, but it was through the great love of Ngāti Hauā towards their affairs with their children and future generations that this claim was settled. Therefore, to you, the Assistant Speaker of this House, who said Māoridom and, indeed, Ngāti Hauā will thrive only with money. The proverb that states that ‘birds need feathers to fly’ is correct, as the ‘money’ is an analogy for the feathers that adorn birds. But I have reflected upon the substance of this bill. There are many positives, there are many feathers that Ngāti Hauā will be able to utilise in order to fly.

And now I turn to reflect and speak about the treasures within this bill. Now this House has spoken about the trustee, the trustee of Mahuta. I am delighted that this treasure will be reborn in the years ahead. Let not the words that have been spoken within the walls of that house be abandoned for future generations. Now I will again speak about the valuable role that my uncle Ānaru Thompson is carrying out. I am pleased that within this bill is a section that supports the sacredness and vital importance of the role of the Head. Now, at the conference in Pūkawa, my ancestor from the Far North heard and witnessed the sacredness of this treasure that has been bestowed upon the shoulders of the Head today, and so I am delighted at the substance of this bill. This is the position of the Labour Party, as I conclude the contributions from this side of the House. And with that in mind, I will speak English for a brief time so that Peeni will not murder the words of others.]

I just want to say these words that can be found in the journals of New Zealand. It goes a little something like this: those who study the Treaty will find whatever they seek. Those who look for difficulties and obstacles that surround Te Tiriti o Waitangi will find nothing but difficulties and obstacles. But those who approach in a positive frame of mind and propose to regard it as an obligation of honour will find that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is more than capable of being implemented into law.

Nō reira, ka waihonātū tērā kōrero kei mua i te aroaro o tēnei Whare mō tēnei wā. Ka huri ngā mihi ki a koutou e ōku mātua, e kara mā, e kui mā, e kawea nei i te tapu i te mauri o Ngāti Hauā ki runga i te tāhūhū o tēnei Whare. Tēnā koutou, e te Māngai o tēnei Whare. Tēnā tātou katoa.

[I therefore leave that contribution before this House, for this moment. I turn to you, my elders, the elderly men and women folk. My acknowledgments to you for conveying the vital essence and sacredness of Ngāti Hauā upon the roof of this House. Thank you. Thank you to the Assistant Speaker of this House, and to us all.]

Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā. E koro mā, e kui mā, e Te Tumuaki o te iwi Ngāti Hauā, ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou. Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Whare Pāremata i te rā whakahirahira mō ngā whānau me ngā hapū o te iwi.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and warm greetings to you, the elderly men, elderly women, the Head of the Ngāti Hauā tribe. Welcome and draw close to Parliament on this great day for the families and subtribes of the people.]

I am privileged to stand to take the last call in the final reading of the Ngāti Hauā Claims Settlement Bill. I want to acknowledge the tireless work of the negotiation teams, particularly those of Ngāti Hauā, especially to turn round a bill within 7 months. That is a record. I also want to thank the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Hon Chris Finlayson, for his undying dedication to ensuring that all our claims will be settled within due course.

I also want to acknowledge ngā hapū o Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Te Oro, Ngāti Werewere, Ngāti Waenganui, Ngāti Te Rangitaupi, and Ngāti Rangi Tawhaki because I have heard those hapū spoken of in this House today by only two of us, and I just want to acknowledge you and acknowledge the work that you have done.

This settlement claim provides redress in both financial and cultural form to the trustees of the Ngāti Hauā Iwi Trust. It represents good progress in the Waikato and Raukawa claims. As I said in my previous kōrero, today is a day of celebration. It is the beginning of a prosperous future for ngā whānau o Ngāti Hauā.

As I said in the start of my kōrero, if you can turn round a bill like this in 7 months, just imagine what you can do with the claims that you are receiving today. I think that you have great potential, and I am really proud that my cousin married one of you. My cousin’s name was Taui Paku. He married a Marie Paku—I cannot remember her maiden name, because back in the day I was brought up thinking that all Māori were Ngati Porou. When my cousin Taui passed, he asked that he would go back to lie at the Ngāti Hauā marae where his wife is from, and so we travelled there, and he is buried alongside in your beautiful urupā just out of Cambridge. So I am very pleased that my cousin is in your arms being looked after by you.

In closing, I want to say thank you all for coming along today. I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I wish you safe journeys home, and, hopefully, we will see you sometime into the future. I wholeheartedly commend this bill to the House.

Bill read a third time.

The debate has finished, ladies and gentlemen. I do not get to speak in these debates, but I would like to congratulate both iwi today on their achievements. I was a signatory with the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations on this last bill, the Ngāti Hauā Claims Settlement Bill, and so this is a special day also and I share that with you.

Waiata

The House adjourned at 12.11 p.m.