Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki Claims Settlement Bill

on behalf of the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. I move, That the Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the bill.

Kai aku rangatira o Tauranga Moana, tēnā koutou, haere mai. He ngāwari tā koutou noho, kua oti kē i a mātau te tuku i tētahi kupu kōrero ki te wāhi ngaro, anā, kua rongo ngā uri o Ngāti Hineuru i tērā karakia, ā, nō reira kua ea tērā, kua huri ki a koutou katoa kua haramai i raro i a Mauao, ā, i Te Ākau o Tauranga Moana, tēnā koutou, haere mai, haere mai, haere mai! Ēhara tēnei hīkoi ō koutou i te huarahi hōu, kua tae kē mai a Ngāti Ranginui, kua tae kē mai a Ngāti Pūkenga. Nā, kua eke ki te rā, ā, kua eke mai koutou; nō reira, ko tāku ko te kī, ā, hei wāwāhi i te āhuatanga o ngā kōrero, tēnā koutou, haere mai.

He kitenga kanohi, ka hoki ngā mahara. Tuatahi, ki te hunga kua ngaro inātata nei; Colin Reeder kai te mōhio tonu koe ki te āhuatanga o to tāua hoa a Matiu i Te Whare Wānanga, ka tangi ake. Nā tātau tērā i tuku ki Te Kōpū o Papatūānuku i te kotahi marama pea kua hipa ake. Ko Matiu tērā i roto i ngā whiriwhiringa mō tēnei o ngā kaupapa. Arā anō ngā pakeke e mōhiotia nei e koutou, kai aku rangatira o Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngā Pōtiki, ko Rere Amoamo, ko rātau, tērā hunga, tērā whakatipuranga, ā, ka mutu, taihoa ake nei ka hoki ki ētahi, kia kōrerohia rātau. Ēngari ki ngā pakeke, haere mai, haere mai, haere mai.

E Turi tēnā koe e whakakanohi nei i to pāpā. He āhua pāpōuri te ngākau kāre tērā koroua, tērā o ngā pāpā i haramai ki roto i Te Whare Pāremata kia rongo i tēnei o ngā kaupapa. Ko ia te kanohi e kōrerohia ana i runga i ngā marae o Te Motu. Te kanohi o Tauranga Moana, ka mutu o Ngāi Te Rangi. Ko ia, ki a koe te pāpā Hauata, tēnā koe haere mai. E te hoa o Te Whare Pāremata i ngā tau kua hipa ake te hōnore e Mita, tēnā koe. Haramai ki te hōro, haramai ki te marae o Te Whare Pāremata, kua waia kē koe ki ēnei momo āhuatanga. Nō reira, he oranga ngākau kua tae mai koe i te taha o to iwi, ki konei kōrero ai i ngā take o tēnei rā. Nō reira, e Tiare, ko koe tērā te tiamana i whai wāhi nā i roto i ngā whiriwhiringa o te iwi, ka nui te mihi. Ki ngā kanohi e mōhiotia ana, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou.

E Riri, tēnā koe, Wikitōria, ē, ko koutou kua haere mai i tēnei rā. Ko te whānau Rōritanga pai te kite atu i a koutou, haere mai, haere mai, haere mai rā. Nō reira, kia whai wāhi au ki te mihi ki Te Minita i te mea, ko ngā kerēme katoa i ngā 6 tau pea kua hipa, nāna tonu i āki ki te whakatakoto ki roto i Te Whare Pāremata nei, kia taea ai e ngā iwi te kimi, te whai tonu i tētahi huarahi hei painga mō rātau.

Anā, ko koutou tēnei i whai i ngā tapuwae o ngā iwi i kōrerohia nā e au inātata nei. Nō reira, tēnei te huarahi i kitea e ētahi iwi i mua i a koutou anā, ko Ngāti Hineuru tērā i mua i a koutou. Whai muri i a koutou ko ngā iwi o Whanganui ka tae mai ki te kōrero mō Te Awa Tupua o Whanganui. Heoi anō, me pēnei rawa te kōrero, kai te mōhio tonu ahau he ara tāpokopoko i whāia e koutou.

Me mihi rā ki ngā mea e noho nei hei kaikōrero mō koutou. Ko te taha ki a Ngāi Te Rangi ki a Spencer Webster—kāre au i te tino kite i a ia—āe, kai reira tonu ia. Ki a Mita, ki a koe; ki a Willie Te Aho, tērā Māori ka whai wāhi tana ringa ki roto i ngā kerēme katoa o Te Motu ēngari, ā, hoi anō tērā, tērā. Ka mutu kia huri atu ki a Ngā Pōtiki, ki a koe Wikitōria, ōtirā, ki a Mātānuku, ā, kāre au i te tino mōhio ki tō pānga ki Tauranga Moana ēngari, he pai tonu. Māu tērā e kōrero, ko te whakapapa ki roto o Tauranga Moana, ēngari, tērā pea ā-rōia nei, ka mihi ki a koe. Ko koe te ringa āwhina ki a Ngā Pōtiki, ka mihi ki a koe i haramai ki te taha o ngā pāpā nei, o ngā kūia nei, o ngā whānau nei, ā, tēnā koutou katoa.

Kua rongo koutou i ngā kōrero o ngā mema Pāremata inātata nei mō te iwi nei mō Ngāti Hineuru. Ko te wāhi ki a au, ēhara i te mea ki te whakatakoto i ngā hītori katoa, ka waiho ake mā Te Minita tērā e kōrero. Ko tāku ko te kī atu, kai te rongo koutou i tētahi paku rerekētanga o ngā nawe, o ngā take o Ngāti Hineuru ki ērā o Ngā Pōtiki, o Ngāi Te Rangi—ki taku mōhio, kāo. Ki taku mōhio kāo. Muru i te raupatu, ko koutou tērā. Muru raupatu, ā, he kaupapa e waia nei koutou ki tērā āhuatanga. Ko te muru i te whenua, ko te takatakahi i te mana, ā, ko te tū o te pakanga. Ēhara koutou i te tauhōu ki ērā kōrero.

Kia kōrero au mō te āhuatanga o Pukehinahina, o Te Ranga. I tū ngā tohe o Te Karauna ki ngā iwi, ā, kāti, kua waia kē tātau ki ngā mahi tohe a Te Karauna, ngā pakanga i waenganui i a tātau. Nō reira, mai i te tau 18, taku mōhio, 65, ā, tae rā anō ki ngā tau, me kī, 1970, tērā wāhanga, ā, i āhua pērā rawa te āhuatanga o te noho o Te Karauna ki ngā iwi o roto o Tauranga Moana, otirā, o Te Motu. Ko taku iwi o Ngāti Rangiwewehi i tū, pokohiwi ki te pokohiwi, ki Te Ranga. Ki taku mōhio pērā anō hoki ki Pukehinahina. Me pērā i te mea kua āhua tata nei te whenua e nohoia nei e ōku pāpā, e ōku koroua, e ōku kuia ki tērā o roto o Tauranga Moana. Ēngari ko te mate kē, i raro i te ture, i raupatuhia ngā whenua o Ngāi Te Rangi, otirā, o Ngā Pōtiki. Ko te taunga waka rererangi, ki taku mōhio, i murua i a koutou. Ko te āhuatanga o te rori hōu, ngā wāhi o te rori hōu mai i Tauranga Moana ki Te Puke, he pērā anō te āhua.

Ka hoki aku mahara ki tētahi pire nāku tonu i kōkiri ki roto i tēnei Whare Pāremata. Ko te ingoa o te pire nei, ko Mount Maunganui Borough Reclamation and Empowering Act Repeal Bill. Nāku tēnā i kōkiri ki roto nei. He aha i pērā ai? I te mea, ā, ko te tikanga o tērā pire he whakahoki atu i tērā whenua ki a koutou, i te mea i murua e Te Karauna. Otirā, i tukuna ki te kaunihera, mō te aha? Kia taea ai e te kaunihera o Tauranga te tuku i tāna parapara ki roto i ngā whenua o Ngāi Te Rangi. Me kī, ki te tāhuna o Rangataua, ā, ka tukuna te para, te tūtae, te aha rānei ki te ākau ki Papamoa. Nō reira, ka tangi ake, koirā tētahi tauira o te āhuatanga o te mahi a Te Karauna ki ngā iwi o roto i a koutou, a Ngā Pōtiki, a Ngāi Te Rangi ēngari, he pai tonu, i te wā poto kai a au kua huri pea a Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngā Pōtiki ki te whai ao, ki te ao mārama.

Ko au tētahi i waimarie ki te tae atu ki Te Whetū, ki te whakatuwheratanga o tērā kaupapa ā-whare nā. Wikitōria ko koe tērā i kōkiri i tērā kaupapa. Nō reira, ā, ka mutu ki Mangataua. He pērā anō te āhuatanga. He aha te mahi? He hanga whare kia tiaki i ngā pakeke, kia tiaki i ngā kuia, i ngā koroua. Nō reira, ka mihi rā ki tērā āhuatanga. Ēhara i te mea kai te noho koutou i te pō uriuri, te pō tangotango, kāo! He hiahia nō koutou kia puta ki te whai ao, ki te ao mārama. Mā tēnei huarahi pea ka eke ki tērā taumata. Nō reira ko te wāhi ki a au, he wāwāhi i ngā kōrero mō Te Whare Pāremata i tēnei rā me te kī atu, nau mai, haere mai i tēnei rā.

Ēhara i te mea kua mutu, kāo! He tīmatanga noa ake tēnei i te mea, ka haere Te Whare Pāremata ki a koutou ki te rongo i ngā kōrero, ka mutu ko te pānuitanga tuatahi, ā, ka mana, kua wātea te huarah. Nō reira, kua rahi māku i tēnei rā, haere mai, kai aku rangatira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātau katoa.

[Greetings and welcome to my esteemed of Tauranga Moana. You can rest easy; we have already paid homage to the unseen world, the descendants of Ngāti Hineuru witnessed that prayer, all of that has been taken care of, so I turn now to all of you who have arrived from Mauao, from the shores of Tauranga Moana, greetings to you collectively, welcome, welcome, welcome! This journey of yours is not a new one, Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Pūkenga have already been here, and now we come to this today, to your arrival; therefore, I say, as a way of introducing matters on this issue, salutations to you, welcome.

A face seen is a memory recalled. Firstly, to those recently departed: Colin Reeder, you knew our good friend Matiu very well at university. I lament him. It was us who buried him only a month ago. Matiu was involved in the negotiations for this matter. And there were other elders that you all know. To my esteemed ones of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki, to Rere Amoamo, they were the group, that generation. Also, I will refer to others whom I will talk about. However, to the elders, welcome, come hither.

To you, Turi, I thank you for representing your father here. I am a little bit saddened that that elderly gentlemen, that uncle of ours, was not able to be here in Parliament to hear these matters. He was a person who was spoken of on every marae around the country, the representative of Tauranga Moana and indeed of Ngāi Te Rangi. And to you, my Uncle Howard, greetings and welcome to you. To a dear friend of this Parliament in years gone by, to the honourable Mita, greetings. Welcome to the House, welcome to the marae of Parliament. You are already very familiar with these occasions. It is very uplifting to see you have arrived here with your tribe, to discuss the matters before us this day. And to you, Charlie, you are the chairman who was given this opportunity by your iwi. My sincerest gratitude to you. To all the others whom I know, greetings and acknowledgments to you all.

I pay tribute to you, Riri, to Wikitōria, and to all the others who have come this day. To the Rolleston family, it is good to see you all. I bid you all welcome, welcome, indeed welcome. Furthermore, I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, because, with all the claims that have gone through in the last 6 years, it was he who encouraged them to be presented before this Parliament so that the tribes could quickly get on with the job of pursuing a better pathway for them all.

And so this is you—you have followed in the footsteps of those other tribes that I have recently mentioned. Therefore, this was the pathway that other tribes had discovered before you, and it was Ngāti Hineuru just before you all. After you, the tribes of Whanganui will be arriving to discuss the ancestral river of Whanganui. However, let me put it this way, I know it is a billowy course that you have travelled.

I want to thank those who are here as spokespersons for you. On behalf of Ngāi Te Rangi there is Spencer Webster—I cannot really see him—oh yes, he is still there. To you too, Mita, and to you, Willie Te Aho—that Māori who seems to have a hand in all the claims around the country. However, so be it. Futhermore, can I turn to Ngā Pōtiki, to you, Wikitōria, and at the same time to you, Mātānuku—I am not really sure of your connection to Tauranga Moana—but that is fine. You can mention it, your geneology to Tauranga Moana. However, as a lawyer, I must pay tribute to you. You were the helping hand for Ngā Pōtiki, and so I thank you for coming along with these uncles and old matriachs of the families here. My acknowledgments to you all.

You would have heard some of the contributions from the members of Parliament just recently in regard to Ngāti Hineuru. My contribution will be not to outline all the historical account; I will leave that to the Minister. I would like to say—you will hear a slightly different version of the concerns, of the issues of Ngāti Hineuru, to those of Ngā Pōtiki and of Ngāi Te Rangi—my understanding is, no. As far as I know, there is no justice for confiscations, that is you. Confiscation is an issue that you are very familiar with. The dispossession of lands, the disregard for mana—that is something that you are quite used to now. The confiscation of land, the disregard for mana and the engagement of war. You are not strangers to those stories.

I would like to make mention of the circumstances of Pukehinahina, of Te Ranga. These were battles initiated by the Crown against the tribes. Oh well, we are quite familiar with the disagreements of the Crown and the battles between us. Accordingly, since 1865 and up until the 1970s—that period—that is very much how things were between the Crown and the tribes of Tauranga Moana, and, indeed, of the country. My own tribe of Ngāti Rangiwewehi stood shoulder to shoulder at Te Ranga. And as far as I know it was similar at Pukehinahina. And I should say that, because the land where my own uncles and grandparents live is similar to that land in Tauranga Moana. The only problem is—in terms of the law—the land was confiscated, the lands of Ngāi Te Rangi and of Ngā Pōtiki. The airport is one place where I believe the land was taken from you. And there are the circumstances of the new road, those parts of the new road, from Tauranga Moana to Te Puke, it is the same.

I cast my mind back to a bill that I actually introduced into this Parliament. The name of the bill was the Mount Maunganui Borough Reclamation and Empowering Repeal Bill. I introduced this into the House. Why was that? Because the intention of that bill was to return the land to you all, as it was taken by the Crown. However, why was it given to the council, for what purpose? So that the Tauranga council could deposit their effluent into the lands of Ngāi Te Rangi, let us say, to the shore of Rangataua, and they released their rubbish, their excrement, and whatever else, on to the beaches at Papamoa. I weep at this situation. This is an example of the sorts of things the Crown was doing to the tribes amonst you, of Ngā Pōtiki anf Ngāi Te Rangi. However, it is OK. In the short time I have had, maybe Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki have become a bit clearer and more enlightened on the issues.

I was one of the fortunate ones to go to Te Whetū, to the opening of the housing complex there. It was you, Wikitōria, who advanced this issue. Therefore, it is similar with Mangataua. There are similar circumstances. And what were they? They were to do with the building of houses to care for the elderly, the old womenfolk and menfolk. Consequently, I acknowledge that matter. It is not as though you are all sitting in the dark, in the intense darkness—never! It is your earnest desire to enter into the glimmer of dawn and into the world of light. This pathway may assist you in reaching that pinnacle. And, therefore, it has been my task to begin this debate for Parliament today, and to say to you all welcome and salutations to you today.

It is not as though it is all over; no, this is just the beginning, and Parliament will be coming to you to listen to what you have to say. It will become official following the first reading. The way will be clear. Therefore, that is enough from me today. I say welcome to my esteemed elders, greetings and salutations to you collectively, and my appreciation to us all.]

I commend this bill to the House.

Tēnā koe Te Māngai o Te Whare. Tuku mauri ora ki te whei ao ki te ao mārama, tīhei wā mauri ora! I a au e tupu tamariki ana, ko ngā mātua o te hau kāinga o Te Tai Tokerau, whakaakohia mai te mahi o te kai kōrero tuarua hei tautoko ake i ngā kōrero a te kaikōrero tuatahi. Nā runga i taua whakaaro, ko ngā mihi hoki ki tōku tuakana ki te mema Pāremata o Te Tai Hauāuru, nāna tō tātou huihuinga i te ata nei i whakarite, kia anga atu ngā kanohi me ngā wairua ki tō tātou Kaihanga. Māna tātou e tiaki ki roto i ngā nekehanga o te wā nei, māna anō hoki koutou e tiaki ki roto i tō koutou nohoanga i roto i tō tātou Whare, ka mutu ki tō koutou hokinga atu ki te wā kāinga.

Ka tāpae atu ngā mihi me ngā tangi ki ō tātou tini aituā, ngā mate o te wā kua wahaina mai e Te Minita, e tōku matua a Te Ururoa, ki tērā pou o te kōhanga reo, tērā tauira o te ao kōhatu ka riro atu ki roto i te kōpū o te whenua, kāti, e tangi ana tēnei; ka tāpae hoki au i ngā mate, ko ōku tuākana ērā kua ngaro atu ki te pō. E Ngāi Te Rangi, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. I te wīkene kua pahura ake nei i tuki waka i aituāngia e ōku tuākana ki roto i a koutou. Koutou rā tēnā e tiaki i a rātou i te rā nei, ka ngaro atu ki te hua kōiwi o ngā mātua, o ngā tūpuna ki roto o Pangaru, Waihau, i te rā nei. Kāti te wāhanga ki ngā mate, haere, haere, haere!

Kia whakahokia mai ngā rārangi kōrero ki a tātou, tēnā tātou katoa! E Ngāi Te Rangi, e Ngā Pōtiki, e tautoko ana ahau i ngā whakatau ki a koutou i te rā nei. Haere mai rā koutou. Haere mai rā koutou ki te whakakanohi i ngā mātua, i ngā tūpuna rātou ngā whānau kei te kāinga e tatari mai ana. Mō te aha te take? Mō ngā rawa kei roto i te pire? Kāhore! Mō ngā kōrero a tēnei Whare? Kāhore! Ēngari kia whakahokia atu ko te mana motuhake i whawhai ō koutou mātua tūpuna tahi me ngā tūpuna o tēnei e kōrero nei, e hoki atu ki te kāinga. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

I te mārama kua pahura ake nei, i kōrero atu ahau ki ō koutou whanaunga i tae mai ki roto i ngā take kerēme i roto i Te Whare nei. I taua tāima i kōrero ahau mō ngā pānga ō koutou ki a māua ko tōku tuakana nei a Pita, mai i te pakanga o Te Ruapekapeka ka whai whakaaro ahau ki ngā pakanga o tōku kāinga hei tāpae atu ki ngā pakanga kua kōrero mai nā e Te Minita ki roto i tō tātou Whare i te rā nei. Ka whakaaro anō hoki ki ngā mātua tūpuna nā rātou i haina i Te Tiriti o Waitangi ahakoa te rangirua, ahakoa ēhara i te mea he mataku ēngari he rangirua ki ngā mahi tinihanga ki ngā mahi māminga a Te Karauna i taua tāima. Ahakoa tērā, ka hainatia rātou i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ētahi ō rātou, me te hiahia kia whiwhi oranga rātou ki roto i ngā tau ka haere ake. Kāti, ko ngā mātua tūpuna tērā heke iho mai ki a koutou, otirā ki a tātou i tēnei rā; tēnā tātou.

Māmā noa iho te kōrero atu mō ngā iwi e kōkiri ana i ngā take nei ka whai whakaaro ahau ki ngā hapū kei roto i a koutou. Kua kōrero mai tōku tuakana a Pita mō te āhuatanga ki a Ngāti Hine ki roto i Te Tai Tokerau. Kāti, ka mihi atu ki te mana o ngā hapū kua whakakotahi mai nei kia karangahia tēnei Whare he iwi kē koutou. Nō reira, e mihi atu ana au ki a koutou i roto i ngā āhuatanga o te wā nei.

E aku rangatira, kua kōrero ētahi mō ngā whawhai, mō ngā pakanga mō ngā tūkino a Te Karauna i a Ngāi Te Rangi rātou ko Ngā Potiki. Ka whakaaro ake ahau, āe, e mōhio ana tātou Te Māori i ngā pakanga, i ngā mahi tūkino a te kāwanatanga anā ko te pū te mea e arahi nei i te kōrero. Ēngari i tēnei wā, ka whakaaro ake ahau ki ngā ture. He nui ngā pātai ka pātaihia mai ki a au nei, āe, e mōhio ana au i tūkinohia e te Kāwanatanga i a mātou; ēngari, ka whakaaro ake ahau mō ngā ture hei wāwāhi i ngā iwi Māori hei tango i te whenua hei patu i te wairua. Nō reira, ka whakaaro ake ahau ki ngā kōrero a Te Minita a mea mō te tuku para mō te tuku tūtae mō te tuku puta ki roto i ngā wai kaukau o ō koutou mātua tūpuna, kāti. Ka whakaaro ake ahau ki te mahi rangahau e tātou mā.

Ka whakaaro ake ahau ki tēnei pire i pahure ki roto i tēnei Whare, arā, ko te Mount Maunganui Borough Reclamation and Empowering Act 1975, āe mārika, āe mārika! Ka pānui ahau i tēnei pire me te ki atu ahakoa ka wāwāhi te pire nei i tētahi huarahi, ka taea e ngā tāngata katoa o te wāhi rā ki te tuku kōrero ki te tuku i wā rātou mana e pā ana ki tēnei wāhi kua tango mai e Te Karauna i a koutou. Ka mutu ka pānui ahau i ngā niupepa o taua tāima, ka tū kaha a Ngā Pōtiki me ngā iwi katoa o Tauranga Moana ki te whawhai i tēnei pire ahakoa i kī ki roto i te pire nei, ka whai wāhi koutou ki roto i ngā mahi nei. Kua kite tātou i roto i ngā kōrero, kāhore, kāhore, kāhore!

Nō reira, ko te pai o tēnei pire i te rā nei ki te whakatutuki i ngā whawhai, i ngā kōrero ā koutou i taua tāima i roto i ngā mahi o te wā nei. He aha ai? Kia whai oranga koutou i roto i ngā mahi kei mua i a koutou, hei oranga ngākau, hei oranga wairua, hei oranga mō ngā uri whakatupu e haere ake nei. Āe mārika te nanakia o ngā ture Pākehā.

Kei roto i ēnei pukapuka ko ngā ture wāwāhi whenua, ka tono atu ki ngā Pākehā mā rātou e whakahaere. Ko tētahi āhuatanga pai ki a au nei i roto i tēnei pire, ko te nuinga o ngā pire kua kite nei tātou, e wehewehe nei i a tāua te Māori. Nā, kua kite ahau i tērā āhuatanga ki roto o Ngāpuhi. Ēngari, mā tēnei pire ka āhei a Ngāi Te Rangi, ka āhei a Ngā Pōtiki me ngā tāngata katoa, ngā hapū katoa, ngā mana katoa, ngā iwi katoa o tērā kāinga te mahi ngātahi. He aha ai? Hei whakahaere ake i ngā whenua ka whakahokia atu hei whakahaere ake i ngā rawa, kia whakahoki atu ki a Ngāi Te Rangi, ki a Ngā Pōtiki i tēnei rā.

E Te Pāpā, e Taku Ariki e Tumu, kātahi anō koe kua tau mai ki roto i tō tātou Whare; tēnei e mihi atu nei te ngākau; tēnā koe, tēnā koe!

Kua rongo koutou i āianei kua tangi te pere, nō reira, kua whāiti te tāima ki a au nei. Nō reira, ko tāku kōrero whakamutunga ki a koutou e aku rangatira, e te pāpā e Mita, koutou, koinā te take o tēnei Whare; rawa atu au e kite i te nuinga e noho mai nā kī pātata i a koutou. Nō reira, ka huri atu ki a koe e te pāpā e Mita, e mihi atu ana ki a koe, kua ārahi mai nā e koe i tō iwi ki roto i tō tātou Whare.

Hei whakakapi ake, ko te taha pūtea ka whakahokia atu ki a koutou, e whakaae ana tēnei, otirā, te nuinga o mātou, he kōnae iti ki te rawa i riro atu ki te Kāwanatanga i te taima i raupatuhia e rātou ō koutou whenua, i takahia ai rātou i ō koutou mana me tō koutou wairua. Kāti, mā tēnei pea ka whai oranga koutou i roto i ngā mahi kei mua i a koutou.

Ko tāku atu ki a koutou e Ngāi Te Rangi, e Ngā Pōtiki i tēnei ata, mā Te Rōpū Whiriwhiri i Ngā Take Māori, mā ngā mema katoa o tēnei Whare, e āta whakaarohia, e āta wetewete ngā kōrero kei roto i te pire, mō koutou te take. Nō reira, kāti ake rā i konei e Te Māngai o Te Whare, e aku rangatira kua tau nei, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.

[Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. As energy is manifest into the world of light, it is life. Growing up, as a child, our parents’ generation back home in the Far North taught us that the role of the second speaker is to support the speech of the first speaker. Accordingly, I thank my senior colleague and member of Parliament for Te Tai Hauāuru, who commenced our proceedings this morning by turning our eyes and spirits to our creator, who will protect and guide us in this dynamic environment, and who will also protect and guide you in your stay here in our House, and on your safe return journey home.

I acknowledge and lament our dearly departed, including those recently deceased mentioned by the Minister for Māori Development, by my uncle Te Ururoa, such as that pillar of the kōhanga reo movement who exemplified the ancient world, now laid to rest within the earth, alas; I too mourn. I also acknowledge my own older cousins who only just passed away. Ngāi Te Rangi, my sincere thanks to you. Just last weekend my older cousins died in a car accident within your tribal area. You looked after them and today they are being laid to rest in the hallowed burial grounds among the ancestors of Pangaru and Waihau. Farewell to all the dearly deceased, may you rest in eternal peace.

Returning to us, the living—greetings one and all! Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki, I support this settlement with you today. Welcome, all of you. Welcome to you, the representatives embodying the faces of the elders and ancestors and the many families waiting back home. For what exactly? For the assets within the bill? No. For the words of this House? No. But for the return of self-determination, which your ancestors and mine fought for together, that it be returned home. My greetings and salutations to you all.

In the month just gone I spoke with your relations who had arrived here in the House pursuant to the claims process. At that time I referred to the connection that exists between yourselves and my senior kinsman Pita and me, from the battle of Te Ruapekapeka; indeed, I reflect on the battles of my own home in relating to the battles spoken of by the Minister in our House today. I also reflect on the ancestors who signed the Treaty of Waitangi despite great apprehension, not through fear but in trepidation of the treachery and deceit of the Crown at that time. Despite that, they still signed the Treaty of Waitangi, some of them, anyway, with the hope of securing prosperity in the years ahead. And so it was for those ancestors from whom you descend today, or rather from whom we descend, indeed; greetings to all of us.

It is easy to talk about tribes advancing these issues, but I also reflect on the subtribes among you. My senior kinsman Pita has spoken to me about Ngāti Hine in the Far North. Accordingly, I acknowledge the integrity of the subtribes that have come together here to enable this House to refer to you collectively as a tribal entity. And so I congratulate you in the circumstances of this moment.

Esteemed guests, some have commented on conflicts, battles, and atrocities committed by the Crown against Ngāi Te Rangi and those of Ngā Pōtiki. On reflection, yes, we Māori are aware of the wars in regard to acts of atrocities inflicted by the Government, and there you are—the gun is leading the talk! But at this moment I reflect on the laws. Many questions have been asked for me to respond to; yes, I am aware we were molested by the government. However, I think about the laws as a means of driving Māori tribes apart from each other, taking possession of land and being a killjoy. I cast my thoughts back to the Minister’s comments in terms of direct pollution and sewage releases into the waters where your parents and ancestors bathed—but enough. I reflect on what is being done in the area of research, which I consider is good for everyone.

I think about the bill that was passed in this House, namely the Mount Maunganui Borough Reclamation and Empowering Act 1975—yes, indeed, and very much so. I read this bill and speculated: even if this bill opens up a way, everybody from that area can make a submission and stake their authority to this place that was taken from you by the Crown. Furthermore, I read in the newspapers of that time that Ngā Pōtiki and all the tribes of Tauranga Moana stood strongly to fight that bill even though there was a provision in the bill for you to be involved in these operations. We have seen in the accounts that absolutely nothing came out of it at all.

Therefore, the good thing about this bill today is that it allows the battles and your accounts of that time to be fulfilled and to be included in current operations. Why? So that there is a livelihood in the work and in the future that will sustain your psychological and spiritual well-being and the well-being of future generations. Yes, indeed, not bad for Pākehā law.

Contained in these documents are laws that divide up lands, and then send them to Pākehā for them to administer. To me, an aspect of this bill that is good is that the majority of the bills we have seen separate the Māori—you people and me. I have seen that situation in Ngāpuhi. But through this bill, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngā Pōtiki, and everybody, all subtribes, authorities, and tribes of that place, are able to work collaboratively. Why? To administer the lands that are to be returned, and to manage the resources that are to be returned to Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki today.

To you, the respected father figure, to my paramount chief, Tumu, I have just noted your arrival into our House; I acknowledge your noble presence and extend a heartfelt welcome to you; greetings and welcome.

You all would have heard the bell ring, and so I have not much time left. My final comment to you esteemed ones, to Uncle Mita, and to you all collectively is that that then is the purpose of this House; I have never seen such masses of your ilk fill this House and be packed so closely as you are. And so I acknowledge you, Uncle Mita. You did that by leading your people into this House of ours.

In conclusion, and in regard to the funding to be returned to you, despite it being a mere pittance compared to the resources the Government accrued at the time your lands were confiscated and your status and spirit were trampled upon, the majority of us and I agree to that happening. Enough; this might bring about the well-being that you are striving for through the work ahead of you.

I assure you, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki, that the Māori Affairs Committee and all the members of this House will carefully consider and scrutinise the accounts in this bill with your interests in mind. Therefore, Mr Assistant Speaker and my esteemed ones gathered here, acknowledgments and greetings to you collectively and my appreciation to us all.]

I am very pleased to take a call to support the first reading of this bill, which, like other Tauranga bills, has been many years in the making. To those in the gallery who have come to witness the long-awaited and historic day, I welcome you to Parliament. Tēnā koutou. Can I say that it is great to see our former colleague Mita Ririnui back in the House today.

The signing of this deed of settlement in 2013 signalled the completion of all settlements with the three Tauranga Moana iwi. The bill follows the introduction of the other two Tauranga Moana bills, the Tauranga Moana Iwi Collective Redress and Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Ranginui Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Pūkenga Claims Settlement Bill. I spoke at the first readings of both those bills on 14 April, and it was a great pleasure for us parliamentarians to host Ngāi Te Rangi for that occasion, along with the other Tauranga Moana iwi. It is fitting for the three Tauranga Moana iwi, who began their Treaty settlement journey all those years ago, to be basically at the same stage in the legislative process. Despite the time that has been taken to get to this point, I never had any doubt that we would get there, and that is why I am so pleased to see representatives of the iwi in the gallery, and I hope they agree with me that it has been worth the wait.

An unusual feature of this settlement is that there are two entities mandated to negotiate the settlement of Ngāi Te Rangi’s claims. We have got Te Runanga o Ngāi Te Rangi and the Ngā Pōtiki a Tamapahore Trust. In October 2008 the Crown recognised the mandate of Te Runanga o Ngāi Te Rangi to negotiate a settlement of the historical Treaty claims for nine of the 10 Ngāi Te Rangi hapū. Then, in May 2011, the Crown recognised the mandate of the trust to represent the Ngā Pōtiki claimant community in negotiations of their historical Treaty claims as part of the Ngāi Te Rangi negotiations with the rūnanga. I want to take a moment to commend the Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki negotiators and trustees for the way in which they worked together at one table to negotiate with the Crown. It was, indeed, an unusual arrangement to have two mandated groups negotiating at the one Treaty settlement table with the Crown, but they managed this relationship with professionalism and with manaakitanga for each group’s aspirations.

In June 2013 Cabinet approved the Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki settlement package, and the agreement in principle was signed on 28 June 2013. The team was determined to try to achieve the signing of a deed of settlement in 2013 and they did keep the pressure on the Crown to achieve this, and eventually it was signed on 14 December 2013, on a typically fine Tauranga Saturday morning.

This bill will give legislative effect to the final agreements on the redress as set out in the deed. The historical claims of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki primarily relate to the Crown-initiated military conflict in Tauranga in 1864, which was in breach of the Treaty and its principles. The claims also relate to the ensuing confiscation, or raupatu, the Crown purchase of the Te Puna - Katikati block, the imposition of native land laws in Tauranga Moana, Crown purchasing methods in the Tauranga district in the 1880s and 1890s, the compulsory acquisition of uneconomic interests, and, inevitably—and I say this every debate on a settlement bill—public works takings. As a result of these actions, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki are virtually landless, retaining only approximately 2 percent of their rohe with their cultural landscapes and seascapes compromised and diminished.

As we know, it is not possible to compensate Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki fully for the loss suffered as a result of the Crown’s acts and omissions, but, hopefully, the financial and commercial redress provided seeks to recognise those losses. Commercial redress includes quantum of $26.5 million plus interest to Ngāi Te Rangi and $3 million to Ngā Pōtiki, plus interest, land-banked properties, commercial redress properties, sale and leaseback properties, and rights of first refusal in relation to the disposal of Crown land. Cultural redress includes the vesting and joint vesting of sites of cultural and historical significance to Ngāi Te Rangi. It also includes changes to official geographic names and statutory acknowledgments over areas that are of great significance.

Ngāi Te Rangi can trace their origins to the Mātaatua waka. They have had a long and varied history of war and migration. By the 18th century they had become known as Ngāi Te Rangihouhiri, named after their leader, who, along with his brother Tamapahore, led their people through turbulent times and to the area they now call home. I am sure that both those tūpuna would be very proud indeed of the way the negotiators and trustees have fought hard to achieve the best settlement possible for future generations of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki.

I want to acknowledge all those who have supported the settlement, those who are with us today and those who have since passed. I particularly want to acknowledge those who championed the claims at the tribunal, through to the whānau, the marae, and the rūnanga workers who quietly slaved behind the scenes to support the work of others.

A person of more recent times it is appropriate to acknowledge is Matiu Dickson. Matiu came from the Ngāi Te Rangi hapū of Ngāi Tūkairangi. He was a man of many talents, who made an important contribution to Māori education and to iwi politics. These talents included being a law lecturer at the University of Waikato, serving as a Tauranga city councillor, being a board member of Pharmac, and being a judge for Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival competitions. He had a particular skill in bringing people together and forging a shared sense of understanding when it came to Treaty of Waitangi aspirations. As one of the Ngāi Te Rangi negotiators, his skills in this area were critical to reaching this point, and I acknowledge his contribution.

I particularly want to acknowledge the chief Crown negotiator for the three negotiations in Tauranga, Dame Patsy Reddy. She oversaw the work on this settlement and was instrumental in the completion of all the Treaty settlements in the region. I take this opportunity to wish her all the best for her next role, and I hope, as indeed she hopes, she is in the chair to sign into law the Tauranga settlement bills. On that day I hope we can all have a great party—all of us—up at Government House.

Finally, I want to thank my ministerial colleagues, the officials from the Office of Treaty Settlements, and officials from the various agencies for all the work they have done to make this settlement possible. I consider the bill should proceed without delay to the Māori Affairs Committee, and thus I commend the bill to the House.

Kelvin Davis. [Interruption] Sorry, I apologise to the member, but I have called Kelvin Davis.

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Tuatahi māku e tautokongia ngā kupu hei whakatau i a koutou Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngā Pōtiki ki roto i tēnei tō tātou Whare i runga i ngā kōrero e pā ana ki ō koutou kerēme. E te hoa, e Mita, hari koa ana ahau te kite i a koe i roto i Te Whare; tēnā rā koe. Mihi kau ana ki a koe mō ō kaha tautoko i ahau i taku taenga mai ki tēnei Whare Paremata, nā reira e mihi kau ana ahau ki a koe. Tēnā koutou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. The first thing for me is to endorse the welcoming sentiments accorded to you, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki, into this our House in regard to the speeches relating to your claim. In so far as you are concerned, Mita and friend, I am overjoyed to see you in the House; greetings indeed to you. I really acknowledge and appreciate your tremendous support when I arrived in this House, and therefore I thank you immensely for that. Thank you all.]

In these settlement claim bills I think it is always appropriate to go over the historical background relating to the bills and the historical account. I have said it time and again that I get really fed up with the great unwashed, ignorant people out there who say: “Why are these Māoris always in here putting their hand out, wanting more money?”. It just irritates me to the eyeballs, and I think it is really important that we go through the historical account so people understand, first of all, what was lost before they start hearing and complaining about what is going to come back to the tribes.

I remember meeting some people down here in a restaurant in Wellington who attacked me, basically, by saying: “Oh, you Māoris, why are you always doing this? Why are you always asking for more money? Why have you got your hands out? When’s it going to impact on the people in your tribes?”. I basically had a stand-up argument with them and said: “You guys need to actually get your facts straight. You need to find out what really happened and stop being so ignorant.”

In terms of Ngāi Te Rangi, in the late 1850s and early 1860s, they were going about their business quite peacefully, settled there around Tauranga just basically doing what people do—finding food, looking after the whānau—but then with the establishment of the Kīngitanga in 1858 and the Crown’s attempts to quell what was happening in Waikato, Ngāi Te Rangi, as well as Ngā Pōtiki, supported their whanaunga over in the Waikato by taking arms, food, and supplies. It happens these days whenever countries go to war. There is always an economy created around the supply and the logistics and support for those battles. It was no different in those days. Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki saw their whanaunga needing assistance, and so went to their aid.

The Crown, though, to quash this, came and fought Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki and confiscated some 290,000 acres. The population of Aotearoa New Zealand at the time was probably around about that—everybody in Aotearoa New Zealand could have had a whole acre to themselves. That is the size of the parcel of land that was confiscated in the district in Tauranga. It was done to punish those Māori who opposed the Crown. When that land was to be returned, Ngāi Te Rangi rangatira understood that 25 percent of the land would be held, but it would be only from those who had resisted the Governor. In the end, that was not the case. The Crown retained 50,000 acres.

My uncle up in Motuōtau had a farm of some 200 acres. I thought it was a huge bit of land, especially when I had to lift hay-bales. But some 50,000 acres of land—this was not a punishment; this is tantamount to a form of genocide by excluding people from huge amounts of land. It was all about revenge on behalf of the Crown.

I see here that there was a prominent Ngāi Te Rangi rangatira, Hōri Tūpaea. He was associated with Paimarire activities, and he was detained without being charged with any offence. I find it interesting that it is acknowledged—and I am sorry to detract here slightly from the bill—that it is wrong to detain somebody without charges, and, 150 or so years after that event, we are saying sorry to a person who has passed away. If the Government is really, really apologetic about detaining somebody without charges, then we also need to address the situation where our whanaunga in Australia are being detained without charges.

I remember when the Māori Affairs Committee went to Tauranga Moana to discuss the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011, some 5 years ago. I remember a kaumātua standing up and telling us about the area of the coast where they used to gather kai moana when he was a little kid. It was plentiful, plentiful kai moana, heaps of food. Then he said that within a matter of years a port was built right where they gathered their kai moana. No consultation, no asking—just plonk a port there. So what are people meant to do when their pantry, their food stores, are just taken away like that, and they are made to feel bad—“Oh, what are you worried about? The port’s here, you can go and pick pipis somewhere else, but this is good for the economy of Tauranga and for the Bay of Plenty.”

Well, my question is how have Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Potiki benefited from that port? Sure, some people may have got jobs, but the reality is their mana over those areas of land was just taken and gone. The unfairness of it all, this is what I want people listening in to understand—the unfairness of these decisions by the Crown and by their agencies, and the systems that they have set up to rob people of their livelihoods, of their food stores. Ngā Pōtiki suffered similar fates. Their burial place of Tamapahore on top of a strategic maunga, an ancestral maunga, was disturbed for quarrying. Many of the non-Māori people probably do not know the significance to us of our maunga. Whenever we recite our pepeha, we talk about our waka and

I mihi to Mātaatua, koutou ngā tuakana; ko ahau tētahi o ngā uri o Puhi, te teina, nā reira e mihi kau ana ki a koutou.

[I greet you, Mātaatua, you the elder siblings; I am one of the descendants of Puhi, the younger sibling, and so I really acknowledge you collectively.]

Maunga are so significant to us, and along comes a council and just quarries—quarries, disturbs the bones of their tūpuna. A rubbish dump was built on Rangataua tidal flats—a rubbish dump—where, again, they collected kai moana, and then later a sewage pond was constructed there. This would be the equivalent these days of someone going into Pak ’N Save and taking a crap in the seafood aisle. The place would be closed down. The shelves would be cleared, it would be fumigated, and yet the Crown and the council at the time said it was OK to have a sewage pipe going through the kai moana - gathering spot and a rubbish dump leeching all of its waste into that estuary. And where do Ngā Pōtiki go to get kai moana then?

This is the reality, and it is a pity that the group of schoolchildren left the gallery a few minutes ago because this is what needs to be told. Our people growing up need to know the true history of our country. It does need to be taught in schools, as was mentioned earlier in the House, so that we do not have people hitting up politicians and Māoris in restaurants and pubs and saying: “Why have you guys always got your hands out and wanting more money?”. The reality is—and we all know—that the value returned is going to be less than 2 to 3 percent of what was taken, and that is why these claims need to be settled. Kia ora.

E Te Māngai o Te Whare, tēnā koe, tēnā koutou e Te Whare; ka huri aku whakaaro ki te hunga mate, rātou ngā tūpuna o Ngāi Te Rangi me Ngā Pōtiki kua wehe atu ki te pō i runga i te ara roa o te kerēme nei. Haere, haere, haere, oti atu rā! Āpiti hono, tātai hono, te hunga mate ki te hunga mate, āpiti hono, tātai hono, te hunga ora ki te hunga ora. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa ngā uri kua tae mai nei.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and to you collectively, the House; my thoughts turn to the dead, to the ancestors of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki who have gone to the void upon the long road of this claim. Depart, leave, and go forever! Let the dead link up and remain with each other, we acknowledge you; let the living link up with each other. Acknowledgments to you collectively and to you, all the relatives who have arrived here.]

I want to start by firstly acknowledging the people of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki who have passed on. I particularly want to acknowledge those who have spent their lives—and it has been over many generations—fighting for justice for their people. This bill signals the last of a series of settlements relating to the iwi of Tauranga Moana. The larger iwi, Ngāi Te Rangi, negotiated to work collectively with Ngā Pōtiki to achieve this joint settlement, and that is what we are celebrating today.

The history behind this bill is a history of betrayal by the Crown. It is a history of raupatu in both the 19th and the 20th centuries. The Crown brought war to Tauranga Moana in order to justify confiscation and to gain access to the fertile lands there, and in a bid to limit Ngāi Te Rangi support for the Kīngitanga. In particular, General Cameron brought a reign of terror to the Waikato, which was also because the Crown wanted that land. The consequences of the battles in Tauranga were a massive confiscation of the land of these two iwi and a betrayal of the promise that only some lands of those involved in the fighting would be confiscated. A large area was taken, as we have heard from Kelvin Davis, the previous speaker, and when some of it was returned it was returned to individuals, not to hapū, which, when you analyse it, is how you alienate the collective hapū from their land. It undermines the hapū rangatiratanga.

Given the importance of this history and the Land Wars’ impacts on these iwi and many others, you would think that the Crown in 2016 would be ensuring that this history would be taught in our schools. How many people, for example, would know that Te Papa Peninsula, which is today where the Tauranga central business district is, was included in the confiscations? That is acknowledged in the deed of settlement and in the acknowledged history.

In addition to the large land loss and destruction of social and economic structures, the 20th century saw a continuation of the attack on the people of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki via the use of the Public Works Act. The sacred burial site of Ngā Pōtiki tūpuna, Tamapahore, at Mangatawa, was destroyed, firstly by a quarry and subsequently by a reservoir. The Public Works Act was used to build sewage works that would pollute their food basket and undermine their kaitiakitanga. This is acknowledged in the deed of settlement, and I just want to quote from it. It says that “the development of the Port of Tauranga, the disposing of sewerage and wastewater into the harbours and waterways of Tauranga Moana, and the construction of effluent treatment ponds on Te Tahuna o Rangataua, have resulted in the environmental degradation of Tauranga Moana and reduction of biodiversity and food resources which remain a source of great distress to Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki.”

It also says in the deed of settlement that since 1886, on top of the thousands and thousands of acres of land that were confiscated or swindled from iwi, “421 acres of Ngā Pōtiki lands have been acquired for public works purposes.” To this day, the Public Works Act is, correctly, considered to be an instrument of oppression against tangata whenua lands, and this is why my colleague, Green MP Catherine Delahunty, has a bill that has been selected from the ballot to prevent any more collectively owned Māori land being taken under the Public Works Act. It has been hugely supported by iwi across the country. It may not stop it all, but it is a start, and many tangata whenua are supporting it because the Public Works Act has done enough damage.

Although we acknowledge the journey that it has taken to get this bill to the House, the Greens also maintain that this bill does not represent a full and final settlement. It is not final because at this stage we do not know how the past actions of the Crown will impact on the generations yet to come, and it is certainly not full when we compare the redress package with the huge losses suffered, and the previous speaker spoke about that.

We also have strong reservations about the process, which is that the Crown determines whom it will and will not negotiate with. We worry that this will cause more breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi because it can pit iwi against iwi and hapū against hapū. Make no mistake: the settlement, although it is to be acknowledged and celebrated, is a deal. It is the best offer iwi could negotiate at the time, but we still need to recognise that it is a deal.

The financial redress package for Ngāi Te Rangi is $25 million and for Ngā Pōtiki it is $3 million. They will receive interest, and there are some commercial properties as well, but, as it says in the deed of settlement, this is for setting up an economic base. It says that the financial and commercial redress is aimed at providing Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki with resources to assist them to develop their economic and social well-being, which was basically stripped from them with their land. The iwi will also have the opportunity to buy back some properties—about 37 of them for Ngāi Te Rangi, and 32 for Ngā Pōtiki.

I think we have to acknowledge the generosity of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki for agreeing to this settlement. The compensation is a drop in the bucket. Tomorrow is Budget day. That is when the Government will decide how many millions it will allocate for its various projects. With a total of nearly $30 million for this settlement, it does not come anywhere near the $1.7 billion that this Government allocated to bail out South Canterbury Finance about 4 or 5 years ago, and those investors did not even lose their land.

The relationship redress sets out how the Government agencies will interact and consult with Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki. It includes provisions for the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and the Office of Treaty Settlements to write letters introducing members of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki to governance entities like Government agencies, local authorities, education providers, and State-owned enterprises. There are also some reserves that will be vested in Ngāi Te Rangi as cultural redress. That will give the opportunity for the iwi to work with the Crown to protect and enhance the conservation values.

Last, but not least, the legislation contains the apology from the Crown to iwi. That apology is to be valued. It can never be underestimated. Again, we acknowledge the generosity of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki. We hope that this settlement will help with setting up an economic base for their people and that the apology will go some way towards healing the hurts from the past, but we have a long way to go before they are fully restored to their place in Aotearoa New Zealand. Having said that, we will be supporting this bill.

Tīhei wā mauri ora, tuku mauri ora ki te whei ao ki te ao mārama! E tū ake tēnei ki te tautoko i ngā mihi i mihingia e aku tuākana i tū ake i mua i a au ki te ’hakatau i a koutou kua tae mai nei i te rā nei.

E Ngāi Te Rangi, e Ngā Pōtiki, karekau e mōhio ana ko wai koutou e noho nei ēngari, ’hakarongongia e au ngā kōrero a Te Minita i ’hakahuangia ētahi o ngā ingoa. Nā reira e kara, e Mita, hoki mai koe ki te wā kāinga. Charlie, ngā mihi hoki ki a koe i arahi mai i tō rōpū kia ’hakatau tēnei kaupapa i te Whare nei, ā, ki a koe hoki e Haueta. Hoki te mahara i te wā e noho ana koe i roto i a mātou i Te Tai Tokerau kia haututu i a tāua, kia ahatia? Ēngari, ka nui ngā mihi ki a koutou. Ēngari, i mua i te haere tonu o tēnei kaupapa, e tika ana kia mihi kau ana ki a koe e te rangatira e Tumu, ā, me tō rōpū i tae mai nei i roto i Te Whare i te rā nei.

E ’hakaaro ana au: “He aha ngā take kārekau au i kite atu i a koutou Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngā Pōtiki?” Nā te mea e noho ana koutou ki tēnei taha ki te titiro ā-kanohi i tēnā e noho nei i te wā taha o Te Kāwanatanga. Ēngari māku e mea atu ki a koutou, kia mahara ā te tau e tū mai, he kōhiringa pōti, i muri mai i tēnā, kei a mātou o tēnei taha i neke atu ki tērā taha, mēnā e tautoko ana i a koutou ki mātou, kia ahatia? Kia hoki mai ki te kaupapa i mua i a tātau i te rā nei.

[Behold the breath of life! Well-being to the natural and enlightened world! I rise to endorse the words of welcome accorded by my elder colleagues who got up before me to you who have arrived here.

Although I cannot see any of you who are seated, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki, I did listen to what the Minister for Māori Development was saying and to some of the names he mentioned. And so to you, my friend Mita, welcome back home. I compliment you, Charlie, who led your group here to this House to settle this matter, and now to you, Haueta. I think back to the time when you lived amongst us in the north and we got up to mischief—so what! But much appreciation to you collectively. Before I go on with this matter, it is only proper that I acknowledge you, esteemed one Tumu, and your group that has arrived here inside the House today.

I am thinking: “Why am I not able to see you, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki?” Because you are sitting on this side so you can face that lot on the Government side. But I want to warn you that there is an election next year, and afterwards, we on this side might shift to that side if you support us, so what are you going to do about it? But let us come back to the matter in front of us today.]

On behalf of New Zealand First I stand to make a contribution to this debate, which deals with the Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki Claims Settlement Bill. Can I say that, unlike other settlement bills that have come to this House at this point in time, this is the first one that I have seen where two claimant groups are being dealt with through the claims process under one bill.

I want to commend those who have been responsible for bringing the claim to this stage. As the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiatons quite rightly pointed out, that could have happened only with the cooperation of the parties involved. However, having said that, I look forward to the time when the Māori Affairs Committee will have the opportunity to hear submissions from the claimants, particularly those who support the claim but also those who probably do not support the claim. I think it is important that they have the opportunity to be able to express their view.

The settlement is about cultural and financial redress, and is a financial settlement as well, in terms of the assessed value of the claim. I say “assessed” because, as the speaker before me, Denise Roche, quite rightly pointed out, these claims, although they are regarded as full and final, cannot really be regarded as fully compensating the various iwi.

One speaker mentioned that he was somewhat annoyed at being badgered when he went to a restaurant by people who clearly did not understand the process that iwi have to go through to reach this stage. Part of the problem is that not too many people know the history of our nation, particularly the history involving our people.

I want to take this opportunity, for those who are sitting in the gallery, to say that in a few weeks’ time school boards of trustees will be having their elections. When the Māori Affairs Committee heard submissions regarding the recognition of New Zealand battles, we were told by the Ministry of Education that in order to change the curriculum, submissions had to be made by the boards of governors of each school. If that is the case, then I want to say to you in the gallery to take the opportunity to put up our people to stand for boards of trustees so that you can influence the schools to be able to teach our history. It is a sad commentary that we have to do it by that process, because if the Government wants to change something, it does not go back to each community to seek its approval; it just makes the decision. I just wonder why the Government cannot take the opportunity, given the highlight that has been given to New Zealand history over recent months, to make the decision to include the teaching of New Zealand history in the curricula of our schools. Be that as it may, that is the situation at the moment.

But that is no consolation to the people of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki. They certainly have grounds to be concerned about the loss of land over the 1850s and the balance of that century. This is an opportunity to try to rectify that. I think that with a will they will certainly be in a position to advance the economic cause of their people by way of this settlement.

I just want to say one thing about this and other settlements. It seems to me that prior to settlements actually being made, once the quantum is mentioned, other interests are wanting to lean on the iwi to contribute to the wider benefit of the community. I just want to signal that that should not be a signal for Māori to necessarily assist their local bodies or even central government in terms of addressing some of the social issues confronting our people.

I just want to take this opportunity to say that New Zealand First supports this bill and it commends its referral to the Māori Affairs Committee. Kia ora.

Tēnā koe, e Te Mana Whakawā, ā, huri noa i Te Whare nei ka mi’i nui atu ki tō tātou Matua Nui i Te Raki. Ko Ia te tīmataka me te whakaotika o koutou katoa. Nō reira, ka mi’i au ki Te Kaihōmai mō ka mea pai katoa. Nō reira, tēnei te mihi ki a Ngāi Te Rangi Ngāpōtiki e mihi atu o te whanauka o Te Waka o Tākitimu, e Mātaatua, nō reira, huri noa, huri noa i Te Whare, e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.

[Acknowledgments to you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and throughout this House with a huge blessing to our great father in heaven; he is the beginning and the ending for you all, my thanks to the provider of all good things. Therefore, I this kin of the Tākitimu canoe, Mātaatua, greet you, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki, and you all throughout the entire House.]

I have been given only a very, very short call because that is what we get on this side of the House, so when you see a note coming across, I have got 1 minute.

As chair of the Māori Affairs Committee I do want to acknowledge the fact that around 3 or 4 weeks ago we had the Tauranga Moana Iwi Collective Redress and Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Ranginui Claims Settlement Bill. That bill had its first reading, but there was one more to come and it is this bill here today. So it has actually arrived.

With this bill—just very, very quickly I will go over some of the main points that are going to be a highlight of this bill itself. In settlements, as we have seen, this is really another familiar story around the reasons why we should have a Treaty settlement. This is about land loss through broken promises and confiscations. This is about underhand purchases, particularly from minors. This is about relationships with the Kīngitanga that were actually detrimental to Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki. This is also about—which is quite unique—a famous battle at Gate Pā that was won by the vanquished.

As I said, all of these stories are familiar, but one of the most beautiful things about this settlement is around the tikanga, particularly when we see the coming together of two iwi and particularly the uri of two brothers. I mention Rangihouhiri and the ancestors Ngāi Te Rangi and Tamapahore, the ancestor of Ngā Pōtiki. What a beautiful way to bring that together and embark on this journey to settlement.

It is interesting that we hear from the other side of the House around the fact that you will see who is holding the purse strings—not that side, but this side. When you look at this Government, and particularly over the last three terms, there is an incredible number of Treaty settlements that have been put through. I just want to acknowledge that.

The final thing is the fact that there is a very, very principled and pragmatic select committee in this House that is called the Māori Affairs Committee, and as chair I want to acknowledge the members of that particular committee. We love to think that we park all of our political affiliations at the door and get on with what is good for our people, and with this particular bill that is certainly what we will do.

I want to finish on this note. A young wahine from Waiuku said yesterday at the Youth Awards that were held here at Parliament: “Let’s not dwell too long on what was lost. Let’s embrace what we have obtained today, for our future—not that we will ever forget the wrongs that have happened, but it’s actually about an apology. It’s about moving forward.”

The Māori Affairs Committee looks forward to receiving this bill. I commend it to the House. Kia ora.

Tēnā tātou katoa. Tuatahi tēnei te mihi atu ki a koe Te Ariki, e Tumu, hei whakakanohi mai i a rātou mā i whakatū te pou ki Pūkawa kia whaia e tātou te mana motuhake o Te Iwi Māori nō reira, ki a koutou nō Te Awa o Whanganui tēnei te mihi atu. Ka hoki mai ki a koutou o Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngā Pōtiki, nei te tino tāpiri atu aku mihi maioha ki ērā i waihotia i mua i a koutou nei aroaro tēnei pānuitanga o tā koutou pire; nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Greetings to us all. Firstly I acknowledge you, paramount chief Tumu, who are the face of those who erected the pillar at Pūkawa where we sought independence for Māoridom, and to those of you of the river of Whanganui, I greet you. I come back to you, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki, and add my genuine and fond regards to those who left before you this reading of your bill; therefore congratulations to you all.]

It gives me great pleasure to be able to support the first reading of the Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki Claims Settlement Bill, and the intent of the legislation. I want to acknowledge both Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki for their longstanding efforts to get to this particular time, and also commend their aspirations for the future.

Can I acknowledge those negotiators who have already been mentioned but make special acknowledgment of my former colleague Mita Ririnui, who was an associate spokesperson on Treaty settlements, and of Matua Hauata Palmer, who kindly hosted me when I was doing a little bit of research of my own. I will come to those salient lessons as I go through my speech.

I want to also acknowledge Matua Waka Paama and Matiu Dixon. I had some personal interaction with Matiu during his time in the Waikato, over a number of years. Can I say, Minister, that everything you said about Matiu was absolutely true. He made a huge contribution to the Waikato. He is sadly and sorely missed in our area because he was a community man. He understood the necessity of trying to hold on to and uphold the values that Māori have within an ever-changing world, and I think he was absolutely consistent right through to his untimely death. Waka also made a huge contribution to the Hāhi Rātana. He was a kind soul and very wise, and people who sought his advice would always get two sides of the coin, I think. He gave very wise counsel.

I came to this whole process of the Tauranga Moana Treaty settlement knowing those commonalities of our experience. Raupatu was all about iwi standing up for their own lands, fighting to retain what was theirs in their own area. But let us put Tauranga Moana into some context, because today Tauranga Moana has one of the most successful ports other than Auckland. In the future it will continue to be one of the most successful economic areas, or engine rooms, for the country.

So when we think about the opportunities going forward it is no wonder that there has been some significant effort to try to retain some gains around local government representation. Mita Ririnui himself, under some vociferous and nasty debate, introduced the first provision for Māori seats at the regional council level. Once you understand the extent of the impact that that level of decision making at central government and local government can have, I think the opportunities in this particular settlement can only be built on.

I want to reiterate the comments of the Minister. The Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki Claims Settlement Bill really brings together what has already been debated at first reading in this House for Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Pūkenga. However, those things outstanding, the Tauranga Moana framework—everything to do with what is happening in the marine space of Tauranga Moana—is absolutely significant. We have not mentioned the Rena, but it did have a big impact on their area. The response may not have been as well accommodated for as iwi wanted, but should it ever happen again—we hope it does not—the response should be much better informed with the direct contribution of iwi.

Again, the other issue about the Tauranga Moana framework, which in time we may well get to support if it requires legislation, is the ongoing ability of iwi within Tauranga Moana to have a say on the way in which the harbour develops, because if, for example, any extension to the port or any dredging within that part of the marine space of Tauranga Moana is required, iwi should have a say. The turnover of the Port of Tauranga just last year was $79 million, so you calculate how long the port has been there and what the lost opportunity is for the people of Tauranga, and then see what the ongoing obligation of any Government would be to try to include the people of Tauranga Moana within the development of their particular part of the world.

Housing is unaffordable for people from Tauranga. Tangata whenua from Tauranga are being outpriced in their own region. That cannot be fair. The settlement does provide an avenue for opportunities, and I was heartened by my visit to Ngā Pōtiki and looking at what they are doing to enter into the space of the provision of housing for their own people in the social housing space through partnerships. They are starting in ways that they obviously have a plan around and are doing good work in, but the sad reality is that as Tauranga becomes more economically prosperous, our question has to be: will this settlement enable them to continue to live and thrive in their own region? That is going to be the ongoing test of the settlement.

I made mention earlier that I went to visit Hauata with the specific intent—I am the representative for Hauraki-Waikato, and I am standing to make some very certain statements based on some research that I undertook, because I had questions, knowing that Hauraki iwi had made claims into Ngāi Te Rangi. My questions were very simple, and from my own upbringing. If you understand your own history you use that as a platform to be whakahīhī enough to go and ask a question—nā runga i te kore mōhio, nā runga i te kūwaretanga. He pātai noa iho kia āta kimihia te huarahi pai māku [be arrogant enough to go and ask a question because of one’s lack of knowledge and ignorance. It is just a question of carefully seeking a way for me]—so that I could stand with a level of conviction about things. But I did have concerns about the extent, Minister—and you know this—of Hauraki’s interests right into the central business district of Tauranga.

My questions were simple. Was there a tatau pounamu? Was there a significant marriage that occurred? Beyond Ngāti Pūkenga—that history stands by itself—was there a significant marriage that happened between the people of Hauraki and the people of Ngāi Te Rangi that was enduring to this day? Was there an urupā? Was there a significant ancestor who came from Hauraki and had enduring interests, like ahi kā, within the area? I asked my kūare questions—I will say that in front of Hauata, and he kindly responded—but I have come to know this, having also gone back to Hauraki to ask questions. Minister, the process does not lend itself too kindly to a Māori way of sorting out these things. If kaumātua had been able to be encouraged to sit down and sort this out, I think the extent of Hauraki’s interests would have been where they rightly should be, which is back in their own rohe.

I say this as a member of Hauraki-Waikato, and at the risk of not being elected at the next election, because it is the right thing to do. It is the right thing to do. We see so many times iwi coming to this House through the Treaty settlement process and being put in some very difficult situations where it is hard enough within their whakapapa connections, arguing with one another, let alone somebody coming from somewhere else and making all sorts of claims. But I do it because it is the right thing to do. I do it because I know that Tauranga Moana have had a very long history of trying to seek redress, and it is a smidgen. But if the real opportunity of the collective of Tauranga Moana redress around the impact of raupatu within their rohe is measured, then it is the way in which, going forward, any Government sitting on that side of the House would seek to continue to uphold not only its obligations due to the settlement but its ongoing obligations to support leveraging through local government and other decision making about the economic prosperity of the Tauranga Moana region, because it can only flourish with all the iwi of Tauranga Moana.

Nō reira, he paku mihi, he paku whakaaro hei tāpiri atu ki ēnei kōrero ki ngā kaupapa.

[And so it is just a brief acknowledgment and thought to add to these contributions to the proposals.]

I call Marama Fox—5 minutes.

Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā, anei te mihi atu ki a koutou e hui nei i tēnei wā ki a koutou, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngā Pōtiki; kai te mihi atu ki a koutou ēngari kua kīkī Te Whare i ngā kāwai rangatira kai waenganui i a tātau, koutou ngā hā kui, ngā koroua o te motu nei kai te mihi atu ki a koutou. Nā koutou tēnei Whare e whakamana, nā koutou tēnei Whare e whakamana. Kai te mihi atu ki a koutou o Ngāi Te Rangi. Kua kōrero kē nei ōku hoa mahi i te hītori o tō koutou kerēme, ā, kua tae ā-tinana mai koutou. Ko te pānuitanga tuatahi tēnei mā koutou. He paku noa te wā mōku nā reira, kai te pīrangi au ki te hāngai aku kōrero ki te kōrero e pā ana ki a Pukehinahina.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and a welcome to you assembled here at this moment, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki; I acknowledge you but note that the House is packed with the leaders amongst us, you the elderly women and menfolk of the country. I salute you collectively. This House is enhanced and made noble by your presence; I commend you, Ngāi Te Rangi. My fellow colleagues have already addressed the history of your claim and you are here physically. This first reading is for you. I have only a limited time, so I want to focus my comments on the story about Pukehinahina.]

I am going to concentrate my comments, for the short time that I have, on the battle of Gate Pā, or Pukehinahina. Why? Because we talk about it, say that it was raupatu, it was a battle, and there it ends. But the story is so much greater, and the story points to the resilience of these people. So I want to read it into the history, and I want to read it into the Hansard of this House, and not just dismiss it as: “There was a battle.”

In March 1864 the Tauranga Moana tribes challenged British troops stationed at Te Papa in Tauranga to battle. The soldiers had been sent there to block any support for the Kīngitanga. The first challenge went unheeded, and so the field of battle was moved closer and the fortifications were built at Pukehinahina, now known as Gate Pā. Rāwiri Puhirake of Ngāi Te Rangi was the chief in charge at Pukehinahina. Hēnare Taratoa, a Christian minister, wrote a code of conduct for the battle, imploring that the enemy be cared for and not ill-treated when wounded.

Fighting broke out on 29 April 1864, when 1,700 soldiers faced the 230 Māori warriors. Their artillery levelled the pā. Then 300 soldiers stormed the ruins, but they were caught off guard. They were caught off guard as the defenders were safely hidden in the bunkers and opened fire and decimated their ranks. With the troops in disarray, the tribal warriors abandoned the scene of their victory.

The soldiers’ revenge for Gate Pā came a few weeks later, on 21 June 1864 at Te Ranga. While the defenders were building a new fortification they were attacked, and many were killed. In Māori terms, this was considered a treacherous act, as great kindness had been shown to the British wounded at Gate Pā. This spelt the end of fighting in the Tauranga district and the beginning of the confiscation of thousands of hectares of fertile, pristine Tauranga land, for which we have finally gathered here today.

No matter what we say and no matter what we do, the negotiations that your people have been through will in no way make up and compensate for the loss that has been so well articulated here today. So, again, I recognise the koha that you give in even settling—as little as it is—for the history, the confiscation, and the loss of posterity in your own lands over this time.

Your whakataukī or your pepeha “Ko Mauao te maunga, ko Tauranga te moana”—he tohu tēnā o te tangata, ki uta, ki tai. Kā tū mō ake tonu atu ahakoa te patu o te tangata, ahakoa te pēhitanga o te Kāwanatanga kai runga i a koutou, kai konei ā-tinana, ā-kanohi kia tutuki pai tēnei kerēme; nei te mihi atu ki a koutou. Tēnā koutou, kia ora mai tātou katoa.

[Your saying or your proverb “The mountain is Mauao, the sea is Tauranga”—that is the identity of the individual at the foreshore and in the hinterland. The symbol stands forever, regardless of harm inflicted by mankind or oppression imposed by the Government upon you collectively, you are here physically and face to face to ensure that this claim is fulfilled; I commend and congratulate you. My appreciation to us all.]

Kia ora e Te Mana Whakawā. Ngā uri o Ngāi Te Rangi me Ngā Pōtiki, nau mai, haere mai; Mita Ririnui, tēnā koe, ā, nau mai.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. And so to the descendants of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki, welcome, draw hither; acknowledgments to you, Mita Ririnui, and welcome.]

I am pleased to stand to take a very short call on this bill. It is a very important bill. As iwi you are part of the Tauranga Moana, yet your bill stands alone by itself. I want to acknowledge the distance you have travelled to be here today, for Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki. I acknowledge the journey many of you may have made historically, and I want to acknowledge the journey of Ngā Pōtiki and that it has taken 17 years to actually get here today.

I want to acknowledge the many people who have helped to bring Ngā Pōtiki here. My focus, as you realise, is going to be on Ngā Pōtiki today. I want to acknowledge the work of Kathy Ertel, who worked very hard. She was a strong advocate for the claims for Ngā Pōtiki. I want to thank our kaumātua Waka Tāite for his contributions here in supporting Ngā Pōtiki’s claims here today.

I want to acknowledge our kuia up here, Poihaere Walker, who has been on this journey for a long time to get Ngā Pōtiki here. That is not the only reason I acknowledge her; I also acknowledge her because she is the mother of my executive assistant, Elaine Durie. I want to also acknowledge Victoria Kīngi, Mātire Duncan, and Colin Reeder—all kaimahi who have worked to get Ngā Pōtiki here.

As we have heard in the House today, concerning these bills, there has been a mention about drops in buckets. Well, today there are 26.5 million drops in the bucket for Ngāi Te Rangi and over 3 million drops in the bucket for Ngā Pōtiki, and, as I have said in many of my contributions in the House, it is not how many drops in the bucket you get, but it is actually the ocean you create economically as a result for your iwi.

This is an amazing bill. It is an amazing time for both iwi. I look forward to it coming to the Māori Affairs Committee, and I commend it to the House.

Bill read a first time.

Bill referred to the Māori Affairs Committee.

Waiata