Rangitāne o Manawatu Claims Settlement Bill

Tēnā tātou, e Te Whare nei. Before the lunch break, I was talking about the disappointment that Rangitāne will be feeling about not having their settlement bill read for a third time tomorrow. I also spoke about the whare, the house, that stands on Te Hotu Manawa o Rangitaane o Manawatu marae, the name of which is Tūturu Pūmau. Within Tūturu Pūmau is a carving representing gifts that were given from Tahupōtiki Wīremu Rātana to Michael Joseph Savage. Within—aroha mai koutou mā e kōrero ana i tēnei wā [excuse me, and my apologies to those of you engaged in conversation right now]. That carving is incomplete because it was the view of the people of Rangitāne that the addressing of their Treaty settlement—the breaches of the Treaty—has not yet been settled. So they will be immensely—[Interruption]

💬 Mr SPEAKER: Order! I apologise for interrupting the member. Can I ask for substantially fewer conversations to take place. This is important legislation, certainly of interest to a large number of people in the gallery, and I expect more respect to be shown by members. If they want conversations to occur, they should move to the lobbies. I apologise for interrupting the member.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I was saying, within Tūturu Pūmau there is an unfinished carving. It represents unfinished business about the breaches of the Treaty that Rangitāne o Manawatu have suffered. The delaying of the third reading will delay the completion of those taonga within that whare. I want to acknowledge the presence of those from Rangitāne o Manawatu and thank them for their patience. The delay has nothing to do with any action that Rangitāne o Manawatu have taken—in fact, quite the contrary. I do not want to take up any more of the House’s time, except to say that this is long overdue. It is another step towards the completion of those taonga in that house.

Nō reira, anei anō te mihi ake ki ngā uri o Rangitāne o Manawatū. Tēnei ahau tō koutou whanaunga e tuku mihi atu ana ki a koutou. Kia kaha, kia māia i roto i ēnei āhuatanga, te whakatau i tō koutou kerēme, nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Therefore, I acknowledge you once again, the descendants of Rangitāne of Manawatū. Here I am, your relation, according you a tribute. Be strong and courageous in these circumstances relating to the settlement of your claim, I salute you all.]

Tēnā koe, e Te Mana Whakawā, nei te mihi atu ki a koe, otirā, ki Te Whare. Ki a koutou ōku whanaunga e noho nei, e mātakitaki nei i ngā nekehanga o Pāremata, mai i te wā pātaitai, mai i te pōhiri i te ata, tae noa atu ki te mutunga o tēnei wāhanga mā koutou, nei te mihi atu ki a koutou, aku pou, aku rahi e hui ā-kanohi nei, tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou.

Kai te tuku whakaaro ki a rātou kua mate mai i ngā tau kua hipa atu, rātou i tīmata te kawe i tēnei haerenga, rātou i tīmata te whawhai mō te whenua. Ēhara i te mea nā rātou anake engari, kei te pirangi au ki te mihi atu ki a Matua Rangiharuru Fitzgerald, Matua Tānenuiārangi Te Aweawe, whaea Kura Te Rangi Baker, whaea Ruth Harris, and whaea Kararaina Tait. I te tīmatatanga o tēnei mahi, ora katoa rātou, ora katoa rātou, tae noa atu ki tēnei rangi. Ko tātau te hunga ora nei, ko tātau te hunga e tutuki nei i ō rātou nā wawata, ā te whawhai tonu, te kawe tonu i tēnei o ngā take, nā reira, kai te mihi.

He uri tēnei o Rangitāne ki te Wairarapa, he uri tēnei o Ngāti Kahungunu hoki, kāore e taea te whakawehe! E ai ki tōku kaumātua, tō tātau whanaunga a Uncle Kuki, koirā tāna ki a au: “He waewae tōu, Marama, kai roto i ngā waka e rua, kāore e taea te pēhea.” Nā reira, kai te pīrangi au ki te tuku mihi atu ki a ia i tēnei wā, ahakoa ko Te Manawatu tēnā, he whanaunga katoa tātau ki tā Te Wairarapa, nā reira ka mihi! Tēnei rohe o Manawatū, ka tīmata ki te awa, e whaiwhai haere i te awa, tae noa ki Rangitīkei, Tararua, Ruahine, tae atu ki Te Tai Hauāuru, me Te Ngutu Awa o Manawatū.

Ka huri pea ki te reo parāoa mā tātou katoa, kia marama ai tātau.

[Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, I acknowledge you but at the same time, the House. To my relations seated here and observing Parliament procedures from question time and the formal welcome this morning, including the conclusion of this session for you, I truly commend you collectively, my pillars, my vast number gathered here face to face, I applaud you.

I think about those who have passed away in years past who began this journey, who began the battle for the land. It is not as though they were the only ones, but I do want to pay a tribute to Mr Matua Rangiharuru Fitzgerald, Mr Tānenuiārangi Te Aweawe, Auntie Kura Te Rangi Baker, Ruth Harris, and Kararaina Tait. At the beginning of this task they were all alive, all of them, right to this day. We are the ones alive now, we are the ones that are fulfilling their aspirations, still fighting and still carrying this one of the matters, therefore I salute you.

This one is a descendant of Rangitāne at Wairarapa and also of Ngāti Kahungunu, both are inseparable. According to my elder and our relation Uncle Kuki, that is what he said to me: “Mārama, you have a leg in both waka, nothing can be done about it.” Therefore, I want to pay a tribute to him at this time; even though that is Manawatū, we are all relations to the Wairarapa, and so I acknowledge it. This region of Manawatū starts at the river and follows it until it reaches Rangitīkei, Tararua, Ruahine, until it reaches the mouth of the Manawatū River on the west coast.

Perhaps I should revert to the flour language for all of us, so we can understand.]

As with many Treaty settlements, those who begin the journey are not always the ones who end the journey. Those who begin the journey to right the wrongs of the past and dedicate their lives to ensuring that their people have a better future—our whānau who take up this struggle and the whawhai do so not for themselves but for their descendants, for those who are still yet to come, for their tamariki, for their mokopuna, ngā uri whakaheke [the descendants].

We have already acknowledged those who have lost the struggle along the way and are not here ā-kanohi, but are here ā-wairua tēnei rā [not here in person, but are here spiritually today]. In the submission from Rangitāne o Manawatu Settlement Trust, it acknowledged the recent passing as well of Ngāti Mairehau hapū representative Pōtaka Tāite in April of this year. His loss is undoubtedly felt the most by his beloved wife and children, and we read how Pōtaka was a man steeped in his tikanga and cultural practices, which were part of his daily life. Like many others, he was active in the affairs of his hapū from a very early age. His mother Kararaina Tāite was a founding member of Tānenuiarangi Manawatū Inc. and a negotiator for the Rangitāne o Manawatu Treaty claims until her passing in 2012. Pōtaka, a speaker at the Rangitāne o Manawatu deed of settlement signing was there and was genuinely looking forward to the future of Rangitāne o Manawatu, and he brought his own sense of passion. His loss, like the others, is still keenly felt.

Rangitāne o Manawatu has been working towards settlement with the Crown since 1998—1998—when Tānenuiarangi Manawatū Inc. gained a mandate to represent the iwi in negotiations. From 1859 to 1866 a Crown purchase of over 500,000 acres of land, in which Rangitāne o Manawatu had customary interest, was made. In July 1998 the Crown and Rangitāne o Manawatu signed terms of negotiation, which brings us to this point.

It is with a heavy heart, again, today that we acknowledge that we are unable to succeed or to progress to the third reading, which would have happened tomorrow. It has been well canvassed. We are well aware of the political game playing that has ensued, which has put this on hold. I apologise on behalf of this House to our whānau that the game playing of this House has interrupted what has been a long and determined struggle to come to your final day—your final day, iwi o Rangitāne o Manawatu—when we could put these things aside and start to move on.

One of the things we discussed at length and heard submissions on was around the Tangimoana Crown Forest Licensed Land and 113 to 117 Fitzherbert Avenue, Palmerston North, which will now be transferred to Rangitāne o Manawatu on the settlement date. We heard people making cross-claims in the area, and some of the debate that ensued was about who lives there now, who lived there when, and where is ahi kā? It reminded me, in fact, of the debate that happened often from settlers and the Crown when they came and settled this land: “If you do not live on it, it cannot be yours. If it does not surround your house, then it is free for us to have.” That was the similar debate that happened for the Crown forest area.

On settlement, Rangitāne o Manawatu will have the option to—we will get that—purchase, with a deferred selection period of 2 years from the settlement date, 10 sites within the Rangitāne o Manawatu area of interest. That, again, is somewhat dismaying to me, that, actually, the Crown can gift land for next to nothing to a university, an education institution, or a charity, but yet when it comes to settlement, when negotiations ensue, we have to pay for that land to get it back after it was taken unjustly in the first place.

So we come to this point, and in the spirit of trying to move on—in the spirit of trying to move on—Rangitāne o Manawatu have taken up the challenge to settle now and to progress into the future and do all the things, all the dreams, and fulfil the aspirations of those who have not made it to this point, who have passed on in the struggle and the fight, and left it to those ā-kanohi [here in person]. Koutou kai te ora tonu, ka tutuki tēnei ki roto i ō koutou nā ringa, kai roto i ō koutou ringa te tutuki o ō rātou nā wawata. Nā reira, ōku whanaunga hari koa taku ngākau te kite atu i a koutou katoa e noho nei ki runga i ngā tūri o Te Whare, kei te mihi atu ki a koutou. Hihiko te hinengaro, hihiko te wairua, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora mai tātou katoa.

[To those of you who are still alive, this will be fulfilled through your hands, the fulfilment of their aspirations are therefore in your hands. And so, my relations, I am delighted to see you all sitting on the seats of the House and congratulate you. The mind and spirit are inspired, so well done and accolades to you collectively, my appreciation to us all.]

Tēnā koe e Te Māngai o Te Whare. Ki a koutou huri noa i Te Whare, tēnā koutou katoa. Tuatahi ka mihi au ki a Rangitāne o Manawatu, tēnā koutou katoa. Ka tū au mō ngā Kākāriki ki te kōrero i te pānuitanga tuarua o tēnei pire ngā kerēme a Rangitāne o Manawatu. Nō Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, me Rangitāne au, tēnā koutou katoa. Ko Richard Tūrei tōku matua ēngari kua hinga ia ki roto i ngā ringaringa o ngā atua i nāianei.

[Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and acknowledgments to you all throughout the House, greetings. First of all, I acknowledge Rangitāne o Manawatu, greetings to you all. I stand to speak on behalf of the Greens in the second reading of this bill about the claims of Rangitāne o Manawatu. I belong to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, and Rangitāne; salutations to you all. My father is Richard Tūrei, but he has fallen and is in the arms of the gods now.]

My dad, Richard, was a farm labourer who was born and raised as a young man in Papawai but lived his adult life in Palmerston North. For his whole life, he was a farm labourer, so he did everything from deer hunting to farm labouring, working all over the Manawatū. He worked all the way from Marton down to Ōpiki, from Tangimoana to Pohangina. We, as a whānau, as a small family—a small, working-class, Māori family—lived all over the Manawatū area our whole lives.

This was a place where there was great wealth all around us—there was great wealth. None of it belonged to anybody whom we ever knew. We could see it; we were working the land from which that wealth and privilege was generated. None of it ever belonged to anybody whom we ever knew—not to our whānau, not to our hapū—we did not know. It really is difficult, I think, to describe—although people do try, and some, perhaps more eloquently than me, will be able to—what it is like to grow up in a place where you belong in your bones, you know that when you walk on the ground, that ground is in your blood, but for some reason you are totally disassociated from it. You have been dispossessed from it. You can feel that dispossession in your life, and you can see the effects of that dispossession, but you cannot describe it. You cannot explain why you feel that way—you just know that there is this strange screen between you and the land that you belong to.

In an environment like that, and with the description of the dispossession of Rangitāne from their land, you can see why it is so difficult to describe. There are no people who you can say did you wrong. You cannot say this person or that person hurt your whānau or took this from you. You cannot describe it in terms of warfare and violence, because, as we know in this case in particular and elsewhere around the country, the dispossession occurred as a matter of law and a matter of economics, and proved to us all that old adage that the pen truly is mightier than the sword. It was through the pen that half a million acres was taken from Rangitāne—half a million acres taken from this people, over a long period of time, with deal after deal and a little bit of trading here and a little bit of misinformation there, all done over years and years and generations with the stroke of a pen. What it does, then, is it leaves those at the end of that in a world feeling like there is no place to stand. That is kind of what it feels like.

So I am very pleased to stand here and support this settlement bill, because I know how that feels, to be so disassociated from this land that is being talked about tonight. We are disappointed that, as has been said before, it is reparation not compensation for the half a million acres taken. We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the iwi in accepting this settlement, knowing how much was lost and how little is being returned. We are enormously proud of those who have fought for this settlement for decades to have some resolution of the loss that was felt.

I do not want to speak for too long, because we need to get the settlements done so that people can get on. But it is really important that, perhaps after this, the people of Manawatū—of Palmerston North and all the surrounding rural towns in the area—really get to understand the settlement and the history of the settlement, so they understand the ground that they are standing on. That might make it easier for the kids like me in the future, who will really, truly believe that they belong there; really, truly understand that this is the land that they belong to, and feel that they truly have a place to stand. Kia ora koutou.

Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā, tēnā rā koutou ngā pou waitaka o tō tātou matua tīpuna, e ngā manuhiri tūāraki o Kurahaupō Waka, Ruahine o Tararua mauka, Rangitāne o Manawatu, ā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, mauria mai he whakaako ki te kaupapa nunui, nō reira, nau mai, haere mai, whakatau mai ki Te Whare Pāremata, nō reira, e mihi atu ana ki a koutou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and to you collectively, esteemed pillars of our ancestral forefather. And so acknowledgments and greetings to you, visitors from afar of the Kurahaupō waka, of the mountain range of Ruahine, and of Rangitāne o Manawatu. Bring forth a learning in regard to the matter of huge significance, so come hither, come forth and pay homage to Parliament House. Therefore, I commend you all.]

It is indeed my pleasure to take this call for the second reading of the Rangitāne o Manawatu Claims Settlement Bill. It is also a privilege to stand, as the chair of the Māori Affairs Committee, and to have this opportunity to contribute to the second reading of this Rangitāne o Manawatu Treaty settlement bill. What I would like to do is go through a number of the processes and a number of the take, actually, that were discussed at the Māori Affairs Committee following the first reading, when moving it through to scrutinising the bill and then seeking information from iwi and also non-Māori as well.

What I want to highlight—one part of it—is that we received submissions on this bill. There were nine of them. We went to Palmerston North to hear five of the submissions. The majority of the submissions were in support of the deed of settlement. We note, though, that there were a couple that actually did not agree with the settlement. However, I think one of their concerns was about the inclusion of Ngāti Tauira hapū in the claimant definition. Although the reconfirmed mandate in 2007 clarified that Ngāti Tauira members were included in the settlement if they descended from Tānenuiārangi, Ngāti Apa submitted that they should not be included as they are Ngāti Apa hapū. The select committee took a view that although Ngāti Tauira’s strongest links were definitely with Ngāti Apa, they have whakapapa and they have social and political links to both. We agreed that it is appropriate that participation of Ngāti Tauira in the Rangitāne o Manawatu settlement is dependent on their having descended from a Rangitāne o Manawatu ancestor. So that was where we actually discussed that, looked at that, and agreed that that should be the case moving forward.

We also considered concerns from two overlapping groups: Rangitāne o Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. They expressed their opposition to the area of interest defined by Rangitāne o Manawatu. Although we recognise that the other two groups may have interests in the same area, we also noted that it is not an exclusive area of claim and it is not unusual for iwi to have overlapping interests in different areas. Also, the other part of this was that there was no exclusive redress provided in the contested area. So that was really what came out of that actual submission.

Another area of disagreement between the iwi was the Tangimoana Crown Forest Licensed Land, which is included in this settlement as a commercial redress. Ngāti Kauwhata claim that this forest is part of their ancestral rohe. This settlement would remove any possibility of Ngāti Kauwhata claiming Tangimoana Forest in the future. So we noted that this area is the only Crown forest land within the area of interest for this settlement. However, other iwi with overlapping interests have other Crown forest land available for the settlement and within that area of interest. The primary purpose of commercial redress is to re-establish an iwi’s economic base, so we were satisfied that enough Crown land actually remains available for the future settlements in that particular area.

Finally, some of the submitters from Ngāti Raukawa submitted that their interests overlapped with Rangitāne o Manawatu, and that they would be prejudiced by the exclusive redress provided to Rangitāne o Manawatu. But we understand that there is already in place an amendment to the settlement to address the concerns of Ngāti Raukawa ki Te Tonga. There is also sufficient land remaining, again, to provide that actual commercial redress. The only other amendment we made was that we recommended, as a result of surveys of the redress sites, updates to the legal descriptions contained in the bill.

I just want to take this opportunity to again acknowledge the iwi of Rangitāne o Manawatu and to mihi to you for coming here today to hear your bill’s second reading. I am looking forward to working through—with the Māori Affairs Committee, which is a very pragmatic and very principled committee. We actually work with what we have, and at the end of the day, we actually assist your journey until the end, until the third reading, when this becomes an Act of Parliament. So, kia ora to you, and I look forward to again welcoming you here to Parliament for the third reading. Nō reira e koutou rā, e mihi atu ana ki a koutou katoa, kia ora.

[And so to you collectively, I acknowledge you all, thank you.]

Tēnā koe, Mr Deputy Speaker, tēnā hoki tātou i Te Whare, he tū wāhi poto tēnei ki te tautoko i ngā mihi i mihingia e koutou ngā kaikōrero i tū ake i mua i a au, ki wā tātou manuhiri mai i a Rangitāne o Manawatu. Nā reira koutou, ngā kaikawe o tēnei kaupapa tēnā koutou. Tēnā hoki koutou i ngā tini mate i waenganui i a koutou, kei te tūhonohono ki tēnā o ngā mate kei waenganui i a mātou i roto i Te Whare nei ēngari i tēnei wā, e tika ana, e mihi kau ana ki ēnā o ngā kaikawe o tēnei kaupapa, kāore rātou i waenganui i a tātou i te rā nei ahakoa, mōhio ana i a tātou, kei konei rātou i roto i te wairuatanga. Nā reira e tika ana, kia mihi kau ki a rātou. Nā reira kua ea te wāhi mā rātou, ka hoki mai ki a tātou e te hunga ora, ā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ā, kia ora mai anō tātou.

[Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and to us as well in the House. I rise to make this short call to endorse the tributes accorded by the speakers who stood before to our visitors from Rangitāne of Manawatu. And so to you, the bearers of this matter, I commend you. Commiserations to you also in regard to the many, many deaths amongst you that link up to that one of the deaths amongst us in this House, but for now, it is fitting that I acknowledge those bearers of this matter who are no longer amongst us today, even though we know they are here spiritually. It is therefore appropriate that we acknowledge them, so the part in regard to them has now been satisfied. Now I come back once again to us, the living, and commend and congratulate you collectively; my appreciation once again to all of us.]

I stand on behalf of New Zealand First to support this bill and to recognise that this bill, by way of the Crown acknowledging unfortunate episodes in our country’s history, tries to rectify the situation by way of redress as is articulated in the bill. As the previous speaker, Nuk Korako, alluded to, this bill was referred to the Māori Affairs Committee and the committee recommended that the bill pass with some amendments, which include some resulting from surveys of the redress sites, and these amendments would update the legal descriptions of a number of land provisions.

We received nine submissions, and, as previously alluded to, not all of the submitters supported the passing of the bill, and that was one of the issues that the committee had to consider before making its recommendation back to this House. Like all settlements, it does not please everyone, but the attempt has been made to try to offer redress for the actions of the Crown, which have, in this case, left Rangitāne o Manawatu almost landless. This bill is intended to protect what land they have left and ensure that the land that is being offered in this bill helps to secure the long-term future of this iwi.

The bill was introduced in December last year. It was referred to the Māori Affairs Committee in March of this year, and we reported back to this House at the beginning of this month. Although the physical journey may be regarded as a long one, in terms of the processes of this House, I think it has been fairly quick compared with other settlement bills, and so I want to acknowledge this House for at least giving some urgency to this claim.

Prior to this bill being presented in the House, some comments were made, and I just want to quote some of the words that were articulated in earlier readings of this bill: “The people of Rangitāne o Manawatū were subjected to legislative prejudice which made their land more susceptible to partition, fragmentation, and alienation. This was enacted in the hope that Māori would abandon their tribal and communal structures of traditional land holdings.” It goes on further to say: “By the end of 1880, Rangitāne o Manawatū held about 20,000 acres of land.” Fifty years later, this iwi’s landholdings had reduced to 2,903 acres, so you can see why this particular bill is very important to the long-term future—particularly the economic future—of Rangitāne o Manawatu.

When this bill is enacted, it will give effect to the deed of settlement signed between Rangitāne o Manawatu and the Crown in November last year, which, again, signals the rapid progress of this bill through the parliamentary process today. Again, I think that is a reflection of the commitment made by those people who are responsible for this bill, and also on the work that the Māori Affairs Committee did in ensuring that the bill got to this stage.

Just in closing, I heard the Minister make reference to the lady who has led this charge, Danielle Harris, and everyone has been talking about their whakapapa. I just want to remind this House, and I might have to remind Danielle as well, that she has connections to the north—very strong connections to the north. Perhaps, Danielle, we may need to have you come home and help us with our particular settlement process. Be that as it may, I just make reference to Danielle because I worked with her grandmother—her maternal grandmother—and I will never forget that lady, because she was one of my early mentors when I started with the Māori Affairs department in Auckland. Danielle spent some time working in the office of the Māori Trustee when I was working there, so I have a lot of regard for her. Can I say, Danielle, that I do feel sorry for you—sorry for the fact that it does not matter how much you may have worked to get the settlement to this stage, there will always be people within your iwi who will criticise you and not thank you for the work that you have done.

Hei aha, koinā te āhuatanga o tātou Te Ao Māori, nā reira e te tuahine, koutou ngā kaitautoko i a ia, koutou i hāpaihia tēnei kaupapa, i mau mai ki konei i roto i Te Whare nei, ngā mihi hoki ki a koutou.

[Never mind, that is how it is with us of Māoridom, so to you, sister colleague, and to those of you who supported her, who elevated this matter, who brought it here into this House, my acknowledgments as well to you collectively.]

Nā reira, I just want to conclude by saying that I commend this bill to the House.

Ā, e Te Māngai o Te Whare, tēnā koe, e ngā mema o Te Whare nei, tēnā tātou katoa. Ōku rau rangatira mā, e kui mā, e koro mā, e te iwi kua tae mai, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Tēnā koutou i runga i te kaupapa whakahirahira, he pānui tuarua o tō koutou pire, te pire whakataunga i ngā kerēme o Rangitāne o Manawatū nō reira, tēnā koutou, nau mai, hoki mai.

[Greetings to you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and to members of this House, so acknowledgments to us all. To my esteemed ones of a hundredfold, elderly women and menfolk, to the people who have arrived, accolades, compliments, and acknowledgments to all of us. I congratulate you collectively on the matter of significance, it is a second reading of your bill, the settlement bill for the claims of Rangitāne of Manawatū, and so, congratulations to you collectively, come hither, welcome back.]

It is indeed my privilege to take a call on the second reading of the Rangitāne o Manawatu Claims Settlement Bill. Before I kick off and talk about the bill, can I stand here in all humility, on behalf of the people I represent in this House—the iwi I represent in this House; from Te Tai Rāwhiti, from Kahungunu, from Rangitāne to Te Atiawa ki Awanuiārangi a Te Awakairangi—to offer my disappointment that the people of Rangitāne o Manawatu have to wait to see their bill read a third time. Through no doing of yourselves, you have found yourselves subject to yet another delay. So I just want to go on record, on behalf of the people I represent, of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, and acknowledge your tolerance, as this is of no doing of your own. So ngā mihi ki a koutou.

In the process of checking and researching this bill—I just want to note that the terms of reference were signed way back on 27 July 1998 with Sir Douglas Graham. The heads of agreement, which was a precursor to the agreement in principle, was signed on 25 November 1999. Then this claim went into a 10-year hiatus and the deed of settlement was initialled in this Whare in the Matangireia room on 1 May 2015. With our colleague Adrian Rurawhe, the member for Te Tai Hauāuru, we joined with the whānau to celebrate that initial signing in the Matangireia room. Then the deed of settlement was finally signed on 14 November 2015, and, of course, we had the first reading on 15 March 2016.

At the second reading, it is important that we reflect back to the House what transpired through the select committee process, and there are two particular comments I want to make in that regard. I am not a member of the Māori Affairs Committee, but I do have a passion for Treaty settlements and land retention, in terms of staying in the hands of Māori. I do want to acknowledge the work of the very hard-working Māori Affairs Committee, ably chaired by the honourable member Nuk Korako, and, of course, all the members in the House who have participated in dealing with this claim.

Like all claims, each and every one is unique. After reading this claim, particularly the historical account, I want to just take the opportunity to reflect a couple of passages, because they, for me, summarised just some of the hurt and humiliation that the Rangitāne o Manawatu people suffered. Part 1, clause 8(3) states: “In 1864 the Crown purchased approximately 250 000 acres in the Te Ahuaturanga block from Rangitāne o Manawatu for £12,000. The Crown urged Rangitāne o Manawatu to sell as much land as possible and succeeded in reducing the size of the reserves to be made from the sale for Rangitāne o Manawatu from 5 000 acres to 2 570 acres. The reserves that were made did not include several areas of great cultural significance. After the Crown declined requests from Rangitāne o Manawatu to change the reserves, the iwi repurchased several of their kainga in the block. In 1867 the Crown gave 71 acres of the block to another iwi without consulting Rangitāne o Manawatu. The land is now central Palmerston North and valuable commercial and residential real estate.”

Here we have, yet again, a dispossession of more land of the hau kāinga and gifted to another iwi. In all Treaty settlements, there are pockets where this has occurred, and I just reference that because this is taking land that definitely belonged to Rangitāne o Manawatu and giving it to another iwi. All I can say is that the iwi who has got this land has probably had an injustice done to them. So we have two wrongs that do not equal a right. But I wanted to raise that because it is in the historical account of this bill. So I just wanted to mention that.

Then I turn to the apology in the bill. This is again Part 1, clause 10(e), which states: “The Crown deeply regrets its failure to appropriately acknowledge the mana and rangatiratanga of Rangitāne o Manawatu. Through this apology and by this settlement the Crown seeks to atone for its wrongs and begin the process of healing. The Crown looks forward to re-establishing its relationship with Rangitāne o Manawatu based on mutual trust, co-operation, and respect for the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles.”

You might ask why I am making reference to that particular clause in the bill. It is because, over recent times in this House, I have seen legislation passed under urgency by a majority that actually goes completely against that statement—completely against that statement. The Public Works Act is an example. We are currently trying to deal with the Kermadecs, which is a Treaty settlement. So when I read statements like this, it is incumbent on the Crown to uphold this when it is dealing with other pieces of legislation, otherwise it makes clauses like this untrue. If we are going to re-establish “mutual trust, co-operation, and respect for the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles.”, then that covers everything we do in this House, not just for this particular iwi’s Treaty settlement but for all New Zealanders, and I think you get my point on that.

So, like I said earlier, I want to turn to the contributions and the work of the hard-working Māori Affairs Committee. There are two submissions—I notice there were nine made, but I just want to reference two particularly. One was submitted by Ngāti Apa, and the reason why I want to raise this is that many of our people do not see any value in the select committee process. I wanted to reference these two particular submissions because of the way they were received but also the way in which the committee considered them and has, in a considered way, reported back to the House. So if we, as Māori, are going to have an impact or influence on how legislation is made, then the select committee process—I cannot speak highly enough of it.

So the two that I want to highlight are the Ngāti Apa submission—and, of course, this is about the Ngāti Apa hapū of Ngāti Tauira. The issue here was that the hapū of Ngāti Tauira is currently in the Ngāti Apa settlement, and, essentially, their submission was that Ngāti Tauira was in Ngāti Apa, but they are also reflected in this bill here, which we are talking about today. What I do notice, and when I read the Māori Affairs Committee response to that—and I think it was a very valid response—is that it was around saying that there are no exclusive rights to a hapū. So although it appears in this bill, it does not mean that everyone has to come under Rangitāne o Manawatu; likewise with Ngāti Apa. I thought that that was a well-considered response to, obviously, Ngāti Apa’s concerns. The other one was the one put in by the Rangitāne Settlement Negotiations Trust. In its submission, it talked about the kind of shared area of interests with Rangitāne o Manawatu, and—oh, my time is up. Oh, my gosh, that has been wonderful. I commend this bill to the House. Thank you very much. Aroha mai, kia ora tātau e te whānau.

[Apologies and my appreciation to us, the family.]

Tēnā koe e Te Māngai o Te Whare, ka noho tonu ahau ki roto i Te Reo Māori mō te roanga ake o taku kōrero i te rā nei, ā, ka huri tua atu ki a koutou e ngā tini whanaunga, koutou kua takahia nei i te ara whānui ki ngā poutama o Te Whare Pāremata e tū nei, haere mai, haere mai, haere mai! Ka tāpae atu aku mihi ki ngā mihi kua tukuna e Te Māngai o Te Whare, otirā, e ngā mema o tēnei Whare ki a koutou, me te īnoi atu kia tāpae ō koutou tini aituā ki runga i te tāhuhu o tēnei Whare. Ka tukuna e ngā kaikōrero me ngā pātū o tēnei Whare te tangi atu, te mihi atu, te poroporoaki atu ki ngā hunga mate i roto i a koutou, otirā, ki roto i a mātau kia kotahi ai te kōrero, haere mai, haere e ngā mate! Kia whakahokia mai ngā rārangi kōrero ki a tātou e Te Whare, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, e Rangitāne, tēnā koutou katoa.

Ka tū au ki te kōrero ki tēnei pire, Rangitāne o Manawatu Claims Settlement Bill. Ka kōrero ahau mō ētahi o ngā wāhanga me te hiahia kia tautoko i ētahi o ngā kōrero kua kōrerotia maitia e ngā mema o Te Whare i te rā nei. Ka tīmata ake ahau ki ngā mihi ki Te Heamana o Te Rōpū Whiriwhiri i ngā Take Māori, arā, ko Tutehounuku Korako, ka mihi atu ahau ki a ia me Te Rōpū Whiriwhiri i ngā Take Māori, nā rātou te mahi nui ki te āta whakarongo ki ngā mamae, ki ngā kōrero i puta mai i tēnei pire hei whiriwhiri, hei totohe, kātahi ka whakaritea mai te pire ki roto i tana pānuitanga tuarua ki roto i Te Whare nei. Ka tāpae hoki aku mihi ki Te Minita, kua whakapau werawera mō tēnei take, e mihi atu ana au ki a ia.

Ka whakaaro ake ahau mō tēnei kerēme, mō tēnei pire, i tīmata ai ki roto i ngā tau tekau iwa tekau. E hia nei ngā Minita mō ngā Take Tiriti kua mau i taua mana, arā, Te Minita mō ngā Take Tiriti, mai i te tāima i rēhitatia tuatahitia tēnei pire tae noa mai ki tēnei wā. I rukuhia atu e ahau ngā puna mahara, anā, ka kimi ake i ngā Minita e rima kua mahi ngātahi me tēnei iwi me tēnei karangatanga a Rangitāne ki Manawatū—tokorima! Nō reira, kaua e pāpōuri mai e Rangitāne, ēhara nō koutou te hē. Ko ngā nekehanga o tēnei Whare ko reira tonu te hē, e hē nei, e takahi nei i a koutou me tō koutou taenga mai i te rā nei.

Kāti, ki roto i te roanga ake o ngā pire i te rā nei ka kōrero ahau mō tēnei, ki a au nei, he mahi nanakia ki roto i ngā pire. Mehemea e hiahia ana te pire ki te whakataiapa i tetahi iwi, i tetahi hapū rānei, e hoa, ka raruraru, ka raruraru nā te mea ka whakapapa te tini o ngā hapū, te tini o ngā iwi ki ētahi wāhi. Koirā ahau i mea ai i roto i te pire e pā ana ki ōku whanaunga o Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa, ka raru mehemea ka whakaritea ko Kahukuraariki te tupuna rongonui o Ngāti Kahu. Nā, ka kite atu tātau ki roto o Rangitāne ētahi o ngā raruraru e pā ana ki ngā whenua. Ko wai mā te mana whenua? Ko wai mā te hapū ka whai pānga ki ēnei wāhi?

Ka whakaaro ake ahau mō ētahi o ngā wāhanga kai roto i te pire, arā, ko Te Ngahere o Tangimoana. Ēhia nei ngā hapū? Ēhia nei ngā iwi, ka whai pānga ki taua ngahere? Ēngari, ko te whakaritea nei i tēnei pire me te ture a te Kāwanatanga, ā, kahore! Anei ko ngā kaiwhakahaere o te ngahere, anā, ka poroa ētahi, ko ētahi o ngā hapū ka mahue ki muri, ko ētahi o ngā hapū kua peia ki waho. Koinā te raruraru, mehemea ka tukuna mā te ture Pākehā ngā whakapapa me ngā whakaritenga ki roto i Te Āo Māori me te whakamana. Koinā taku whakatau i tēnei wā. Koinā tetahi o ngā raruraru ki roto i tēnei pire, hāunga rā ko tērā, ka kite atu ahau i roto i tēnei pire, ka āta totohe, ka āta whakarite ngā āpiha a Te Minita i ētahi huarahi ka āhei ngā hapū kua poroa, ka āhei ngā hapū kua peia, te whai pānga ki roto i ngā whenua kua whakahokia atu ki a Rangitāne o Manawatu. Nō reira, he wero nui tēnā, kai roto.

Ka kapohia ake e ahau ngā kōrero o tōku tuahine, a Meka Whaitiri, me tana kī, āe mārika kua taka te kapa ki tēnei Kāwanatanga, me kaua te pōhēhē mā ngā iwi anahe te mana o Te Iwi Māori, kāhore. Kua roa rawa mātau me ngā hapū puta noa e kī atu ana, e, kaua e wareware ki a mātou ngā hapū. Kai a mātau wā mātau ake mana! Ka whakaaro ake ahau ki roto i a māua ko Pita Paraone, e kōrero ana mō Ngāti Hine ki roto i a au o Ngāpuhi, anā, e pēra ana—e pēra ana. Nō reira ngā mihi nui ki Te Minita kua whai whakaaro ki ngā hapū ki roto i ngā pire nei. Ahakoa, kua whakaritea ki raro i te maru o Rangitāne o Manawatu, anā, ko ōna hapū katoa ka whakarārangihia mai ki raro. Nō reira, ka mihi atu ahau ki tērā whakaaro nui.

Ka pānui ahau i te whakapāha a Te Kāwanatanga ki a Rangitāne o Manawatu, i rongo atu ahau ki te aroha i roto i taua whakapāha. I kite atu ahau i te ngākau whakapono o Te Kāwanatanga i roto i taua whakapāha ēngari i a au e pānui ana i te whakapāha, kāore anō au i kite i tētahi paku whakapāha, tētahi paku whakaaro mō te pōharatanga o Rangitāne o Manawatu. E ai ki te pire ka kōrero mō ngā “social structures”, ka kōrero mō te “wrongdoing of the law”. Ēngari nā te mea kua whānakohia ai ngā whenua o Rangitāne o Manawatu nō reira ka pōhara Te Iwi Māori, ka pōhara ngā hapū me ngā iwi o Rangitāne ēngari, kāore anō au i kite i tetahi whakapāha e pā ana ki te wāhanga ōhanga, ki te wāhanga pūtea i roto i tēnei pire. Hoi nō, he whakaaro tēnei mā Te Minita, ā taihoa ake noa e whakaarohia.

Ka huri atu ki ētahi atu wāhanga o te pire e mea atu ana, ka mahi ngātahi a Rangitāne o Manawatu me Te Papa Atawhai, me Te Tari Whakahaere Kōhuke, anā, ka waiho nā atu taua kupu ki mua i a tātau, ko te kōhuke, arā, ko te “mineral” tērā! Nō reira ka mahi ngātahi a Rangitāne me ngā tari Kāwanatanga rā ki te whakarite i tō rātou ake whanaungatanga, ka pēhea rātou e mahi ngātahi ana ki roto i ngā marama, me ngā tau kei mua i te aroaro. Ka waiho nā atu taua whakaritenga ki a Rangitāne o Manawatu me ngā tari Kāwanatanga. He whakaaro pai tēnā. He whakaaro pai tēnā, ka whakahaere i ngā whenua, i ngā taonga ka whakahokia atu ki a Rangitāne o Manawatu. Anā, ka whai whakaaro ake ahau mō te wāhi whenua o Awapuni, mō Te Tihi o Mairehau, aua whenua katoa ka āhei a Rangitāne, me ngā āpiha, me ngā tari Kāwanatanga, ki te hanga mahere ka pēhea ā taihoa ake nei.

Kāti, hei whakakapi ake ki roto i te meneti kotahi e toe ana, ka mutu ake taku kōrero i Te Wāhanga 3 o te pire, arā, Part 3, te rara 110, clause 110, e kōrero ana mō tēnei mea te right of first refusal—aroha mai, I am not sure of the Māori phrase for “right of first refusal”, ā, ka kōrero au “right of first refusal” i tēnei rangi. Ka whakaaro ake ahau ki tērā kupu i roto ki tēnei pire, anā ka kite atu i te whānui, i te whāroa o ngā kōrero e pā ana ki tēnā wāhanga. He mea pai tēnā kia tiakina te mana o Rangitāne o Manawatu. Kāti ake i konei, ka waiho nā atu ngā kōrero i tēnei wā, ka mihi atu ki a Rangitāne o Manawatu kua haere mai nei ki roto i Te Whare Pāremata i te rā nei. Ko te manako, mā Te Atua koutou e tiaki i tō koutou hokinga atu ki te kāinga, ā, kāti tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will remain speaking in the Māori language for the duration of my contribution today and turn to address you, the vast number of relations who have traversed the broad path to the stepped panel patterns of Parliament House standing here—welcome, come hither, welcome! I submit my congratulatory remarks alongside those expressed by the Deputy Speaker, and, indeed, by members of this House, to you collectively, with the plea that you lay out your many, many mishaps upon the ridge pole of this House to allow the speakers and walls of this House to grieve, to pay a tribute and to farewell the dead within you, but at the same time within us, so that we can say as one, welcome, the dead, and depart! And so to the House, as a means of bringing the focus of the contributions back upon us, I acknowledge and greet you collectively, and you, too, Rangitāne. Salutations to you all.

I rise to speak on the Rangitāne o Manawatu Claims Settlement Bill. I will address some parts of the bill with the hope that some of the sentiments expressed by members of the House today will be supported by me. I begin with my thanks to the chair of the Māori Affairs Committee, Tutehounuku Korako there, and to the Māori Affairs Committee, which has an important role in terms of listening very intently to the hurts, to the submissions that emerge about this bill, deliberating and debating over it, and then preparing the bill for its second reading in this House. I also express my thanks to the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, who has worked hard on this issue. I commend him.

I have really thought about this claim, this bill that began in the 1990s. There have been a number of Treaty negotiations Ministers that have held that role there—Ministers for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations—from this bill’s inception right down to this moment. I delved into the records and searched for the five Ministers, the five who worked in unison with this broad grouping of Rangitāne at Manawatū—five! Therefore, do not be upset, Rangitāne; the fault is not yours! Procedures of this House are where the fault is really located. It is undermining you and your arrival here today.

Enough, I will speak at length about this aspect of the bills, but, to me, I believe it is a deceitful tactic in the bills. If a bill wants to partition off an iwi or hapū, colleague, there will be a problem, and a real one at that, because vast numbers of iwi and hapū will have a genealogical connection to some places. That is why I said in the debate on the bill about my relations of Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa that a problem will arise if Kahukuraariki is considered to be the eponymous ancestor of Ngāti Kahu. We will find then that within Rangitāne there will be some problems relating to the land. Who, indeed, has the mandate over the land? Which hapū has interests in these places?

I think about some parts that are in the bill, namely the Tangimoana Forest. How many hapū are there? How many iwi are there that have interests in that forest? According to the provision in this bill and the local government legislation, none at all! In terms of the administrators of the forest, some have been axed, some have been ejected. That is the problem if Pākehā law is allowed to make provisions and genealogy in Māoridom and mandate them. That is my take on it at this point in time. That aside, that is one of the problems in this bill that I perceive officials of the Minister can debate and determine avenues carefully through which hapū that have been axed and ejected have their interests in the land returned to Rangitāne o Manawatu. So that is a huge challenge within the bill.

I take up the sentiments expressed by my colleague Meka Whaitiri, who stated, yes, the penny has indeed dropped to this Government, and it must not assume that Māoridom’s mandate is solely with iwi—no, not at all! We and hapū throughout the country have long asserted that we the hapū must never be overlooked. We have our own mana! I have thought to myself and jointly with Pita Paraone in regard to Ngāti Hine and the Ngāpuhi in me—the problem is the same for me. Therefore, I commend the Minister greatly for giving due consideration to hapū in this bill. Given that provisions have been made under the authority of Rangitāne o Manawatu, all its hapū are listed below. And so I acknowledge that significant gesture.

I read the Government’s apology to Rangitāne o Manawatu and could feel the empathy and the Government’s belief in that apology, but while I was reading it I did not see any single apology or thought about Rangitāne o Manawatu’s poverty. According to the bill, it talked about “social structures” and the “wrongdoing of the law”. Because the lands of Rangitāne o Manawatu had been stolen, the Māori people are impoverished, the hapū and the iwi of Rangitāne o Manawatu are poorer, but I have not seen any apology relating to the impact on the economy or funding in this bill. Accordingly, this is something for the Minister to consider in the future.

I turn to some other parts of the bill, which state that Rangitāne o Manawatu will work collaboratively with the Department of Conservation and New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals, and I leave that word kōhuke, “mineral”, there before us. Therefore, Rangitāne o Manawatu and Government departments will work together to consider their own relationship with each other and how to work collaboratively in the months and years ahead of them. I will leave that provision to Rangitāne o Manawatu and the Government departments. That is a good idea, a really fruitful one in terms of managing lands and resources that will be returned to Rangitāne o Manawatu. I reflect on the Awapuni parcel, the summit of Mairehau, those lands that Rangitāne, officials, and Government departments are able to create an administrative plan to manage and execute effectively.

To cover the remaining minute I end my contribution with the third part of the bill, namely, Part 3, clause 110 of the bill, which talks about this thing called the right of first refusal—apologies, I am not sure of the Māori phrase for “right of first refusal”, and will leave it as the “right of first refusal” today. I mull over that phrase in this bill and note its extent and broadness as it relates to that part. That is a great tool in terms of protecting Rangitāne o Manawatu’s autonomy. That is sufficient, I leave the sentiments there at this point in time and acknowledge Rangitāne o Manawatu who came into this House today. The hope is that God looks after you collectively as you return home, and so enough, I commend and congratulate you, and my appreciation to us all.]

Kia ora, e koro mā, e kui mā, e rau rangatira mā, tēnā koutou, nau mai haere mai, i runga i te rā whakahirahira, kia ora.

[Greetings to you, the elderly men and womenfolk and esteemed ones of a hundredfold, welcome, come hither on this important day, greetings.]

I stand to take this final call in the Rangitāne o Manawatu Claims Settlement Bill, and I am very proud to do this. My contribution is actually going to concentrate on some key figures who have worked behind the scenes to actually get this bill here to the House. First of all, I want to pay tribute to the formidable Ruth Harris—and she was a formidable person. She rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way, but she was formidable in the fact that she drove this particular process for the iwi o Manawatū all the way to this point here today. As I said, her staunch approach did get up the noses of people at times, but I can tell you that during her time it was she who took the head office of Tānenuiārangi from Main Street in Palmerston North and established it at Awapuni Hospital. She needed some funding and she went to seek it not from a Māori, not even from a Pākehā—she went to an Asian, a Chinese investor who actually helped to establish the head office of Rangitāne o Manawatu at the Awapuni Hospital.

I also want to acknowledge the Fitzgerald whānau: Rangi Fitzgerald, his daughter Lorene, who passed this year and who did a lot of work in behind the scenes—along with Ruth and the Harris whānau.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge Tānenuiārangi Te Awe Awe. The Te Awe Awe whānau make up the third branch of the whānau Rangitāne o Manawatu. They make up a big portion of how this bill came here to the House, and along the way there were also the rangatira Te Rangi Baker and Auntie Ka Taite and her son, Kim Pōtaka Taite, who were mentioned in the House today. I remember meeting Auntie Ka for the very first time, and I thought that she was a bit grumpy, but she actually held her place in everything that she did. I take my hat off to those women and those men, our tūpuna, who worked diligently to this day. It is a shame that we cannot finish the whole thing off over the next few days, but that is how it is, and today is a celebration for Rangitāne o Manawatu.

Today we also see the tamariki and mokopuna of those very people whom I have mentioned, who have picked up the baton, picked up where their tūpuna have left off, and they have carried, and continue to carry, the mantle of their forebears as the Post Settlement Governance Entity (PSGE) group, including the daughter of Ruth Harris, another formidable Harris, Danielle. And no, Pita, you cannot have Danielle up north; she is staying with us. She is ours and always has been ours.

I want to also mention Chris Whaiapū. Chris is the son of Lorene Fitzgerald and the mokopuna of Rangi Fitzgerald, and he is also on the PSGE group, along with Hōhepa Sharland, Tina Kāwana, and Terry Hapi. Although everybody looks at that group and thinks that this is an amazing group together, they carry a load of responsibility for Rangitāne o Manawatu into the future.

We have heard about the commercial redress of the Tangimoana Forest. Just recently we heard and read in the newspapers about the farms that are coming up for sale through Landcorp—six in the South Island and three in the North Island. Two of those farms are actually in Rangitāne o Manawatu and Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā. In the newspapers, there was a discussion around the iwi, the settled iwi, who will have the right of first refusal when those farms come up for sale.

In closing, I just want to say that Tangimoana Forest is one, the other one is the future of Tangimoana station, the Landcorp station. They are going to be the heavyweights of that PSGE group on the way forward for the economic development future of Rangitāne o Manawatu. I stand proudly to commend the bill to the House in this second reading. Kia ora.

Bill read a second time.

Waiata