Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā (Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua) Claims Settlement Bill

I move, That the Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā (Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua) Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the bill. A month ago—only a month ago—I was welcomed on to Mākirikiri Marae in Dannevirke to sign the deed of settlement with Rangitāne o Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Tamaki nui a Rua.

I am so very pleased to extend a warm welcome to the members of Rangitāne who have travelled to be here in Parliament for the first reading of the bill. I am delighted you are here, and I am delighted that you were able to listen to the second reading of the Rangitāne o Manawatu Claims Settlement Bill. I am sure there are some representatives there, and next week I shall be reporting to Rangitāne in Blenheim, in the Wairau, that their relations are well on the way and, frankly, that some of them should have been here today as well. So thank you very much for coming. It is great to see you here, especially only 1 month after that wonderful signing at Mākirikiri Marae.

At this time my thoughts go to those members of Rangitāne who have suffered the grievances addressed through this bill and those who began this journey and yet are no longer here to experience this point in the history of their great iwi. They are in our thoughts today. I also acknowledge those who are with us—some of whom are sitting in the gallery today—particularly Mānahi Paewai and Jim Rīmene and Mavis Mullins. The earlier two—although Mavis is everywhere—started this process so many years ago and provided support and guidance to the iwi negotiators as the settlement has progressed. Rangitāne have been served over the years by very devoted negotiators and advisers, and I acknowledge the huge amount of work over many years by the negotiating team.

It is always dangerous and, indeed, inappropriate, probably, to name individuals, but I do want to acknowledge Tīpene Chrisp in the gallery. Most of the time he is on my side because he works for the Office of Treaty Settlements, but the call of the whānau was too great, and he has been on the other side for this negotiation, as one would expect. Can I acknowledge the chief Crown negotiator Rick Barker for the tremendous work that he has done on this settlement. I am sure he would like to be here today, but I have a feeling he is up in Hauraki.

I also acknowledge the various Crown agencies and the regional and district councils for their work. And that is not pro forma thanks, because, for example, the Tararua District Council has been very, very helpful as we have dealt with a couple of issues on the way through, and I acknowledge it and its retiring mayor.

The journey to settlement for Rangitāne stretches back many years. Claims on behalf of the iwi were lodged in the 1980s. Tribunal hearings were held in 2004 and 2005, and the great Wairarapa ki Tararua report was released in June 2010. In October 2011 the Crown recognised the mandate of the Rangitāne Settlement Negotiations Trust to negotiate the settlement of the Treaty claims. Negotiations commenced following the signing of terms of negotiation in 2012. On 28 March 2014 I signed an agreement in principle that set out the settlement package, and, as I said, last month I signed the deed of settlement after it had been ratified by members of Rangitāne. The warmth and the energy of the Rangitāne tamariki radiated on what was otherwise a very cold Dannevirke day.

The Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā (Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua) Claims Settlement Bill is being considered today and it is going to give legislative effect to the redress that Rangitāne will receive. I want to take a moment to reflect on the history that sits behind the settlement legislation. This came through so strongly at the signing ceremony—and I would love some people who say “Oh, the iwi are only interested in the money.” to have been at Mākirikiri Marae, because they would have seen that the history and the cultural redress were at the heart of what iwi members were seeking. It was really a beautiful ceremony.

Rangitāne welcomed Pākehā settlers to their rohe from the mid-1840s. Rangitāne enjoyed considerable benefits from leasing land to these settlers and trading with them. The Crown then applied pressure on Wairarapa Māori to end the leases and sell their land to the Crown. By the mid-1850s the Crown had acquired about three-fifths of the traditional rohe of Rangitāne. When purchasing land, the Crown led this iwi to expect substantial educational, health, and economic benefits. In the course of time, however, Rangitāne did not experience many of these benefits, nor the prosperity that they could reasonably have expected to receive from settlement in their region; nor did they receive the reserves the Crown had promised to set aside for iwi.

In the 1860s, through the native land court legislation, the Crown introduced a new land tenure system that was simply inconsistent with Rangitāne traditional customs. In 1871 the Crown acquired considerable areas of Rangitāne land in Te Tapere-nui-o-Whātonga, including 60,000 acres of the Mangatainoka Block, despite the express opposition of Rangitāne leaders.

Their communities resisted land sales. They attempted to maintain tribal structures through a number of initiatives, including the various Parliaments and the longstanding fight of Nireaha Tāmaki, who took his case to the Privy Council. In a landmark decision, the Privy Council reversed the decision of the Court of Appeal and acknowledged that a system of customary Māori land tenure did exist and deserved recognition in court decisions. It is one of those interesting items of history that when the Supreme Court Bill was going through in the early 2000s, everyone said that we needed a Supreme Court that would be more sensitive to the resolution of Treaty of Waitangi claims—but the Privy Council actually understood this stuff very well indeed.

The Crown lost more often than it won when dealing with these issues—in fact, so much so that at one stage, one Saturday morning in the early 1900s, there was a gathering of all the judges and the lawyers in Wellington and they had what was called a “protest of the bench and bar”, grumbling about a Privy Council decision that had been favourable to Māori. But I digress, so back to the bill. The Government’s response to the Privy Council decision was to limit the right of Māori to investigate the Government’s land purchases through the courts.

In 1896, Rangitāne leaders were involved in gifting ownership of the Wairarapa lakes to the Crown. Instead of providing ample reserves in the vicinity of the lakes, as agreed, the Crown provided reserves several hundred kilometres away in the King Country—unbelievable today, but that is what happened. By the early 20th century, it was the same sad story. Rangitāne were virtually landless and their communities struggled to maintain their customary homes, their knowledge, and their language—and then came urbanisation in the 20th century. So it is a grim background and it is one that I invite everyone in the rohe of Rangitāne to read and understand, because they will understand exactly why we are doing what we are doing today.

Last month at Mākirikiri Marae I presented the Crown apology to Rangitāne, who graciously accepted it, and it was said that it would go a long way to helping Rangitāne people understand who they are. So there is a big settlement package here.

I am almost out of time, and what I want now is to commend the bill to the House. If it passes it will go to the Māori Affairs Committee, and I know that it is going to do a very good job and get the bill back to the House very, very quickly. I say this all the time, but it is heartfelt every time I say it: it is not possible to compensate Rangitāne fully for the loss and prejudice suffered. I acknowledge the generosity in accepting the apology, and I believe the settlement outlined in this bill is going to help Rangitāne realise their further endeavours and their aspirations. I consider that the bill should proceed without delay to the Māori Affairs Committee. I commend the bill to the House.

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Greetings to you, fellow members of the House. E te iwi o Rangitāne ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, tēnā tātou katoa. I want to apologise that I had to abruptly end my last speech—that is what you get when you sit in the House for, what, 6 hours before you get a call on these Treaty bills. So I do apologise, and I do want to acknowledge Danielle and all the negotiators of Rangitāne o Manawatu for a fabulous job.

It is the first reading of the Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā (Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua) Claims Settlement Bill, and we, no doubt, support it entirely so that we can help facilitate it going off to the Māori Affairs Committee. Then we can have the bill back and get into the second reading and then the third reading so we can ensure that the people, the iwi here, can get on with their affairs. Can I just please acknowledge all those who have come down here and who are in the gallery. You have made mention, Hon Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, of Mānahi Paewai. I see Jim Rīmene and, of course, Mavis and Koro Mullins. Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa te whānau kua tae mai. [Greetings to you, all the family that have arrived.]

Rangitāne trace their descent from the explorers of Kupe and Whātonga, rangatira of the mighty waka of Kurahaupō, and the grandfather of the eponymous ancestor, Rangitāne. The traditions record that for centuries the Rangitāne people settled in Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua before 1840, and they have a special association with many places, including the Wairarapa lakes, the eastern coast, and Tapere-nui-a-Whātonga, known by others as Seventy Mile Bush.

This bill acknowledges the grievances of the Rangitāne people, including the Crown’s acquisition of vast areas of land; its failure to properly survey or protect from alienation a number of reserves; its failure to protect Rangitāne from virtual landlessness and from the disintegration of their tribal structures, and the social deprivation that resulted; and, of course, the loss of Te Reo Māori.

I want to take the time—hopefully, staying within my 10 minutes—to acknowledge that this bill has three parts, and the Minister has outlined, of course, that the important, critical part is the historical account and the apology that form Part 1. Of course, we go into the cultural redress in Part 2, and the Minister touched on the protocols, the statutory acknowledgments and the deed of recognition, the Manuwatū River catchment advisory board, some classification, changes of geographical names, some vesting of cultural redress properties, and, of course, vesting and gifting back of properties.

In Part 3 we talk about commercial redress, and I want to acknowledge Subpart 1, “Transfer of commercial redress properties and deferred selection properties”, Subpart 2, “Licensed land”, Subpart 3, “Access to protected sites”, and, of course, a topic of debate that has been swirling round this House this week—and for weeks to come—is Subpart 4, “Right of first refusal over RFR land”. I just want to say to members of this House, regarding the right of first refusal of land taken under the Public Works Act, that for many iwi who have not settled, or, in the case of this particular iwi, who are in the process of getting legislation through, those mechanisms of reclaiming land are so critical. They are so critical because we have lost so much. We have lost so much, and the ability to ensure that land that was taken under the Public Works Act and is no longer needed for the reason for which it was taken must be offered, uninhibited, back to the original owners.

Yet in recent times in this House we have passed legislation that nullifies land taken for housing purposes. We have made that call in this House, and I just want it to go on the record that this side of the House put up an amendment to protect iwi interests for future settlements. I must acknowledge the legislation that we passed under urgency—so it did not even go to a select committee. It acknowledges existing Treaty settlements, but for the rest of us who have not got to the starting block, you have missed out through this Act in Parliament.

So it is very dear to me that every inch of land that is geared towards Treaty settlement—we as parliamentarians must think twice before we move legislation that removes that ability for iwi to get that land that is so critical to them. I wanted to just acknowledge that. In reference to Subpart 4 of Part 3, on the right of first refusal, we do hope that when we scrutinise it in the Māori Affairs Committee—I understand they have been briefed by officials on what right of first refusal actually means, so maybe that will come up in their deliberations. [Interruption] Yes, I will be on time.

I want to acknowledge the hard work of all the negotiators. As a former Treaty settlement negotiator myself—for my father’s iwi of Rongowhakaata—the sacrifice that you put into Treaty claims is immeasurable. The sacrifice you have to make, in terms of where you are yourself—and on your family. You never ever please everybody in the iwi. You never ever please everybody in the iwi, but you are driven to get the absolute best deal. I have no doubt that your negotiators have achieved that. They achieved that on behalf of your iwi members—the best possible deal with the resources and the timing that you have available. So I want to acknowledge you all for the hard work, the perseverance, the compromises, the ear-ringing, and the back-stabbing; that has happened to us all. I just want to acknowledge that, and I want to thank you on behalf of Rangitāne.

I also want to acknowledge the officials who support the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Hon Chris Finlayson. I know his heart is in the right place when he moves to settle Treaty settlements, and so I want to acknowledge and thank the Minister and all those officials who support him. Sometimes we disagree, but I definitely know that the honourable Minister is committed to ensuring that we have settlements that are not just expedient and quick, but are fair.

But having said that, we also have a responsibility in this House that when we are passing legislation that cuts across not just existing Treaty settlements but, potentially, future Treaty settlements, we need to pause. We need to pause, and that is where I believe that when it comes to our honouring the Treaty—actually, the rubber hits the road. When we are considering legislation that is going to alienate Māori from whenua, then we need to be very, very careful, because our people have lost too much already. I do not want to be part of a Parliament that says: “We’ve done that Treaty settlement; let’s carry on.” Everything we do in this House interrelates.

As I reflect, in Rangitāne’s own historical account, they gave land and they sold land in the hope that they would get the benefits in return. The benefits around health, education, and the Reo maintenance were never ever met by the Crown. So that is why I make this point: it is incumbent on everybody in this House that when passing legislation that is going to impact on iwi rights going forward, then all I say is be very considered—kick it back to the select committee process and allow iwi to have their say. Kia ora tātou.

Tēnā koe, e Te Mana Whakawā, nei te mihi atu ki a koe, otirā, ki Te Whare. Hoi āno ki a koutou mā i tae ā-tinana mai, te wā tuatahi i hara mai au ki tēnei Whare ki te whakarongo ki ngā kōrero o Te Tiriti e whakawhiti ana, man, tangi hotuhotu ahau, tāngi hotuhotu manawa, noho ana te whakarongo ki te tāhae whenua, ki te mate tangata, ā, ki ngā tau kua whakapau werawera, whakapau kaha ki te tūtuki i ngā wawata, ngā hiahia, man, noho au ki te tangi hotuhotu; ēhara nōku te whānau! Ēngari te whakarongo ki tēnā kōrero ki roto i tēnei Whare, ki roto i Te Kāwanatanga nei, hika!

Ēngari anō mō tēnei rangi, ka titiro atu au ki a koutou, pā mai ki runga i te manawa te pōuri, te harikoa, ka kite ā-kanohi i a koutou. Ka hoki ngā mahara ki a rātou mā kua wehe atu, kāre tonu i konei te kite i te hua o ō rātou nā mahi, ka tangi. Nā reira, kai te hiahia au ki te kōrero, hoi anō rā, mehemea ka tangi, hika! Kua pau katoa taku korokoro, whango haere te reo o tēnei nā i te whaiwhai ki aku hoa, tō tāua whanaunga a Ron—Mr Mark.

Ēngari, kai konei mātou, kai konei tātou ki te tutuki i ngā kōrero mō tēnei pānuitanga tuatahi a Rangitāne: “Tini whetū ki te rangi, Rangitāne ki te whenua.” Ka tuku aku whakaaro, ā, ki a Uncle Kuki i tēnei wā. Kāre e kore kāre a Uncle Jim i reira, nē hā? Kai te kāinga, tōna kaha māuiui, ā, ka tuku whakaaro ki taku whāea tōna hoa wahine, ngā rangatira katoa kua mate atu. Ka hoki aku māhara ki a rātau, āe, tēnā koutou ōku pou, ōku rahi.

I tupu ake au i Ōtautahi ēngari, i a au e hoki atu ki te kāinga, ki Te Wairarapa ā 1988, I think, i tīmata ai ēnei kōrero. Kai te pīrangi mātou te haere ki Te Taripiunara! Tekau tau, 20 tau pupū ake te whawhai: “Ē, nō Ngāti Kahungunu mātau!”. “Ē, kai te hē, nō Rangitāne, titiro ki te whakapapa!”. Anā kua rangona au ki ngā kōrero katoa kua whakawhiti nei i roto i te kāinga, haere tonu nei ki ēnei rangi kāre e kore. Ēngari kua tae ki tēnei wā, kei konei au ki te kī atu, kei te tautoko au i a koutou, kai te tautoko au i te whawhai kia tū rangatira te iwi o Rangitāne i runga i te whenua, i runga i te mata o te whenua o Wairarapa, o Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua i reira koutou. Kāre e taea te wāwāhi i te taura whakapapa, ēngari anō mō te taura harakeke, ko te taura whakapapa, ka hono tātau ki a tātau ki te whenua Rangitāne, nā reira, tēnā koutou.

[I acknowledge you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and, at the same time, the House. And so to you, my relations who have arrived here physically, the first time I came into this House to listen to the exchanges on the Treaty, man, I sobbed, my heart sobbed as I sat there listening to accounts about the theft of land, loss of life, the sweat and energy spent over the years to fulfil the hopes and aspirations, man, did I sit down and sob away; the family was not even mine! But to listen to that contribution in this House and from within this Government, heavens above!

But as for this day in particular, when I look at you collectively, remorse and joy touches the heart as I see you face to face. The thoughts go back to those who have passed away and are not here to see the product of their work, and so I grieve. And so I want to speak, but, should I cry, heck. My throat is completely spent, this voice of mine has become hoarse as a consequence of quarrelling with my colleagues and that relative of ours, Ron—Mr Mark.

But we, all of us, are here to complete the contributions for this first reading of Rangitāne: “Like the multitude of stars in the sky, so is Rangitāne upon the land.” I offer my thoughts to Uncle Kuki at this point in time. Without a doubt Uncle Jim is not here, is he? He is at home with his serious ailment, so I think about my auntie, his wife, and all the esteemed ones who have died. My thoughts go back to them and, yes, I acknowledge and salute you, my pillars and my numerous ones.

I grew up in Christchurch, but while I was heading back home to the Wairarapa in 1988, I think, these talks began. We wanted to go to the tribunal. The quarrel “Hey, we are from Ngāti Kahungunu!” welled up 10, 20 years as a consequence. “Hey, that’s wrong, you are from Rangitāne, look at the genealogy!”. And so I heard all the talk exchanged in the home that goes on to these days, without a doubt. But this moment has been reached, and I am here to say that I support you collectively. I endorse the fight for the iwi of Rangitāne to be well off on the land at Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, where you are. The genealogical cord cannot be breached, but as far as the flax cord is concerned, it is the genealogical cord that links us with each other, Rangitāne, to the land, therefore, greetings to you collectively.]

As the multitude of stars are in the sky, so are the people of Rangitāne on the land. I support this bill coming to the House, and long the journey has been to bring it here. Many have passed, but many remain and the struggle continues.

This claim concerns Rangitāne taonga—whenua, yes, but in particular, identity, language, and culture. I could talk a lot about the place of the land from Ōwhanga to Akitio, Mangatainoka—famous for Tui—Whakataki, Rangiwhakaoma, Whareama, Ōtūwairaka, Tunuunu, Ngawī tae noa atu ki Te Ngutu Awa o Awakairangi, koirā te whenua mai i Te Manawatū, te katoa o taua rohe, ēngari, mō te tikanga, mō ngā kōrero whakapapa, mō ngā hononga ki taua whenua, ka tangi.

Kei Te Oreore te pou e kī nei, ā, ko tō tātou tupuna tēnā o Ngāti Kahungunu. Maumahara au ki te wā, kai tērā taha o te ātea te pae e noho ana, me ngā whawhai nui kua puta mai ēngari, kua kite anō au i te māia, i te kaha o te ngākaunui ki te whakapapa, kia mōhio, ko wai au e tū ake nei. Ko wai au e tū ake nei ki runga i tēnei rohe o Wairarapa, o Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua?

I a koutou i haere ki te kura kotahi kē te karanga: nō Ngāti Kahungunu koe. Ēngari, i te raputanga o te hononga whakapapa, hika mā! Ko wai tēnei, Ngāti Hāmua? Ko wai tēnei, Niriaha? Ko wai ēnei tūpuna o tātau? He aha te take kāre mātau i te mōhio? I runga i te ngarohanga o Te Reo Māori, i runga i te tūtuki o te ōhākī o Paora Pōtangaroa, kāre mātau i paku mōhio. Ko wai mātau! He aha ai? Kua ngaro kē Te Reo!

I waiho mā iwi kē atu hei whāngai! Rawe—you know, rawe. Rawe ki a rātou te hara mai ki te āwhina. A Ngāpuhi, ka mihi! Ngāti Porou, ka mihi! Tūhoe, ka mihi ka tika! Ēngari, kāre anō rātau i mōhio ki te katoa ō tātau, me ō tātau mate, o tātau nawe, ō tātau kōrero hōhonu, tupuna. Nā reira, i ngaro te hononga whakapapa, te kōrero e hono ai tātau. Kāre e taea te pēhea. Kai tētahi waka tētahi waewae, kai tērā waka tētahi waewae, tātau, tātau e. Tika! Kai te mōhio koutou ko wai tēnei nā e tū ake kei mua i a koutou.

Ko taku karanga ki ngā uri whakaheke, ki ngā tamariki, mokopuna o te kāinga: me rapua te huarahi hei haere ngātahi tātau katoa. Mā tātau tēnā, mā tātau. Rangitāne mā, Kahungunu mā, koinei ngā taha e rua. Kāre au i te whakahē tētahi i runga i tētahi ēngari, me hāpai, me maumahara i te kōrero, hei paku whakaaro ki te whenua, ki tā te reo tauiwi pea e kī nei, in 1 minute, 20 seconds.

[—Whakataki, Rangiwhakaoma, Whareama, Ōtūwairaka, Tunuunu, Ngawī, including the river mouth of Awakairangi, that is the land from the Manawatū, the whole of that region, but as far as the lore, stories about genealogy, and links to that land are concerned, I grieve over it.

There is a pillar at Te Oreore that says it is our ancestor of Ngāti Kahungunu. I recall the time when the orator’s bench was located on that side of the courtyard, and all the really big disputes that emerged over that, but I have also seen the confidence, intensity, and commitment to genealogy so that I would know who I am, standing here. Who am I, standing on this region of Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua?

In terms of those of you who were going to school, there was really only one call: you were from Ngāti Kahungunu. But upon researching genealogy, good heavens! Who is this, Ngāti Hāmua? Who is this, Niriaha? Who are these ancestors of ours? What is the reason for us not knowing? Because of the loss of the Māori language, and because we stumbled over Paora Pōtangaroa’s deathbed speech, we did not know who we were. Not one bit! Why? We had lost the Māori language!

It was left for other tribes to feed it to us. It was fine—you know, nice. It was good of them to come and help. Ngāpuhi, they are acknowledged! Ngāti Porou, they are commended! Tūhoe, without a doubt, they are thanked! But they did not know everything about us, about our deaths, imperfections, esoteric stories, and those about our ancestors. So the depth of the genealogy and the stories that bind us were lost. Nothing can be done about that. One canoe has a leg and another canoe has another leg of ours, and that is us, indeed. It is true! You know who this is standing before you.

My call to the descendants, to the children and grandchildren of home: find a way that enables us to go together in unison. That is for us to do, no one else. These are indeed the two sides, Rangitāne and Kahungunu. I do not find fault with one above the other, but we must support each other and reminisce the talk as a small consideration to the land in accordance with what is stated here in English, in 1 minute, 20 seconds.]

Wairarapa lands and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua lands are 2,421,543 acres. In the 1840s to 1850s the Crown started to acquire land, but in one year, from June 1853 to January 1854, 1.2 million acres had gone. In the next 10 years, another 400,000-odd acres, and by the turn of the century, another 500,000 acres—84 percent of the whenua was no longer in the hands of our people, and they have less than 1 percent today. It goes right to the heart of the issue. When you are landless, how do you support your whānau? Driven into the pits of poverty, how do we aspire to overcome all of the issues that keep us oppressed? Today is a monumental day to turn the tide.

Ki a koutou ōku whanaunga, ka tuku tēnei pire ki Te Whare. Tautoko mārika mātau Te Pāti Māori, tēnā koutou katoa.

[To you collectively, my kin, I commend this bill to the House. We the Māori Party support it unequivocally, congratulations to you all.]

Tēnā koutou, e Te Whare. I te tuatahi ka mihi au ki a Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Greetings to the House. First of all, I acknowledge Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā, accolades to you all.]

The Green Party supports this bill, and we are looking forward to it going through all its stages quickly and progressing quickly. There has been a lot of talk already from members about the redress and the history. One of the things I am really pleased to see in the bill—just to take a slightly different tack—is the redress, the provision for Rangitāne to have positions on the management of the Manawatū River. I know, it is the Green Party; we are talking about this. Ha, ha! I say: yes, please—more Māoris in the management of our rivers, please. That is a great first step in the protection of our awa.

I am a river kid. This is how we grew up: my dad, when we were living in Ashhurst, would come home from work, and he had this really great Kingswood station wagon. He would pick us up and pick up the soap, and we would be able to ride down to either the Pohangina River on one side of the Manawatū River on the other side of Ashhurst, sitting on the back of the Kingswood doors. You know how you used to be able to put the door of the station wagon down, you could sit on the back of it, and let your little legs dangle over the side. Yes, he would drive slowly down the hill to Pohangina or around to Ashhurst Domain to the Manawatū, and we would swim and wash and just have this fabulous time. We spent summer after summer after summer in those rivers.

So we know that these rivers at times have been devastated. Manawatū was one of the most polluted rivers in our country for a period there, as a result of run-off from farms and from towns, from these constant sources of pollution. But it was also where dad took us eeling. You know, we were down there all the time getting food as well as swimming and having a wash. These were the ways we lived our lives. We were not posh Māori whanau; we were just ordinary working-class Māori living on the land that we belonged to, swimming in the waters that we belonged to, and taking sustenance from both when we needed to. That was just how you did stuff.

But we had no control over what was going on, and now at least one step towards that in this bill is Rangitāne having much more involvement in the protection of those awa—the awa that give us life, the awa that were such a joy for ourselves in the past, and for our kids and grandkids well into the future. It is a small part of the bill. There is a lot of description in the bill about the cost to Rangitāne of the confiscations, of the sales, of the failure to deal with the reserves effectively—all of those things. But there are good things as well that will prove enormously beneficial for Rangitāne themselves and for the wider community and for the environment. So I just wanted to highlight that. There are some great things that are going on with this too.

Finally, I just want to acknowledge Hēnare Kani, who was involved in the negotiations—an absolutely lovely man with a big, big heart, who just puts a huge amount of work into this and also into environmental protection. It is a real passion for him: taking care of our kids and taking care of our environment. Whānau and whenua—that is what it is all about. So, finally, I just want to say congratulations to those who have negotiated to this point. There is a little bit more work to go, but it is the last end of the process and I am looking forward to our participation on the Māori Affairs Committee as we see this bill through. Kia ora koutou katoa.

Tēnā koe, e Te Mana Whakawā. Ka nui te mihi atu ki a koutou o te whānau nō Wairarapa rāua kō Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, kia ora.

[Greetings, Mr Assistant Speaker. I greatly acknowledge you of the family from Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, hello there.]

I want to carry on with the theme that I had started with my previous speech for Rangitāne o Manawatu and I want to acknowledge some key people who, it is said, without their mahi, without their kaha, we would not be here today. I want to acknowledge Uncle Jim Rīmene and Mānahi Paewai. They were the ones who lodged the claim for both iwi. It was their work behind the scenes that has got us got here today. I want to acknowledge Uncle Dubby Power and his wife, Takoto, from Te Hika o Pāpāuma. He supported the process right through to his passing. I want to acknowledge—and I can see the photos of our tūpuna up there in the gallery—my Uncle Kuki Rīmene. Uncle Kuki was a paramount chief for us in Wairarapa. And his wife, Auntie Hoagy. Everyone knew her as “Auntie Hoagy”; some people knew her as Auntie Helen, and some people—my mother knew her as “Auntie Grumpy”. But, anyway, she was lovely, my auntie, and together she supported Uncle Kuki all the way for all his mahi in behind this bill.

I want to turn to the living. I want to acknowledge—again, another formidable Rangitāne wahine too—Mavis Mullins, who has done some amazing work, not just for Rangitāne but Te Āti-Haunui-a-Pāpārangi has also benefited from her expertise within the governance area and her expertise here as an iwi negotiator along with Richard Jones and Jason Kerehi and Tīpene Chrisp from Wairarapa. The four of you have done an amazing job working with, or sometimes against, our Crown negotiator, Rick Barker. But anyway, with all the ups and downs we have managed to get here today, and Rick has also done an amazing job.

I want to acknowledge Mike Kāwana. Mike has been like our kaumātua for Wairarapa. He has stepped up into the breach when our kaumātua have passed away. He is like the person that we look to when we go back to Masterton, who is there to keep our marae and our pae warm. Also to Maria Rīmene, who continues to keep the wheels turning for Wairarapa and Masterton. On the Tamaki nui-ā-Rua side I want to acknowledge the chief executive officer of Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, who is Oriana Paewai. Oriana and I go back many years: from our university days right through to our future. Last night I hosted her and another friend of ours up in Bellamy’s for dinner. We celebrated our birthdays; our birthdays are only a few days apart and so we celebrated that there last night. But I want to acknowledge Oriana because it has been Oriana who has been keeping me up to speed with what has been going on with the negotiation process for Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā settlement bill.

Finally, and most importantly, I want to acknowledge my mother. My mother is sitting up there in the gallery. She is in the front row there. I am not sure which photo you are holding, Mum, but I just want to acknowledge you, Te Arorangi Kate Karaitiana Apanui. She married a Ngāti Porou—my dad. He took her away from Masterton, and kept her away for some years—about 30 or 40 years—and when he passed in 1997, he chose to be buried at Ākura urupā. So he took her away and he brought her back, and on her arrival back at Masterton, Uncle Kuki and Auntie Hoagy grabbed her and said: “You’re going to be part and parcel of this now.”

I want to also acknowledge Sandra Edmonds—my cousin sitting up in that part of the gallery over there. She came along with Mum this morning—and good luck to you for that, Tom, because sometimes Mum can get a bit hard to handle, but no doubt you can handle it. Ha, ha!

Finally, I would like to acknowledge another kuia from Masterton, Hinerau Te Tau, who is also in the gallery up here. Together, her and mum are the oldest kuia from the Wairarapa contingent here and in Masterton.

I now want to turn and thank Rangitāne for hosting us at Mākirikiri Marae recently with the signing of the deed, when I accompanied the Minister. Yes, it was wet, it was windy, but it was warm inside and the day was a great day, no matter what. I figured that the wet was the tears of our tūpuna and the wind was the gentle breeze from our tūpuna as well, blessing the day.

As previous speakers have said, confiscation is dreadful. It is a horrible, horrible thing that our people have suffered over the many years, but, you know, we have kind of turned a corner here. The Minister has said many times, in many of his speeches, that the financial redress is never ever going to be the big bulk of money that people think it is going to be. But, you know, for me, it is never ever about the how much you get; it is actually what you do with it, and I think that $32.5 million is a pretty good start for Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā. I think it is a pretty good start because there are so many things that you can invest in into the future. As a member of the Māori Affairs Committee, I look forward to having this bill come to us. I look forward to hearing all the kōrero that is going to come through all the submissions—might be only one, yet—that we will hear. I do not want to take up any more time of the House, or your time, whānau, so I stand and I proudly support this bill and commend it to the House. Kia ora.

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker, tēnā anō tātou e Te Whare. Tenā hoki koutou ngā manuhiri i tae mai nei ki te tautoko i te pire. Kite atu i a koutou, harakau e mōhio ana noa te nuinga i a koutou ēngari, ngā hunga e mōhio ana au a Koro me tana hoa rangatira a Mavis, nā reira tēnā koutou. Tēnā hoki koutou i hāpaingia i te kaupapa o te pire nei kia whakawhiriwhiringia e tātou i roto i Te Whare Pāremata i te rā nei, nā reira tēnā koutou. Tēnā hoki e te whaea, te tuahine o Joe, ngā mihi hoki ki a koe. Ēngari, aroha ana au ki tō tamāhine e noho ana i tērā taha, ko tana taha tika kei tēnei taha, kia ahatia? Ēngari, ngā mihi hoki ki a koe, e te whaea.

[I thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and greetings to us once again, the House. Salutations also to you who have arrived to support the bill. I see you collectively but do not recognise the majority, but of the ones I do, like Koro and his wife, Mavis, therefore I acknowledge you collectively. Accolades as well to you who endorse the purpose of this bill for us to consider in the House of Parliament today, so well done. Hello to you too, auntie colleague and Joe’s sister, compliments to you as well. But I do feel sorry for your daughter, sitting on that side; her proper place is on this side, so what? But I do empathise with you as well, Auntie.]

I want to first of all congratulate the people of Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā—Wairarapa Tamaki nui-ā-Rua claimants—on bringing their claim to this stage. Although we have some way to go before everything is completed, I think it is worth acknowledging those who have made the effort—and, I am sure, against some strong criticism within their own iwi—to bring forward this settlement.

I also want to reiterate the point that was made by the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations that this settlement will not fully compensate the iwi. It is no different from all other settlements that have been concluded in this House, and, for whatever reason, that is the reality of Treaty claims. I just wanted to have that put on the record, given that there are members of the wider community who are very critical of these settlements. They think that Māori are getting more than what they are entitled to, and yet if they read the history of the claims and the reasons for making those claims, then I am sure their own opinion would change. But then there will be others within the community, and it does not matter how many facts you present them with, they will still have a contrary view. So I support the notion of this bill being referred to a select committee, because it will give the opportunity for members of the iwi, particularly those who might not support the settlement in its present form—it will give the committee the opportunity to hear the background for their dissent, if any, and the rationale for it, and to decide whether or not those concerns can be addressed.

I just want to run over some of the details of the settlement itself. In so doing, I note that in terms of the area of interest this is the second-largest land area, behind that of Ngāi Tahu. It just goes to show the responsibility that those who have carried this bill to this stage—the size of the load that they have had to bear. Just by way of explanation, the area that is covered in this settlement extends from the north of Dannevirke to Mākaramu, near Porangahau, down to Turakirae, which is Cape Palliser, and it encompasses the wider Wairarapa and Tamaki nui-ā-Rua regions. That in itself gives you an indication of the land mass that this iwi is, certainly, responsible for.

The settlement summary describes a series of land transactions, including public work takings, by which Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā, who had initially encouraged European settlement and enjoyed considerable benefits from rents and trade, became virtually landless. Today approximately 2 percent of the region is owned under a Māori land title. The settlement includes the vesting of eight sites in Rangitāne and, under other arrangements, the vesting of another five sites, one of which, Pūkaha, or Mount Bruce, is to be gifted back to the Crown. Again, I want to remind the wider public of New Zealand that this is just a mere example of the generosity of iwi claimants to our community. The settlement also includes the establishment of and provisions for participation in the Manawatū River catchment advisory board and the Wairarapa Moana statutory board.

I just want to extend the comments made by the member for the Green Party, Metiria Turei, in terms of Māori contribution to our environment. I have no doubt that, as part of this settlement, the contribution of the iwi to the care of the Manawatū River and any of its tributaries will certainly be an asset to the wider community.

The financial redress is not too bad, but it could have been better, although it includes interest less any on-account payments and commercial redress values. I will not go into detail as to what those on-account payments were, but suffice to say they were included in the overall quantum to meet the financial redress under this claim.

There was also a right to purchase some Ngaumu forest land and some commercial sites in the Treaty settlement land bank, and right of first refusal over some properties for 174 years. I know that there has been some discussion about that length of time, particularly within the Māori Affairs Committee. I am sure that if we as Māori continue our oral tradition, then you can rest assured that the Māori partner in this Treaty settlement will certainly not forget this commitment, even after 174 years. It is important that it becomes a topic of discussion within iwi circles, but it would certainly be helpful if the wider community also kept a record of that commitment.

Like all other iwi, there have been trials and tribulations that the negotiators have had to endure in negotiating this settlement. I am sure that both parties know that it could have been more. They would have liked to increase the value, the quantum, of the settlement, but for various reasons have not been able to do so. In that respect, we have to acknowledge the generosity of the iwi in accepting the terms that have been offered them.

I commend the bill to this House. Kia ora.

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, rau rangatira mā, tēnā koutou, tēna koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Ngā uri o Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā (Wairarapa, Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua), ngā hapū Ngāti Hāmua, Ngāti Te Rangi Whakaingoa, Ngāti Mutuahi, Ngāti Pakapaka, Ngāti Parakiore, Ngāi Tamahou, Ngāti Te Reitia, Hineteaōrangi, Ngāti Te Noti, Ngāti Te Whātui, Ngāti Tangata Hou, Ngāti Mātangiuru, Ngāti Te Hina o Ngāti te Hina Ariki, Ngāti Te Koro o Ngā Whenua, Ngāti Te Rangitotohu, Ngāti Ruatōtara, Te Kapuarangi, Ngāti Matutapu, Ngāti Whakawehe, Ngāti Taimahu, Ngāti Tūpoko, Ngāti Te Atawhai, Ngāti Te Whakamana, Ngāti Mīroiti, Ngāti Hinetauira, Ngāti Tauiao, Ngāti Moe, Ngāi Tahu o Ngāi Tahu Mākakanui, Te Hika o Papauma, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[To the authorities, languages, and esteemed ones of a hundredfold, acknowledgments, accolades, and salutations to you collectively and to us all. To you, the relatives of Rāngitāne Tū Mai Rā (of Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua) and the hapū Ngāti Hāmua, Ngāti Te Rangi Whakaingoa, Ngāti Mutuahi, Ngāti Pakapaka, Ngāti Parakiore, Ngāi Tamahou, Ngāti Te Reitia, Hineteaorangi, Ngāti Te Noti, Ngāti Te Whātui, Ngāti Tangata Hou, Ngāti Mātangiuru, Ngāti Te Hina o Ngāti Te Hina Ariki, Ngāti Te Koro o Ngā Whenua, Ngāti Te Rangitotohu, Ngāti Ruatōtara, Te Kapuarangi, Ngāti Matutapu, Ngāti Whakawehe, Ngāti Taimahu, Ngāti Tūpoko, Ngāti Te Atawhai, Ngāti Te Whakamana, Ngāti Mīroiti, Ngāti Hinetauira, Ngāti Tauiao, Ngāti Moe, Ngāi Tahu o Ngāi Tahu Mākakanui, Te Hika o Papauna, acknowledgments, accolades, and salutations to you collectively and to us all.]

I would also like to acknowledge the origins of this Treaty settlement. When we think about the 1975 Treaty of Waitangi Act and the 1985 amendment Act that enabled us then to go back to 1840, there are some Wai claimants that I would also like to acknowledge. Those people are: Wai 166, Mānahi Paewai on behalf of Rangitāne o Tāmaki-nui-ā-Rua Incorporated Society; Wai 171, Hēnare Matua Kani on behalf of descendants of Hēnare Matua; Wai 175, James Rīmene and Pirinihia Te Tau on behalf of Rangitāne o Wairarapa Incorporated Society; Wai 943, Lance Tuiārangi Rātima on behalf of the descendants of Horomona Rātima; Wai 1008, Kerylee Jan Ānaru on behalf of the descendants of Pāhia Ānaru; Wai 1634, Hepa Tātere, Mānahi Paewai, and Lui Paewai; and Wai 1950 under the name of Jocelyn Pattison. I acknowledge these people because they started this process so many years ago.

In addition to these Wai claimants, we also have some overlapping claims that relate to Rangitāne o Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Tāmaki-nui-ā-Rua, and they are Wai 97, Wai 161, Wai 420, Wai 657, Wai 741, Wai 770, Wai 1568, Wai 1928, Wai 2211, Wai 2213, Wai 2225, Wai 2241, and Wai 2269. The whānau have, through these Wai claims, created an opportunity to negotiate with the Crown. This bill gives effect to the deed of settlement signed on 6 August 2016 in which the Crown and Rangitāne o Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Tamaki-nui-ā-Rua agreed to the final settlement of the historic Treaty of Waitangi claims. So today is an incredibly special day.

I would like to acknowledge all the whānau here in the House and all the whānau that are not here. I know at times like these we remember the past, as we always focus on the future, and there will be people who are not here anymore. I have probably made a few people cry, because I feel like crying myself as we remember our tūpuna who fought so hard and so long for this day.

In preparing for today, I got a piece of research, and I want to refer to an extract of a letter that Judge Wainwright wrote about the Wairarapa ki Tararua report. She wrote this to the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, and these were the key points from her perspective: that this is a historically complex and difficult relationship between Ngāti Kahungunu and Rangitāne, that the severe loss of Te Reo Māori in the district needed to be highlighted, that there was vulnerability of many important Māori heritage sites, that it was important to recognise Māori rights in and around the Wairarapa Moana, that the rapid pace at which the Crown purchased the significant tracks of Māori land left the claimants landless, and the ongoing struggles the claimants have in terms of being able to meaningfully engage in, and to have any influence on, what goes on in their rohe.

I would also like to highlight that the issue of becoming virtually landless meant that we could not maintain our tradition. We could not live communally. As a result of that, we lost our traditional homes, our customary knowledge, and our language.

What I want to highlight about this bill that is before us today is that if you read through it, it is intermixed with Te Reo Māori and te reo Pākehā—English. I am not sure whether the whānau have seen it, but all throughout the bill you have the Māori text and then you have the Pākehā text. So I want to acknowledge that this is a bilingual bill, and it really is quite significant in terms of the prioritisation, I think, of Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā that impacts on our cultural identity. So having a piece of legislation that is both in Te Reo and in Pākehā, I think, is incredibly important, and it is an incredibly symbolic sign in terms of how you see yourselves going forward. Would it not be wonderful if we could all read this in Te Reo and in English? Maybe that is the aspiration for the future that we can have texts like this in our schools and our babies, our tamariki, can read it.

I have not really got much more to add other than that this piece of legislation is universally supported across the House. I hope, Minister Finlayson, that we can have another expedited session where we can have some second readings, Committee stages, and third readings. I do think that it is really important, the work that you are doing. I do want to acknowledge you, because the leadership that you have shown in prioritising these bills is something that I think not only the iwi appreciate but we appreciate too. So we stand with you 100 percent in the full resolution of all our Treaty grievances. So, nō reira, safe travels home, whānau. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

I seek the leave of the House that once the speeches are completed for the Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā (Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua) Claims Settlement Bill and the waiata is sung, we adjourn the House.

The question is that at the completion of the voting on this bill and the associated waiata, the House rises. Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none.

Rangitāne, tēnā rā koutou. Tēnā rā koutou, nau mai, haere mai ki roto i tēnei Te Whare o Te Motu, ā, hari koa ana mātou ki te kite i a koutou kei raro i te tuanui, nā reira, nau mai, haere mai, whakatau mai.

E Mānahi, tēnei hau mihi atu ana ki a koe. Mahara ake ahau te tāima i kawe atu ahau i tōku kaihana, a Nathan Davis, ki waenganui i a koutou hei pirihimana mō te tāone o Dannevirke. Ā, horekau i te mōhio mehemea he pirihimana pai, koretake rānei, mehemea kei te ora tonu, kua kaingatia e koutou rānei ēngari, kua pai taku taenga atu ki waenganui i a koutou, nā reira, tēnā rā koe, e Mānahi.

[Greetings to you, Rangitāne. Acknowledgments to you collectively, welcome, come hither into this House of the nation; we are pleased to see you under the roof, so welcome, come hither, pay homage.

Mānahi, this is a privilege for me to extend a welcome to you. I recall the time when I brought a cousin of mine, Nathan Davis, to be a policeman amongst you for the town of Dannevirke. I am unsure whether he was a good or useless one, or whether he is still alive or you ate him, but it was good to be among you, therefore I acknowledge you, Mānahi.]

I would just like to acknowledge Rangitāne for being here today in the House of the people, and I would just like to acknowledge Mānahi Paewai up there. When I got booted out of Parliament in 2011 and had a bit of spare time on my hands, my cousin Nathan Davis was appointed the police sergeant, I think, in Dannevirke. So I, with others of the whānau, went down and had the pleasure of being hosted by Rangitāne in Dannevirke, and, as I said, I would not know whether he was a good cop or a bad cop, or whether he is still alive, or whether they ate him! But so be it; he is your guys’ problem now.

I just want to go over a bit of the history of the claim. I see that in 2004 things really started around the Waitangi Tribunal. There was a series of meetings and a report was written. In March of 2004 this process kicked off, and now we are in 2016. We have to acknowledge the length of time that it took to get to this stage now when Rangitāne are almost at the finishing line. I would just like you all to consider this—and I appreciate that this process has probably worn you out, and there are people who have started the journey and are not here to finish the journey. But just in those evenings when you are exhausted and tired, and thinking “We’re almost at the end of the process.”, just to lift your spirits, all you need to say is “Thank God, we’re not Ngāpuhi.” Our journey has been just as long and difficult and fraught—

💬 Grant Robertson: And you’re not even at the start line.

And we are not even at the starting line. We are about 2 inches from the starting line. We have been running the race for 8 years, and we are just 2 inches from the starting line, but we could be putting the car into reverse and going backwards if things do not work out in the next 24 hours or so, Minister Finlayson.

What a different place New Zealand was in 2004. Helen Clark was the Prime Minister, the English were the Rugby World Cup champions, and I had dark hair.

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): And you were skinny.

And I was skinny. Ha, ha! I thought the Assistant Speaker was not allowed to be brought into the debate, but he could not help himself there.

Everyone has traversed—I will not say transgressed, as Nathan Guy said yesterday—the issues around Rangitāne’s settlement. Reading through the bill, what strikes me again—and it strikes me in just about every bill—is the significant land loss that occurred. When I say “significant”, it was the Mangatainoka Block in particular, not because of the landmark there that I see when I drive past Mangatainoka, but because at Mangatainoka there were significant land holdings—over 60,000 acres. “[T]he Crown applied pressure to purchase this land even though recognised leaders of Rangitāne opposed sale. By 1890,”—sorry, between 1877 and 1890—“the Crown had acquired over 85 percent of the Mangatainoka Block. Today, less than 1 percent of the original block remains in Māori land title.”

We should never ever underestimate the impact—the cultural impact, the economic impact, the impact in just about every facet of the people’s lives—that landlessness has had on them. It has happened all around New Zealand. Again, that is why these settlements are so significant and why they are so important. We need to start turning that around and reversing those impacts. Again, any quantum is just going to be a fraction of what is owed. It is going to be only a fraction of what is lost, and we need to keep that in the forefront of our minds, because again there will be people out there in the country saying: “Oh, look at what all these Māoris are getting. They’ve got their hands out and they’re going to get all these millions of dollars, and it’s all a waste of money.” We have got to stop focusing on what has been returned; we have got to look at how much was lost and keep that in perspective. It is so important.

Rangitāne back in the day, around the mid-1840s, “enjoyed considerable benefits from the annual rents and trade with the new arrivals, who leased large areas of land. The Crown applied pressure on Wairarapa Māori to end the leases and instead sell their land …”. So here they were: they had leases, they were leasing out the land, they were basically being businessmen and entrepreneurs, and doing what people do in a strong economy, but through the pressure of the Crown that all went. Between 1853 and 1854 “the Crown acquired about 1.5 million acres of land”.

Earlier today I was talking about how much land Taranaki lost—1.2 million acres. I said in the earlier debate that in 1.2 million acres, if we just divided that into quarter acre sections, there would be enough quarter acre sections to have a house for every man, woman, and child in New Zealand. Yet Rangitāne lost more than Taranaki—1.5 million acres. So just today we have been talking about close to 3 million acres of Māori land that has been confiscated or removed from Māori possession. Imagine what Māori could be achieving if we had those 3 million acres now in our possession. That 1.5 million acres was 60 percent of all Rangitāne land. We need to let these figures sink in and just realise and appreciate the enormity of the loss for Rangitāne.

I would again just like to acknowledge the people in the gallery and all the other tribes that have been here today. The hope is that all of these bills move through the House quickly, so that the people can get on with actually creating the success that we should have had over the last 170-odd years. Might I say that I will get down on my hands and knees tonight and pray that my whanaunga up in Ngāpuhi do the right thing, follow the lead that the tribes have given today, and just get on with the process of settling their claims and being successful Māori, taking care and taking charge of our own destinies. Nā reira, tātou mā huri rauna i Te Whare, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[And so, to all of us throughout the House, accolades and congratulations to you collectively and to us all.]

There is an advantage in being the last speaker in the House, because one has heard much of the story. So I do not want to repeat much of what was said, but I will repeat some stuff. First of all I would like to acknowledge the people of Rangitāne, particularly these people who have arrived today. I note the photographs of those who have passed, those who started the process who are not able to be here. I acknowledge you here today.

I would also like to acknowledge the people of the Mākirikiri Marae. Minister Finlayson mentioned the auspicious occasion when we were on the marae and signed the agreement. I was extremely honoured to be a witness to the Minister’s signature, and I really appreciated your invitation, your hospitality, and your heartfelt involvement in, and commitment to, the process. I could see at that marae, on the day, as some have already said, the relief that came off your shoulders when the signatures were inevitably signed.

Being one of the last speakers gives me an opportunity to correct a few things that have been said in the House. Katy Apanui, mother of Jo Hayes, you have done a fantastic job. No matter what Pita Paraone says about being on the right side and the wrong side of the House, I say she is definitely on the right side of the House. So thank you for bringing up such a fantastic lady. She does a great job on this side of the House. Congratulations. You should be proud of your daughter.

Some of the history has been laid out very eloquently by the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. Kelvin Davis has given a little more of the history. But at the end of the day these people were ripped off. That is the bottom line. They were ripped off. When people ask what we are doing, giving Māori more money—“They’ve got their hand out. They’ve always got their bloody hand out.”—I say: “Well, come on. Think about the story. Think about the history.” Think about the reality. Think about the facts behind this settlement that we are talking about today, and other settlements that we have talked about today. Think about what would happen if your mother, your grandmother, your great-grandmother—think about your great-grandmother. Let us just say she is in a rest home right now, and someone stole everything that she had. Someone stole everything—everything—not just a little bit, not just half, but everything. That is what happened for these people when they became virtually landless. The properties that they had, 3 million - odd acres, with 1½ million acres disappearing in one hit—these people were ripped off. They became landless. They had nothing.

It is amazing, the generosity and the spirit that I have witnessed on the Mākirikiri Marae, and in other places, from these people. They are demonstrating their generosity, their determination to get through this process, and their graciousness in accepting this settlement. As has been mentioned before, the numbers just do not do any justice to the rip-off that occurred; it is a symbol.

Can I acknowledge the symbolism of Pūkaha Mount Bruce. Part of the settlement involves 900 hectares of a fantastic conservation area, known as Pūkaha Mount Bruce. It is a large piece of land. But it is with huge generosity and sacrifice and graciousness, I would say, that Rangitāne have gifted it back to the Crown, instantly—without thought. That is a very significant contribution, culturally and spiritually, but not economically. The numbers do not matter, the dollars do not count, because more important is the restoration of mana for Rangitāne around Pūkaha Mount Bruce as being their place, their tūrangawaewae, their place where they can rest their feet—to say that this is our place. So that is much more important than dollars and cents.

OK, we have got some money involved. We are going to invest that wisely and sensibly. Can I say that having heard some of the next generation, some of the younger people who were involved on the marae on the day, Rangitāne can only look forward to a very positive future, because the young people who spoke on that day—you should be very proud of those young people. They are committed. They have the same spirit, the same drive, that you and the people before you have demonstrated. People talk about young people being, you know, young and hopeless and wayward and useless—some people. But these people whom I saw on the marae were very proud to be Rangitāne and clearly were very capable and very committed. Those who have passed will of course understand that it is about the future, and I can absolutely suggest and commend your youth, your young people, your rangatahi, who will drive the future of Rangitāne well into the future.

I do not have too much more to say, except that I would like, on behalf of the Wairarapa people, Rangitāne—and Louisa Wall has already acknowledged you, Minister Finlayson, and your contribution to getting this settlement through; your innovative approach.

I know, with Rangitāne and Ngāti Kahungunu, there was a lot of innovation that had to take place to enable these settlements to come to the House. So, again, it is all about thinking outside the box, outside the square. I congratulate Rangitāne on collaborating with Ngāti Kahungunu to ensure that these settlements are before the House and that they will become done and dusted, as they say. Here, in the first reading, it is part of the journey, but we can be confident, as you have heard through the House today, that we will progress quickly and effectively. Be assured that that will be the case. So congratulations on your collaboration with Ngāti Kahungunu. That is very important. It is an honour and a pleasure to be the last speaker in the House to speak on this bill, and I commend it to the House.

Bill read a first time.

Bill referred to the Māori Affairs Committee.

Waiata