Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill

I move, That the Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill.

Te Whare e tū nei, te marae e takoto nei, tēnā koutou, tēnā kōrua. E ngā mate te wā, haere atu rā. Ki a tātou, te hunga ora, tēnā koutou. Ki a koutou hoki, Ngāti Hinerangi, nau mai haere mai, whakatau mai. Nā koutou tēnei rangi, nā reira, rau rangatira mā, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[The House that stands before me, the marae that lies before me, greetings to you all, greetings to you both. To those who have passed on recently, go safely. To us, the living, greetings to us all. To you also, Ngāti Hinerangi, welcome, welcome, be welcome. This is your day, so, to the distinguished masses, greetings, greetings, greetings one and all.]

We are joined in the House today by Ngāti Hinerangi, and I extend the warmest of welcomes to you all and thank you for making this journey to this House, to this place, to witness the first reading of your bill. That you are present today to witness such a momentous occasion reinforces the importance of your settlement to both Ngāti Hinerangi and also to the Crown.

In May this year, I was welcomed on to Te Ōhākī Marae, in the heart of the rohe of Ngāti Hinerangi, to sign the Ngāti Hinerangi deed of settlement. Some four months on from the signing ceremony, I’m very pleased to speak in support of this bill, which, like many others, has been many years in the making. It has been nearly four years since the agreement in principle was signed, and so it is an auspicious occasion that we celebrate today.

To those of you who have worked so hard to make today possible, I offer you my most sincere thanks. The late Matuakore “Mac” Koperu MacMillan and Annie Uruwharangi Marsh, along with other Ngāti Hinerangi kaumātua and kuia, started this journey many years ago. They have all played a part in strengthening the history of Ngāti Hinerangi, and they are in our thoughts today. Moe mai rā.

I’d also like to acknowledge the various members of the Ngāti Hinerangi negotiation team—negotiators, trustees, and others—for their commitment to their people. The negotiations have been long, and I acknowledge the hard work, tenacity, and perseverance of all involved to achieve an enduring settlement for Ngāti Hinerangi.

I want to make special mention of Ngāti Hinerangi’s overlapping interest process. Ngāti Hinerangi engaged in a process that demonstrated, in my view, great leadership and pragmatism. That approach should provide for long-lasting relationships with Ngāti Hinerangi’s neighbouring iwi as Ngāti Hinerangi progress to a post-settlement environment. I’d also like to thank the many people who have worked and contributed to this settlement: the former Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Hon Chris Finlayson; the Crown team, including officials from Te Arawhiti; the Department of Conservation; and other supporting Crown agencies.

In February 2014, the Crown recognised the mandate of the Ngāti Hinerangi Trust to represent Ngāti Hinerangi in negotiating a comprehensive historical Treaty of Waitangi settlement. The trust and the Crown signed terms of negotiation in February 2014. The Crown and Ngāti Hinerangi signed an agreement in principle in December 2015, and the deed of settlement was initialled in December 2018. Following ratification of the deed of settlement by the Ngāti Hinerangi claimant community, the Ngāti Hinerangi deed of settlement was signed on 4 May this year at Te Ōhākī Marae.

I’d like to reflect on some of the interactions with the Crown following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi by representatives of Ngāti Hinerangi in Tauranga in 1840. In the early 1860s, Ngāti Hinerangi became adherents of Kīngitanga. Ngāti Hinerangi joined forced to fight against the Crown in both the Taranaki and Waikato wars. Ngāti Hinerangi were also among the forces that fought against the Crown at Gate Pā. Crown acts of purchasing land, such as in the Te Puna-Katikati block, an area in which Ngāti Hinerangi had interests, were not investigated properly, and Ngāti Hinerangi received no benefits from this sale and were not able to retain parts of this land. Further and sustained acts by the Crown continued to alienate Ngāti Hinerangi land, both within the Tauranga Moana and Waikato areas of Ngāti Hinerangi’s tribal rohe, including significant land loss within Matamata itself. This land loss was the major factor that resulted in the cultural and economic marginalisation of Ngāti Hinerangi.

As a result of the Crown’s acts and omissions, Ngāti Hinerangi became virtually landless, lost their autonomy and connection with their environment, and suffered from severe social and economic deprivation. Through this settlement, the Crown seeks to atone for its past injustices that it has inflicted upon Ngāti Hinerangi and to provide more opportunities for Ngāti Hinerangi and the Crown to move forward.

The settlement package contains an agreed historical account, Crown acknowledgments and apology, cultural redress, and commercial redress. The cultural redress recognises the traditional, historical, cultural, and spiritual association of Ngāti Hinerangi within their core rohe and areas further afield with which Ngāti Hinerangi have associations. The settlement package includes the vesting of 14 sites of significance, including the Wairere Falls property, Te Tuhi East, Te Tuhi West, and the Ōkauia property, to allow Ngāti Hinerangi to re-establish the connections with the various parts of the Ngāti Hinerangi rohe and strengthen the identity of Ngāti Hinerangi.

The cultural redress acknowledges the connection of Ngāti Hinerangi with their rohe through the overlay classification, deeds of recognition, and statutory acknowledgment. These instruments will enhance the ability of Ngāti Hinerangi to participate in specified Resource Management Act processes, and require the Crown to consult with Ngāti Hinerangi and have regard to their views regarding the special associations within certain areas. The cultural redress package also provides for relationship instruments with key Crown agencies, a co-governance arrangement over the Waihou Piako catchments, and a payment of $200,000 for the cultural revitalisation of the Ngāti Hinerangi people, and $20,000 for a marae-rebuild fund.

The commercial redress package includes financial redress of $8.1 million; the transfer of five Crown-owned properties to Ngāti Hinerangi, including the sale and leaseback of Manawaru School—that’s land only—and the Matamata police station—again, land only—and a right of first refusal over 51 other Crown properties and the transfer of part of Waihou forest. The redress provided in the settlement went through significant changes during negotiations and in response to overlapping interests. I believe it will go a long way towards Ngāti Hinerangi re-establishing a connection with various parts of their rohe, strengthening the identity of Ngāti Hinerangi, and providing the foundation for a stronger social, cultural, and economic future for the iwi.

I mentioned at the deed of settlement signing ceremony in May that it’s not possible—never possible—to fully compensate Ngāti Hinerangi for the loss and prejudice they have suffered. I therefore acknowledge their generosity in graciously accepting the redress contained in this settlement package, and trust that today will mark a new beginning in the relations between Ngāti Hinerangi and the Crown. This settlement lays the cultural and economic foundation for Ngāti Hinerangi rangatahi, mokopuna, and future generations. This is reflected in the name chosen for the Ngāti Hinerangi post-settlement governance entity: Te Puāwaitanga o Ngāti Hinerangi Iwi Trust, meaning the blossoming of Ngāti Hinerangi.

Through this settlement, the Crown hopes to restore its honour and alleviate Ngāti Hinerangi’s acute sense of grievance. The Crown looks forward to building a new relationship with Ngāti Hinerangi based on cooperation, mutual trust, and respect for Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles. So thank you again to Ngāti Hinerangi for your unwavering commitment to achieve this settlement. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. I commend this bill to the House.

Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā. Tihei mauri ora! Te Whare e tū nei, tēnā koe. Te papa e takoto nei, tēnā koe. Ngā mate, haere, haere, haere. Ngā reo, ngā mana, tēnā koutou katoa. Kei te kōrero ahau mō te pānuitanga tuatahi o Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill.

[Greetings, Madam Speaker. I stand. To the House that stands before me, greetings. The ground that lies before me, greetings. Those who have passed, go, go, go. To the spokespeople, the authorities, greetings one and all. I am speaking about the first reading of the Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill.]

I really liked the Stuff heading of 25 May 2019, reporting on the day that Ngāti Hinerangi and the Crown signed the deed of settlement that will be implemented through this legislation today. The headline read “An iwi blossoms – Ngāti Hinerangi take back their mana after signing a Deed of Settlement”.

Today, we celebrate the first reading of that claims settlement bill, for an iwi that was nearly forgotten. If it wasn’t for kaumātua Rawiri Thompson, who was one of the few who knew that Ngāti Hinerangi wasn’t merely a hapū of Ngāti Raukawa but an iwi in its own right, we wouldn’t be here in the House today discussing and debating this legislation. I think it was just in time: another generation down the line and the iwi may have been lost for ever.

The rebirth of Ngāti Hinerangi began in 2004. Through research, the Māori Land Court proved the existence of the iwi. The Ngāti Hinerangi Trust began negotiations towards this Treaty settlement in 2014. The agreement in principle was signed in 2015 by the then Minister of Treaty settlements, the Hon Chris Finlayson, and this is the final step.

If we go back to pre-European times, the people of Ngāti Hinerangi were a strong iwi inhabiting land all the way from the eastern Waikato to Tauranga, including part of the Kaimai Range. But when Rawiri Thompson was a boy, they were landless, reduced to owning only the marae in Matamata and a few houses on Douglas Road. How did that happen?

Back in 1840, rangatira proudly affiliated with Ngāti Hinerangi signed the Treaty of Waitangi when it was taken to Tauranga. But in the early 1860s, Ngāti Hinerangi, in an attempt to slow down land sales and to gain political influence, joined the Kīngitanga movement and, when war broke out in Taranaki, joined the Kīngitanga forces in opposing the Crown. Their warriors also opposed the Crown during the Waikato War. In April 1864, Ngāti Hinerangi was among the forces of the Tauranga Māori who defeated—defeated—Crown troops at the Battle of Pukehinahina at Gate Pā. That was a significant victory—a significant victory—for less than 250 Māori warriors defending Gate Pā, and it was a crushing defeat for the nearly 2,000 of His Majesty’s finest and well-equipped soldiers and sailors. And, in fact, today it is still considered the most devastating battle for the British military during the New Zealand Wars. But, unfortunately, it was swiftly followed by the Battle of Te Ranga, which ended in defeat for Tauranga Māori, including Ngāti Hinerangi.

Multiple land confiscations followed, with increasing violence over land surveys, and in 1867 the Crown mounted a scorched earth campaign against several Māori villages. Even the Native Land Court conspired against the iwi, and Ngāti Hinerangi were alienated from their land. They became virtually landless. Over the course of the 20th century, that loss resulted in social, cultural, and economic marginalisation of the iwi.

Today, in this bill, the Crown unreservedly apologises to Ngāti Hinerangi for failing to uphold its obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi, and the resulting damage that was done to the iwi. The bill provides for cultural redress to recognise the traditional, historical, cultural, and spiritual associations of Ngāti Hinerangi with sites owned by the Crown, and provides for the vesting of 14 cultural redress sites, including part of the Wairere Falls, which, of course, is a sacred awa to Ngāti Hinerangi. It also allows for co-governance of the Waihou and Piako river catchments and total financial redress of $8.1 million. There’s also a cultural revitalisation payment of $200,000 and a marae rebuild payment of $20,000, but, of course, nothing will fully recompense Ngāti Hinerangi for the loss, for the hurt, and for the terrible consequences of the events of the late 19th century and the 20th century.

This legislation today provides for a new beginning—an opportunity for the descendants of Ngāti Hinerangi to start to re-establish their iwi, and, as Dianna Vaimoso says, “It means that Ngāti Hinerangi can hold its head high and be proud of what it’s accomplished.” Ngāti Hinerangi can now build a sustainable future for the iwi for this generation and for those that follow it. Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei—for you and your children after you.

With the signing of this Treaty settlement, the name changes to Te Puāwaitanga Ngāti Hinerangi. Puāwai means “to blossom”. Today is a giant step forward towards the blossoming of today’s Ngāti Hinerangi. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Kia ora.

Tēnā koe e Te Māngai o Te Whare. Ngāti Hinerangi, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ngā uri o te tupuna, Koperu. Nau mai, nau mai, whakatau mai. Whakatau mai ki Te Whare Pāremata e takatū nei.

Tēnā koutou i ō tātou mate maha. Ngā mate huhua o te wā. Haere, haere, haere koutou, e okioki.

Hoki mai ki a tātou te kanohi ora. Tēnā koutou. Nō koutou tēnei rā nui, whakahirahira. He hōnore nui tēnei māku ki te tū ki te tautoko tēnei pire i tana pānuitanga tuatahi. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, ōku rangatira. Huri rauna, ngā rangatira o tō tātou Whare, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Greetings, Madam Speaker. Ngāti Hinerangi, greetings to you all. Greetings to the descendants of the ancestor Koperu. Welcome, welcome, be welcome. Welcome to Parliament that stands before me.

I acknowledge those who have passed on. To the many who have passed on in recent times, rest, rest, rest in peace.

Returning to us, the living, greetings. This is a most important day, your important day. It is an honour for me to stand in support of this bill and its first reading. Therefore, greetings, my distinguished masses throughout our House. Greetings, greetings, greetings.]

It’s a wonderful day today—a wonderful day for Ngāti Hinerangi. I want to acknowledge our manuhiri that have travelled—I would imagine many from the Bay of Plenty, Matamata, around the beautiful Kaimai Range, Tauranga Moana—and all that have travelled to celebrate this wonderful occasion. As we’ve heard in previous speeches, this is a day of blossoming. It’s a day of the re-emergence of an iwi reclaiming identity and restoration of mana. All of those things are embodied in this bill and the deed of settlement which was signed, and I am truly honoured to be able to speak in support of this bill. Can I acknowledge, in addition to Ngāti Hinerangi, the work on the part of the Crown and Minister Little and his officials and everyone that has been involved with this Treaty settlement.

At times like this, I’m looking over to the plaque that we unveiled just last week, the plaque to commemorate the New Zealand Wars, and Ngāti Hinerangi were right in the midst of those wars—right in the midst of them. And it’s very appropriate that we acknowledge through the presentation of that plaque all of the losses that were sustained in those New Zealand Wars and, in particular, for Ngāti Hinerangi, as we’ve heard in previous speeches—and I’d like to acknowledge the Hon Nicky Wagner. It was a tremendous decade, the 1860s, for our country. It certainly was a very dark time. Wars were raging and the chiefs of the tribes were left with very hard decisions that they had to make. There was an insatiable appetite from the settler colonial Government of the time for land, and, obviously, with the conflict that erupted from that, Ngāti Hinerangi were right in the midst of this—right in the midst.

I want to acknowledge their chiefs and their tūpuna, who bravely made the decisions, firstly, to sign the Treaty of Waitangi and then also, when those New Zealand Wars broke out, to lead gallantly their people into those conflicts that we’ve heard of—famous names, which I’m sure will be taught up and down the country in our schools very shortly, like Pukehinahina, Gate Pā, and Te Ranga, and many other battles that took place in Tauranga where Ngāti Hinerangi and their tūpuna fought bravely and gallantly and made a huge sacrifice, and that sacrifice was felt very severely through the confiscations of lands that took place under the passage of legislation passed in this very House.

Ngāti Hinerangi suffered greatly, suffered greatly the loss of lands, the loss of identity, the loss of those connections. This wonderful iwi had to disperse, in a way. They intermarried with a lot of their cuzzies, neighbours, neighbouring iwi, and they were unable to have that hub, that base, to be centred on their ancestral lands because those lands were all gone; they were all confiscated. Barely fragments remained, and so it’s very significant that we are passing this bill that recognises the hurt, the loss, and the historical record which is contained in the deed and the bill.

I’m only giving just a very quick summary, but, indeed, there has been a tremendous loss which has been passed on to these people of Ngāti Hinerangi. I’m so pleased that we as a country have the Treaty settlement process. It’s very important—some 30-plus years now of Treaty settlements. I’m very proud that it was instigated by a Labour Government, through the original Waitangi Tribunal and then the jurisdiction of that, the inquiry into the historical grievances, and then a mechanism by which those could be settled. So many years have passed, and it’s really important that we as a nation not only confront these issues but record them in these deeds and provide some means of recapitalisation for the loss that has been sustained by the iwi. Also, we want to promote harmonious relations into the future between the Crown and iwi.

So this is a very significant occasion for Ngāti Hinerangi. I’m very proud as the chair of the Māori Affairs Committee. I’m looking forward, hopefully, for us as a committee travelling up to the heart of Te Rohe o Koperu. We will go right up there, wherever that may be. We are looking forward to travelling up to Matamata, or right into the heart of the Bay of Plenty, to hear from the whānau, to hear the submitters on this very bill. So this is a historic occasion.

Can I just pay tribute to a distinguished kaumātua, Matuakore “Mac” Koperu—what a fantastic name that Koperu is. It’s what we would say is a heavy metal name. There’s plenty of mana in that name, Koperu. So Matua Mac Koperu knew as a child that he was Ngāti Hinerangi, and he maintained his identity, his connection, his whakapapa. He knew all of that, and he ensured that he was able to pass that on to the whānau, to continue the detailed work that was required to ensure that Ngāti Hinerangi was, indeed, recognised and can re-emerge as an iwi. And I know that Matua Mac Koperu is highly regarded—this day, in particular. So I want to acknowledge Matua Mac. I want to acknowledge all of the Ngāti Hinerangi, who have waited a long time, and I want to congratulate them on the work that has been done, because Treaty settlements are not easy. It takes years and years of hard work, of meticulous research, of negotiations, of huis, of so many different phases that every iwi has to, basically, jump through all the hoops, to ultimately achieve a signed deed, and then, likewise, follow through with a passage of legislation through the House.

So there’s a tremendous amount of work that’s gone on, and I want to acknowledge Ngāti Hinerangi for their courage and fortitude in pushing this through and ensuring that we can honour Matua Mac and all of the tūpuna who dreamt of this day. It certainly is a privilege to be here to tautoko and to mihi to Ngāti Hinerangi. I wholeheartedly support this bill.

Nō reira, rau rangatira mā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Therefore, to the distinguished masses, thank you, thank you, thank you, one and all.]

It’s a pleasure to speak on the Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill; nau mai, haere mai. I’m a permanent member of the Māori Affairs Committee, and we’ve heard from our chair over there, Rino Tirikatene—a huge man with a great lot of respect, and a friend of mine. He does a great job, and we have an enjoyable time on the select committee, the Māori Affairs Committee, because we’re part of this process, and I look forward to travelling up to the rohe as part of our work at select committee.

So this bill gives effect to the deed of settlement signed between the Crown and Ngāti Hinerangi. It’s the full and final Treaty claims settlement from acts or omissions from the Crown from prior to 21 September 1992. Now, a lot of the speakers have said what I’m going to say, but I’ll say it again. I know that Ngāti Hinerangi are an iwi based in Matamata, but their rohe extends from eastern Waikato through to Tauranga, including parts of the Kaimai Ranges, which is a truly beautiful part of New Zealand, second only to Northland, my patch—just a little bit biased there.

In 2014, the Crown recognised the mandate of the Ngāti Hinerangi Trust. In December 2015, there was agreement in principle which was signed which formed the basis of the settlement. On 14 December 2018, the deed of settlement was initialled, and in May of this year—4 May—the deed of settlement was signed. This recognises the wrongs of the past and attempts to strengthen the relationship between the Crown and iwi. These sorts of settlements help unlock the economic potential and boost regional and provincial areas, and this process was begun under the Hon Chris Finlayson. Many, many settlements were begun under that Minister, Chris Finlayson, so he’s done some really great work and we’re really proud of the work that he’s done. He’s a loss to our side, and no doubt he’ll be doing work in other areas, but he did some great work—some great work.

In this bill, the Crown unreservedly apologises to the hapū and whānau of the Ngāti Hinerangi for failing to uphold the obligations of the Treaty of Waitangi. These claims relate to conflict with the Crown in Tauranga and the Crown’s acts of land purchase, which left the iwi virtually landless, including confiscation between 1865 and 1868 of 290,000 acres of land in Tauranga. Some was returned, but the process was flawed, and this contributed to economic and social marginalisation of the iwi. It’s simply not possible to fully compensate Ngāti Hinerangi for the loss and prejudice they suffer—simply not possible—but this settlement will forge a new relationship between the Crown and Ngāti Hinerangi and be a real positive catalyst for change.

Now, the settlement includes an agreed historical account, which is important, Crown acknowledgments, an apology, cultural redress, financial redress of $8.1 million, a cultural revitalisation payment of $200,000, a marae rebuild of $20,000—like I said, we can’t fully compensate for the loss, but it’s a good gesture, I think—co-governance arrangements with the upper Waihou and Piako river catchments, and vesting of 14 cultural redress properties, which includes Wairere Falls Scenic Reserve, which I know Ngāti Hinerangi consider a sacred awa. The benefits of this settlement will be available to all Ngāti Hinerangi, wherever they may live.

Under a National-led Government, we made great progress in completing final and durable settlements of Treaty of Waitangi claims. As a result of our focus on historical Treaty settlements, which this Government continues, New Zealand has completed settlements for the majority of the country. The sooner that we settle Treaty of Waitangi claims, the sooner iwi, and indeed all New Zealanders, will see the benefits these settlements bring to the country. We had 56 settlements in principle and 58 deeds of settlement signed between 2009 and 2017. We also set up the Post Settlement Commitments Unit to safeguard the durability of settlements and recognise the full potential of Crown-iwi relationships. We are very proud of our record in this area.

Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. I commend this bill to the House.

Ko Kahukura kei te rangi. Tāwhana kau ana mai i ngā pae maunga i Kaimai tatū noa ki ngā pārae nui. Tae āwhio ana ko ngā awa e rere, ko Piako, ko Waihau, Huihuia ki Te Moana, te tūtakitanga o ngā tai ki roto i te rohe ka puta atu ki Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.

Māturuturu ngā roimata mai ngā marae ki uta, tutuku noa ki te tai.

Ko Ngāti Hinerangi, nau mai, haere mai te kanohi morehu, te kanohi e hia noa atu te roa kei te ātārangi o ētahi kē atu e piri ana. Te kanohi mō te hia rā nei roa kei te rehurehu e rapuhia ana i tēnei rā ko tō koutou ingoa, ō koutou tūpuna, tō koutou rohe e whakapuakina ana ki roto i Te Whare Pāremata, nā reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Kahukura to the sky. The mountain ranges of the Kaimai stand tall and extend to the vast countryside. Looking around, you will see the rivers that flow, Piako, Waihau, Huihuia to the sea, the meeting of the tides, and the opening to the Pacific Ocean.

Our tear drops flow for those who have passed—on the land and out to sea.

Ngāti Hinerangi, welcome, welcome the descendants, the familiar faces of the multitudes who have lived in the shadows alongside one another for the longest of time; the familiar faces of the multitudes who have struggled and who have searched for your name, your ancestors, your land, all of which is being acknowledged here in Parliament; therefore, thank you, thank you, thank you all.]

I’ve said in our Māori language that this is not only a historic day for the people that belong to Ngāti Hinerangi but the fulfilment of a journey. As colonisation displaced historic Māori tribal groupings, many are the kin groups that have disappeared into the mists of history, assimilated by different tribal names. This tribe, Ngāti Hinerangi, are here to affirm, number one, they are a legitimate identity in that part of the Māori landscape, and, number two, they have rights, they have interests, and they have mana. We today in Parliament, in the highest court of the land, accord them our respect by binding together to pass legislation that acknowledges that despite the processes of colonialism, the various wars, and the ebb and flow of economic forces in that part of New Zealand, they have found the tenacity and they have the spirit within them to continue to perpetuate their own identity.

When the Prince of Wales, in the 1920s, came to Rotorua, my mother’s tribe were not recognised as a tribe as such. Their name was Ngāti Kahu, from the Doubtless Bay area—unfortunately for me, where my relations won’t let Captain Cook’s Endeavour replica waka arrive, but I’ll have more to say about that when I get back up home on the weekend. Ngāti Kahu’s leadership stood before the various tribes who had assembled in Te Arawa to greet this figure of British royalty, and they asserted that they were a distinct, definable tribe.

This wasn’t a question purely of economic importance; it was something of the spirit. Fortunately for the quality of leadership that prevailed at that particular point in time in Ngāti Kahu, they now sit with pride alongside the other tribes of the North. So no more will Ngāti Hinerangi be regarded as a fragment in someone else’s house.

This actually is important not only for generally educating us parliamentarians but for the next generation. Of course, a number of us who have frequented that part of Aotearoa know these marae. A number of us have put on weight going with our Rātana relations to the Omeka Pā. No one ever goes skinny from that pā home. But this is an area of contrast. We have in the rohe an example of modern storytelling in the forms of Hobbiton, which is in the broad area where our visitors to Parliament today hail from. We have to believe that by re-establishing, with some pūtea, reconnecting Ngāti Hinerangi with certain sites of historical significance, and, basically, affirming the worth of their journey, they can enjoy new opportunities in that part of Aotearoa.

Soon we will be looking at what will comprise the context of New Zealand history. Naturally, I expect to see my Tararā history there as well, not only the Ngāpuhi history. But small but telling stories like this one, I only hope—all members of the House, when we have the ability to influence the final shape and character of New Zealand content and curriculum—that they loom large, because in many respects, what we’re doing here today in the overarching size of the economy, which is $300 billion, it’s a modest amount of money. That’s the nature of the pragmatic Treaty of Waitangi settlement process, but it’s important that our words today and the way each of the parties affirm the importance of this legislation also encourages policymakers, political leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure that these stories are told and represent an epitome of what happened to vast areas of Te Ao Māori.

It takes a great deal of courage to assert that you are a distinct tribe. I should know, because I was the chairman of the fisheries commission and had a low level of tolerance for people writing themselves back into the pages of history. But you have to have a certain mana as well, and that is not a mana that can be visited upon any group by Pākehā or Māori politicians in this House; it has to grow from te ūkaipō, and those seeds have to be from Rangiātea. So we salute the group who sustained the journey, who want to celebrate by deed, by song, by speech, by carving, by construction, both material and spiritual, the ongoing existence of their distinctive group called Ngāti Hinerangi.

I’m told that Ngāti Hinerangi also have a group called Ngāti Tawhaki. In the Tai Tokerau, the traditions are not really of the god of the forests, Tāne, but they are of Tawhaki—Tawhaki, who ascended when two cords came down from the heavens as he sought to find the woman who he had shared a child with. The first cord that came down was a red cord, and Tawhaki, being something of a pragmatic chap, sent his friend.

Me kake ki te rangi mā te aho whero.

[Fly high, fly to the sky, follow the red thread that connects us.]

Up goes Tawhaki’s friend on the red cord—I presume that was the Labour cord. Then the next cord—fortunately for my story, there is no blue cord—came. According to the story, we were brought up on te aho mā, and Tawhaki ascended to the heavens and had the unbelievable quality of changing the character of his form. If he struck the wrong sort of people in the journey to find this heavenly maiden of his, he would take on the features of an old man, and then when he struck another group of people, he would take on the features of a young man. I say that because the way in which Ngāti Hinerangi evinces itself through this legislation is a combination of young and old. If you descend from Tawhaki, you are ancient, but the journey that we are assisting through Parliament and this legislation faces new challenges. So we need the wisdom of Tawhaki and the strength and the endurance of the next generation. Tēnā koutou katoa.

I must apologise; I was so wrapped up in the story I forgot to give you the two-minute bell. I call Dan Bidois.

💬 Dan Bidois: Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā—

💬 Hon Shane Jones: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Thank you for noting that. I only hope I have a similar impact on the voters.

Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā. Te Whare e tū nei, tēnā koe. Te papa e tū nei, e takoto nei, tēnā koe. Ngā mate, haere, haere, haere. Ngā reo, ngā mana, tēnā koutou katoa. Ko Dan Bidois tōku ingoa. Ko Tainui te waka. Ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi. Ko Te Kauae te marae. Ko Michael Bidois tōku pāpā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Greetings, Madam Speaker. The House that stands before me, greetings. The ground that stands before me, lies before me, greetings. Those who have passed, go, go, go safely. The spokespeople, the authorities, greetings to you all. My name is Dan Bidois. Tainui is the ancestral canoe. Ngāti Maniapoto is the tribe. Te Kauae is the marae. Michael Bidois is my father. Greetings to you all, greetings one and all.]

It’s a real privilege to be speaking on the Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill in its first reading. I do have a connection to Ngāti Hinerangi: my late grandfather Lawrence Bidois is buried in the hills of the Kaimai Ranges, and he hails from Ngāti Tokotoko. So I’d like to acknowledge everybody who’s come down here from Ngāti Hinerangi. It’s a pleasure to welcome you here in Parliament today.

I grew up in Maniapoto. I didn’t really have a strong connection to Ngāti Hinerangi. My grandfather married a Searancke, and we ended up in Maniapoto. I would have liked to have spent more time in Ngāti Hinerangi, but we didn’t have a marae to go to, so I look forward to visiting Ngāti Hinerangi throughout the course of this bill. My grandfather was a very, very hard man, as stubborn as they come and very, very pig-headed—it’s just lucky that there’s a lot of pigs up in the Kaimai Ranges. Certainly, his Te Reo was good, but that didn’t flow through to my father or myself, so I blame possibly my father for my lack of Te Reo. But the Kaimai Ranges is a fantastic part of New Zealand. It’s a natural border of the waka of Tainui, and it’s a fantastic place to visit. There’s a lot of history, some of which we’ve heard today and some of which we haven’t. There are eight hapū that are signatories to the settlement, and that includes my grandfather’s hapū, Ngāti Tokotoko.

This bill addresses many wrongs of the past and grievances that stem from the Crown’s actions or inactions, where villages were attacked, where land was confiscated, where land was purchased without the consent of Ngāti Hinerangi, and as a consequence the people of Ngāti Hinerangi were alienated from the land, causing a loss of culture and a social and cultural marginalisation.

This bill, and the settlement that this bill gives effect to, goes some way to addressing these grievances. But I’d like to acknowledge that this does not fully encapsulate, and can never fully address, the grievances of the past. In itself, $8.1 million is a tiny sum of the amount that was taken from Ngāti Hinerangi and the people of Ngāti Hinerangi, but it is, I think, symbolic of the desire to acknowledge the grievances of the past and in some way offer some form of compensation. The bill also allows for 14 sites to be given back to the people of Ngāti Hinerangi, an acknowledgment of 10 areas, as well as a level of consultation between the Department of Conservation, and two sites in particular, and the people of Ngāti Hinerangi.

I’d like to acknowledge that the road has not been easy to this point. Of course, the people of Ngāti Hinerangi started this process with the former National Government back in 2014, and I do want to acknowledge that there have been lots of arguments along the way, as is very common in Māoridom. My uncle Rawiri Bidois has, of course, been sparring with David Thompson, who I understand is up there, from Ngāti Tawaki, and I think it’s been interesting talking to my uncle about the sparring, of course. We’ve come to an arrangement here today, and I am very, very supportive of the outcome and where we’re at today. But I would like to take a step back and take some lessons and reflections from this process, because I think that, going forward, the way we’re going to address settlements that have not been settled yet, I think there are certainly some lessons to learn from this.

The key principle of the Treaty of Waitangi settlements is that these are enduring. As my colleague Matt King said, these are supposed to be the final settlements on offer. But these can only be enduring if these settlements benefit all members of Ngāti Hinerangi, no matter where they come from. And talking to my uncle, who certainly had some grievances about the process, there were two hapū, in particular, that didn’t feel like they wanted to sign up to the settlement, because of the process. It was too cumbersome and it was too expensive for them to actually mount any successful attack. And I say this in a very genuine sense, because we all want to get to a stage where Māori have settled and there are no grievances left unturned or unsettled. I think that in the spirit of the Treaty of Waitangi, in the spirit of the Waitangi Tribunal, it’s really important to make sure that we engage with iwi in a structure that allows for all hapū to feel like they are benefiting from the final settlements that are in fact brought to the House through a bill.

So it is, I think, in that spirit that I will be looking forward to, as a member of the Māori Affairs Committee, engaging the people of Ngāti Hinerangi more and to work out whether this bill, in fact, does fully benefit all people of Ngāti Hinerangi, because I think that we want to get to a stage where, if we pass this bill and we disperse the money, everybody who is a member of a hapū benefits equally from these settlements.

I just want to take a step back and acknowledge everybody who has brought this bill to fruition in the House today: of course, the former Minister, the Hon Chris Finlayson; I’d also like to acknowledge the current Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Hon Andrew Little; the staff at Te Arawhiti; and, of course, the people from Ngāti Hinerangi who are here today. Thank you for coming down, making the trip down to Wellington. I would just like to say that I am supportive of this bill. National supports this bill. We support the kaupapa. So it is my pleasure to commend this bill to the House. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It’s, as always, a huge privilege to stand on behalf of the Green Party and offer our support and acknowledgment to Ngāti Hinerangi in this, the first reading of their claims settlement bill.

I too want to acknowledge this acknowledgment of this, representing a re-emergence of the iwi against profound forces that came so close to eradicating their identity and place and mana as an iwi, and I think that this bill and this re-emergence represent quite an extraordinary example of resilience and resistance that many in this country would do well to look to and learn from. I feel as if in this speech I should say “Ngāti Hinerangi” as many times as possible, because it is so important, the process and the struggle to get to this point of us formally re-acknowledging your existence and your right to be and your place, which is part of what this settlement does.

Interestingly, it’s not usual that I follow a National Party speaker in these debates and offer the Green Party perspective where we’re on the same page in saying that we don’t see these settlements as necessarily full and final—but amazing efforts of negotiation and the best possible outcomes in the circumstances that are still set up against iwi and hapū. I do think that some of the detail of the former speaker’s speech speaks not to a problem within Māoridom but a problem of our processes and the overlapping interests and large natural groupings and the Crown’s traditional failure to support good tikanga-based processes to lead to solutions that genuinely reflect an accurate history and a fair settlement and restitution. I do think the point made by the previous speaker of when we don’t get this right and it is rushed and it continues to be dominated by the Crown, then actually that sets up further grievances for the future. The Green Party will always continue to stand for the intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, because we believe that that represents the hope for all of our communities to flourish when we abide by those agreements.

I will just take a moment to acknowledge some of the history that is in the deed of settlement and commend all New Zealanders who may be watching this debate to seek out this settlement, and I will reference two earlier speakers who acknowledged the importance of the decision for our history to be compulsory in our schools, because so many of us have come to any understanding of what was done very late in life, and many people never have, unless they have experienced and been subjected to it. If they’re only gaining the benefits from colonisation, I don’t think we can have truly fruitful conversations or positive relationships until we get on the same page. Making history compulsory in schools is going to be, I hope, a very important step in that journey, and these settlements, I hope, will feed into that history and can help us understand ourselves better.

So, in 1840, rangatira affiliated with Ngāti Hinerangi signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi when it was taken across to Tauranga. Then, in the 1860s, Ngāti Hinerangi joined the Kīngitanga movement as an act of an attempt to restore Māori authority and to slow down that sale—I would say illegal sale—of Māori land. It was an act of joining together for survival, and we don’t see that in many settlements as clearly as we do in this settlement. They joined the forces opposing the Crown when the Crown waged a war on iwi across Taranaki. Ngāti Hinerangi joined the Kīngitanga forces to fight back against those incursions of the Crown and those acts of aggression. And then, in 1864, the Crown sent troops into Tauranga to disrupt the movement of men and supplies to the Waikato and, as a result, many Tauranga Māori who had fought in the Waikato returned home to aid in the defence of Tauranga. Ngāti Hinerangi were among the force of Tauranga Māori who defeated Crown troops at the battle of Gate Pā, which I have absolute confidence will be in our history books for all of us to learn from.

Then, in the years after that, after that battle of defeating those forces with their arms, the Crown then went on to—the words are “confiscate” in the deed of settlement; I say “steal”. They stole approximately 290,000 acres of land across Tauranga and deprived Ngāti Hinerangi of, basically, any land base, and with that loss of land base was a loss of identity, loss of economic opportunity, loss of society and wellbeing, and the impact of that just cannot be understood, I don’t think, fully by those of us not affected directly by that. So this settlement, which has, again, been five years of work to get to this point of negotiation with the Crown, offers, I think, $8.1 million to the iwi and cultural redress and vesting of sites back.

I do want to mention specifically, and within the settlement, that I just think it’s a demonstration of the leadership and the generosity and the mana of Ngāti Hinerangi, where, on their initiative, there are areas of land that are being returned that they are not keeping to themselves. They are agreeing and have reached out to co-govern with Tauranga Moana, and, in fact, another block of land, once they receive it through the settlement, they will be re-gifting to Tauranga Moana iwi. The explanation is a way of maintaining connection with the iwi and whānau. That is such wonderful leadership, and I think so many discussions in this country about land and ownership miss that potential. I do believe that the Crown could learn a lot from listening and learning from the example of Ngāti Hinerangi. I think our waterways and our land and our people across the whole country would be much better off if the Crown reflected that sense of shared interdependence and generosity. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Tēnā koutou, Ngāti Hinerangi. Rau rangatira mā, ko aku mihi atu ki a koutou. Nau mai, haere mai.

[Greetings, Ngāti Hinerangi. To the distinguished masses, I would like to acknowledge you. Welcome, welcome.]

You have arrived here at last. Even though it has taken a long time for the journey to make it here, it has arrived. Welcome to the iwi members who have travelled to be here today. I want to acknowledge their leadership and perseverance. I want to acknowledge the kaumātua who honour us with your presence; the trustees; the negotiators for Ngāti Hinerangi; all of those who have worked tirelessly to pursue this moment.

For too many years, Ngāti Hinerangi was an overlooked iwi, very much part of the Kīngitanga movement but not Waikato-Tainui. Based in Matamata, by the Tauranga Moana, in the Kaimai mountains, a land of rich resources. This settlement is a vindication for years of struggle for recognition. No longer will Ngāti Hinerangi be overlooked. Now, the Crown is your Treaty partner. I know that the people of Ngāti Hinerangi have shown great patience, resilience, and a willingness to resolve overlapping claims issues. I know future generations will reap the fruits of your labour.

I want to acknowledge Ministers Finlayson and Little, who have helped lead the process that took us here today. I want to acknowledge the Matamata-Piako District Council, who, I understand, have been very supportive, including Mayor Jan Barnes. And I want to acknowledge the negotiators for the Crown, from Te Arawhiti, and in particular Crown negotiator James Willis, who also happens to be my dad.

My dad became involved as a Crown negotiator in late 2013, holding the first negotiating meetings in 2014. He’s in the gallery today, and I know he is very proud and very excited. How impressed he has been with those he has negotiated with. He speaks of what was sometimes a fraught process but one that was conducted with dignity and pragmatism, with a real will on both sides to forge a renewed relationship. I know of the joy Dad experienced earlier this year at Te Ōhākī Marae, where there was the signing of the deed of settlement and the Crown apology. On that momentous day, the sun shone. It was a beautiful day, and people, I know, felt great significance in the signing that took place. It was a day that signified the dawn of a bright future, and Dad was so happy to be able to be present.

I know full well that Dad is not easy to negotiate with, and I know that he found in Ngāti Hinerangi a more than worthy team across the table, and I want to acknowledge that today. I know that Dad’s enthusiasm for this settlement comes from a satisfaction at seeing wrongs corrected, of seeing justice being done, because we are here today because the Crown broke its promise. The Crown breached the Treaty of Waitangi that it had signed with one of your rangatira. The history of the relationship with the Crown must be acknowledged; it is bleak—colonisation, land wars, alienation, partition of lands, confiscation, scorched earth tactics, loss of land, forestry, waterways, disrespecting of tikanga, cultural and economic marginalisation, and iwi left virtually landless, taking refuge in other whakapapa, almost without recognition. Marae were unable to be used, children punished for speaking their language, land lost, economic means taken. Now the iwi has walked back, in your ancestors’ footsteps, and rediscovered your true identity: not a subtribe of Ngāti Raukawa; an established iwi.

Rebirth began in 2004, when kaumātua began the journey to iwi recognition, and with today’s settlement, the Ngāti Hinerangi Trust has blossomed—te pua Waitangi Ngāti Hinerangi. It is not possible to fully compensate for the loss Ngāti Hinerangi has suffered, but the very process of documenting the past, of hearing the wrongs, is cathartic and important. It is, in itself, a reclaiming of identity, and I want to acknowledge the goodwill of those involved in enduring that process. The settlement today includes an unreserved apology from the Crown for failing to uphold its obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi. Yes, today is about past wrongs, but it is also about strengthening for the future, setting the foundations for a strong future partnership between Crown and this iwi, unlocking economic potential, allowing for proactive initiatives to enhance the lives of people and community, allowing for innovative business investment, educating mokopuna, discovering culture and traditions, and building a sustainable, proud future.

I want to acknowledge in particular the work and effort that has gone into resolving overlapping claims issues with Ngāti Hinerangi and surrounding iwi, some of whom initially refused to acknowledge these claims. The settlement includes some novel management approaches: co-governance of land, and the gifting of land by Ngāti Hinerangi to another iwi; mana-enhancing and pragmatic tikanga-based agreements, bringing together iwi in the spirit of shared purpose and values.

Today, I say to you, let us live these settlements for the benefit of future generations. This is the beginning of a new relationship. Let me acknowledge, once again, those who’ve persevered to make today possible. Today is about restoring the honour and mana of both Crown and iwi, reaffirming our commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi, the blossoming of Ngāti Hinerangi—no longer overlooked, a partner to the Crown. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: So the next call is a split call.

Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā. Tuatahi, ka tika me mihi ki a koutou o Ngāti Hinerangi; koutou kua tae ā-tinana mai ki tō tātou Whare i tēnei rā. E mihi atu tēnei mema o Te Waiariki ki a koutou, te whānau o te pae maunga o Te Kaimai, nō reira ka tika me mihi ki a koutou. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora anō tātou katoa.

[Firstly, it is only right to acknowledge you of Ngāti Hinerangi; you who have arrived in person to our House on this day. I, the member for Waiariki, would like to thank you all, the families of the mountain ranges of the Kaimai; therefore, it is only right to acknowledge you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you one and all.]

You’re an elusive lot. Why? Because, actually, many have never heard of you before. But today, let the minute takers, let the Hansard know, that Ngāti Hinerangi is in the House. Let us tell your story. I also understand that you too are also finding your own stories, your own footsteps, retracing the steps of your tīpuna, as well, and to that I say kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui. Though your battle has been long, your story is still getting out there, and today we bring your story to the House, and what a story you have: your struggle, your determination, your loss of land, your humility. I mihi to you today.

I want to, in the short time that I have to address you, acknowledge the overlapping claims process. That was something that negatively affected the relationship between the Hauraki Collective and the Tauranga iwi through Hauraki’s Treaty settlement negotiations. But you will become the first iwi to co-govern land, as well as gift some land to another iwi—something that this House has never seen before. For those that don’t know, Ngāti Hinerangi has been given some land through the settlement in Tauranga Moana. Two pieces in particular are the tracks which run from the west to the eastern side to Tauranga: the Te Tuhi Track and Te Ara o Maurihoro Track. I understand that he made an agreement with Tauranga Moana iwi that they will co-govern the land.

Another block, called Ngāti Hinerangi Waipapa, is also in the Tauranga Moana area. Ngāti Hinerangi has decided that, when they receive it, as my colleague said earlier, they will gift it to Tauranga Moana iwi as a way to maintain a connection with the iwi and with the whānau. I found a quote from a Stuff article that was written in May this year. The quote comes from Dianna Vaimoso, and here it goes: “It’s been a huge talking point for other iwi and certainly the Crown. In the old days if you wanted to create a bond with another iwi you would normally gift a virgin bride otherwise known as a puhi to the iwi. Of course we don’t do that these days, but we thought we would work in the same way. We wouldn’t gift a puhi but we would gift our land. It’s been a mana enhancing process for all of us, where we will all walk away feeling happy about the process and I think the day we get that land back it will be a huge deal in the history of New Zealand.”, and that is something that our Government is quite passionate about.

You may or may not have heard, but, just last week, we announced that by 2022, we will be teaching New Zealand history in all of our schools, in all of our kura, and we want to make sure that it’s got a local flavour too, so, hopefully, your story gets taught in amongst that as well. Hopefully—and I want to quote from that same article—we won’t hear other stories, like the one from Hari Smith, who said in this story that he was very young when the Treaty negotiations began but remembers feeling his parents’ and his grandparents’ excitement. He said, “When I was younger up until the age of 11, I never really knew about Ngāti Hinerangi at all. It wasn’t until our kaumātua told us that I actually belong to this iwi on my grandma’s side. When they started the treaty process I thought it was cool, but it wasn’t until I got older that I realised the gravity of this situation.” Now that the Treaty has been settled, he said it’s important to educate our mokopuna and discover our own customs and our own traditions.

Today, we acknowledge you, Ngāti Hinerangi. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.

Tēnā koe. To Ngāti Hinerangi: tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. It is wonderful to rise and take a call on this as the member of Parliament for Waikato, the most beautiful region in the country, and I need not explain this to Ngāti Hinerangi. They know it well already. Of course, their rohe extends across the Kaimai Range, into the Bay of Plenty, but west is the best, so we’ll stick with that.

Now, I’m fortunate to know this region as well, and, having grown up at Te Poi, and schooled in Matamata, I appreciate the beautiful place that we share. I have fond memories of fishing at the Waiho river, and, without fail, every time as a teenager that I would go fishing, I would catch something in that river. Generally, it was a tree overhanging the other side, but every now and again, on rare occasions, it was a fish, and that was magnificent.

I spent many days hunting in the Kaimai Range, as well, and hiking those trails, and, again, the hunting was more often a hike with a rifle than actually anything particularly productive. But it is a beautiful part of the country, and I know you value that, as do all people who visit and live in that area.

There’s a lot been traversed today in terms of the challenges of the past, the issues around the land confiscation, and nearly becoming a landless iwi, and I can relate to that, being a member of the only landless iwi in New Zealand—Ngāti Tūmatauenga—actually. So I am glad that you did not join them in having no particular lands, and I am encouraged to see that, now, we have reached agreement.

I would like to acknowledge also the negotiating teams for both the Crown and for iwi, who have worked through this process over a number of years since the original signing, back in 2014, to get to this point now, so that we have an agreement in place—an agreed historical account—and a Crown acknowledgment and an apology, along with a number of other aspects, including the financial redress, the cultural revitalisation, and co-governance, as well.

But there is also the vesting of different sites, and Wairere Falls, in particular, is one that is dear to me. The highest waterfall in the North Island and in a beautiful part of the country, it gives a magnificent view out over the wider Waikato region, and I would actually encourage members of this House to come and visit. I’d be happy to show you around and take you for a walk up the hill, and I’m sure Ngāti Hinerangi would extend that invitation as well. It is a magnificent part of the country. We are very lucky to be able to call it home, and I am encouraged now that future generations of Ngāti Hinerangi will be able to grow up in that area with a slightly different lens to what there has been in the past.

It was wonderful to see the young tamariki today in the Beehive theatrette—a stoic young lad, who’s journeyed down with his father to be here today—and I’d like to acknowledge him. When he grows up, he will have faint memories of this process, and it will be, I think, a wonderful milestone that they are able to move forward—our children—from this time, knowing that the future will be slightly different and slightly better as a result of what has been able to be achieved through this particular process.

I’d also like to take a moment just to acknowledge the work of the Ministers, both the current Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Hon Andrew Little, and the Hon Chris Finlayson, the former Minister, who began this process some years ago. It’s not easy, and we have seen a number of Treaty settlements progressed over the last few years under the last Government and continuing, now, under this Government as well. This is progress. It’s encouraging to see, as we move forward towards what I think will be a better future in each of those particular settlement areas.

So look, today is an exciting step for Ngāti Hinerangi. We are beginning on this journey. There will be a few more debates in this House, but I look forward to it progressing through the remaining stages. I look forward to celebrating back home in the Waikato, as well, and seeing you, no doubt, on the streets of Matamata at some point, although, hopefully, not like the gentleman who was there on the weekend for a stag do. I won’t go into the details of what was happening there, where he was attached to a tree on Broadway, but this is part of your rohe—a beautiful area.

💬 Hon Dr Nick Smith: Tell us.

I might share that story later, Dr Smith, but this is part of the Waikato. We have all sorts, all different people, and we enjoy many different experiences in a beautiful part of the country within that. So I commend this bill to the House and look forward to the final stages progressing.

Ka noho tonu ahau ki roto i Te Reo Māori.

E ōku rahi, e te tuakana, e Joby e ārahi nei i ngā rahi o Ngāti Hinerangi ki runga i tēnei Whare, e mihi atu ana ahau ki a koutou hei tāpiri atu ki ngā mihi o tēnei Whare ki a koutou, koutou i haere mai i tawhiti, koutou i haere mai i tata.

Pīkauria mai ko ngā aituā maha kei runga i ō koutou pokowhiwhi. Ko ētahi kua kōrerohia, ko ētahi kīhai i kōrero; heoi anō kotahi tonu te whakaaro me te kōrero atu ki a rātou kua ngaro atu ki te pō, haere mai, haere.

Ka whakahokia mai ngā rārangi kōrero ki a tātoue. Āe, kua kaha kōrero mai ngā mema katoa o Te Whare nei i ngā tū āhuatanga o te pire. Ka mea nei ki roto i te pire, ko tētahi āhuatanga ko te whakapāha. Āe, e tika ana me pērā.

Ka rikoata ki roto i te pire nei i te hītori o tēnei o ngā iwi motuhake, o tā rātou ake wāhi. Heoi anō ko tāku ake e whakaaro ana i a au e whakarongo atu ana ki ngā kōrero o Te Whare i te rā nei, ka whakaaro ake mō ngā kōrero i puta mai i te wā i noho a Ngāti Hinerangi i mua i te aroaro o Te Taraipiunara o Waitangi, ko te rahi ake o ngā kōrero kei roto i tā rātou nohoanga me Te Taraipiunara, kīhai au i kite ki roto i tēnei pire; ahakoa kua kapohia te nuinga o ngā kōrero, ko ngā hītori e pā ana ki a Ngāti Hinerangi, ko tāku atu i a au e pānui ana i ngā kōrero a Te Taraipiunara o Waitangi, ko reira katoa wētahi atu kōrero e pā ana ki te takahanga o tēnei pire, me te takahanga o Ngāti Hinerangi ki roto i Te Whare i te rā nei. Heoi anō ka waihona atu taua kōrero ki runga i te papa o Te Whare i te rā nei—he aha ai? Nā te mea kua kōrero mai ngā mema o Te Whare mō te kaupapa hou o tēnei kāwanatanga i whakarewaina i te wiki kua pahure ake nei e pā ana ki ngā hītori me ngā whakapapa, me ngā whakapapa o te motu whānui.

Heoi anō ko tāku atu, anei tētahi rikoata ki roto i te pire nei, ko tētahi atu anō ka kitea ki roto i te Hansard, ko tētahi atu anō ka kitea atu ki roto i ngā rikoata a Te Taraipiunara; ko reira ka kapohia ake ai wētahi o ngā kōrero o rātou kua ngaro atu ki te pō, hei mea tāwharau i te hunga o nāianei. Ka waihona atu tēnā kōrero ki runga i te papa.

E waru ngā kerēme i kawea e Ngāti Hinerangi ki mua i te aroaro o Te Taraipiunara o Waitangi. Ko reira te tūāpapa mō te noho ngātahi a te pāpā o Nicola Willis ki te āta whiriwhiri i te huarahi kei mua i a Ngāti Hinerangi, ka kitea ki roto i te roanga ake o ngā kōrero o te pire i te rā nei. Nō reira ngā mihi nui ki tana pāpā i kawea mai i a Ngāti Hinerangi ki runga i tēnei haerenga e pā ana ki te pire e kōrerohia nei e tātou i te rā nei.

E ai ki te pire e waru ngā hapū o Ngāti Hinerangi kua tāpae, kua whakakotahi nei mō tēnei kaupapa. He mea pai tēnā kia kite atu i ngā hapū maha kei roto kia kaua tētahi i mahue atu ki waho; he mea tika tēnā tā te mea ka mutu te whakakōhatungia o ngā hapū ki roto i te pire nei, he mea uaua te uru mai tētahi atu. He mea uaua ki te whakapanoni i ētahi o ngā ingoa me ngā hapū kua rikoata nei ki roto i te pire. Nō reira ka waihona atu tēnā kōrero, heoi anō hei mihi atu ki ngā hapū maha o Ngāti Hinerangi kua tau mai i te rā nei.

Ko te āhuatanga o tēnei pire, ehara i te mea ohorere ki tēnei Whare. Ko ngā wāhanga e pā ana ki te whakapāha, ko ngā wāhanga e pā ana, e mea nei te kōrero Pākehā he cultural redress, ko tētahi atu wāhanga e pā ana ki te rahi o te pūtea. Heoi anō ka whakaaro ake mō ngā whenua ka kōrerohia nei e te pire, he maha. Ko te nuinga o aua wāhi rā, ehara i te mea wāhi noa iho nei; he mea wāhi motuhake ki a Ngāti Hinerangi, he wāhi e kōrero ana i te hītori o Ngāti Hinerangi, he mea wāhi tapu ki ngā mātua tūpuna o Ngāti Hinerangi. Ka whakaaro ake ki ngā mea kīhai i uru atu. Heoi anō kei a Ngāti Hinerangi tēnā kōrero. He aha te take i kōrero ai au i tēnei tū āhuatanga?

Anā kua kī wētahi o ngā mema o Te Whare nei, anei te otinga o te kaupapa. Mehemea ka whakatutukingia te wāhanga o tēnei pire, ka kī atu kua tutuki, kua tutuki mārika. Heoi anō ko tāku e kī atu nei ki a Ngāti Hinerangi e hoa ehara tēnei i te otinga, he tīmatanga kē, he tīmatanga kē. Ka taea tonu a Ngāti Hinerangi ki te werowero mai i Te Karauna, ka taea tonu a Ngāti Hinerangi ki te kawe ake i ō rātou ake kaupapa ka tae atu ki te wāhi i wawatatia ai e ō tātou mātua, e ō tātou tūpuna, arā ko te tino rangatiratanga, arā ko te mana motuhake; ko ngā mea katoa kua kitea atu e tātou ki roto i Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Nō reira me kaua tātou e kī atu ko te otinga tēnei, kāhore, ko te tīmatanga kē. Koinā te wero nui kei mua i a Ngāti Hinerangi kia kawea tonu rātou ō rātou ake kaupapa, kia werowero tonu i ngā mahi whakahaere a Te Karauna me ngā kaunihera ā-rohe. Kaua e pōhēhē ko Te Karauna anake, engari ko ngā kaunihera ā-rohe anō hoki. Ko reira katoa wētahi kōrero ki roto i te pire nei e pā ana ki te mahi ngātahi arā ko te co-governance e kōrerohia nei e te pire. Nō reira koinā tāku e mea atu ana ehara tēnei i te otinga ake, kāhore, ko te tīmatanga kē.

I a au e whakaaro ake ana ka kitea atu he aha nei nā te huarahi iāianei. Āe, ko tēnei te pānuitanga tuatahi, āe ka whakatutukihia ngā wāhanga katoa o te pire heoi anō i kite atu ahau i tētahi ingoa o te mea o te rōpū hei kawe ake i ngā moemoeā a Ngāti Hinerangi ki roto i ngā tau kei mua i a tātou, arā ko Te Puāwaitanga o Ngāti Hinerangi. Ka pai taua ingoa. Ko Te Puāwaitanga o Ngāti Hinerangi. Ko reira katoa ko ngā moemoeā a te tamaiti e ngongoro mai nā. Ko reira katoa ngā wawata o Ngāti Hinerangi e kawea nei ki roto i ngā tau maha kei mua i a tātou. Koinā tāku e tautoko atu ana i te āhuatanga o tērā kupu a te puāwaitanga. Nō reira ka mihi atu ahau ki te whakaaro nui o Ngāti Hinerangi kia ea ai ngā mea mamae ki roto i ngā hītori, kia ea ai. Kaua e wareware engari kua ea mō tēnei wā. Engari kia tirohia atu rā tātou ki te puāwaitanga o Ngāti Hinerangi kei mua i a tātou.

Mō ngā meneti whakamutunga ki a au nei i kōrero mai—[Bell rung] kei te pōhēhē ko Ngā Manu Kōrero tēnei, e hoa tangi mai te pere—i whakaaro ake ahau mō te āhuatanga o ngā kōrero a tōku matua nei, a te Hōnore a Shane Jones e takitaki nei ngā whakapapa hei tuituia a Ngāti Hinerangi ki ngā mema e noho mai nei. Kua kōrero mai a Nicola Willis mō tana pānga ki a Ngāti Hinerangi, a Dan Bidois mā, me ētahi atu. Heoi anō ko tāku e noho nei, ka whakaaro ake ka pēhea nei au e whai pānga ki a Ngāti Hinerangi kua tae mai i te rā nei? Kua kite atu i tētahi o ngā tūpuna kua whakamanahia ki roto i te pire nei, ko Koperu. Āe mārika he tupuna rongonui tēnā mō Ngāti Hinerangi, he tupuna rongonui anō hoki kei roto i a au o Te Tai Tokerau; heoi anō tāku e whaiwhai haere i ngā hononga, i ngā whakapapa. Ko Koperu te tāne tuatahi o tōku tupuna a Hineāmaru; nō reira pea ka whai karahipi ahau ki roto i ngā mahi a Ngāti Hinerangi ā ngā tau e tū nei. Heoi anō koinā te pai o tēnei nohoanga o tātou, kia whai pānga o ngā take nui o te wā, nā, ko te take nui o te wā nei ko te tatūnga o tēnei pire ki roto i te Whare e pā ana ki a Ngāti Hinerangi.

Ka mutu ki roto i ngā hekona whakamutunga, ka kī atu ahau ki a Ngāti Hinerangi te kōrero a tōku tupuna: kua tawhiti kē tā koutou haerenga mai ki te kore haere tonu; he nui rawa ā, koutou mahi ki te kore e mahi nui tonu.

Nō reira hoki atu rā koutou ki te wā kāinga ki runga i ngā manaakitanga o te wāhi ngaro.

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.

[I shall be staying in Māori.

Distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen, and to you, Joby, who lead this important assembly from Ngāti Hinerangi in to this House, I bid you a hearty welcome; in concert with others of this House who have extended warm greetings, you who have come from afar or from nearby, welcome one and all.

Bring with you those many beloved whose spirits are at your shoulder. Some have been mentioned and others have not; nevertheless the one prevailing thought is to pay tribute to those who have gone beyond the veil. I acknowledge you, farewell.

And now to come back to the matter at hand. Yes, all the members of this House have spoken strongly about the provisions in the bill. I note that contained in the bill is an apology. Yes indeed, so it should be.

Recorded in this bill is some of the history of this independent people and their own special places. However, the thing that strikes me as I listen to the speeches in the House today is that the stories that emerged when Ngāti Hinerangi was sitting before the Waitangi Tribunal, the vast majority of the accounts that surfaced at the tribunal sitting, have not made it in to this bill; even though most of what was said has been recorded, the Ngāti Hinerangi history, from what I can tell from reading the Waitangi Tribunal transcripts, the whole story of the journey of this bill, the journey which brings the Ngāti Hinerangi people to the House today, is in there. Nevertheless, I shall leave those musings on the floor of the House today—and why? The reason is that which members of the House have already mentioned—i.e. the new initiative introduced by this Government in the last week about the histories and origins, the origins of the entire country.

However, I notice here that we have a record here in this bill, another can be found in Hansard, yet another resides in the records of the Tribunal; it is there that some of the recollections of many who have passed on can be found, one could say as a protection for those who are here today. I shall let that lie.

Ngāti Hinerangi has brought eight claims before the Waitangi Tribunal. Those are what have created the foundations for negotiation which have brought Nicola Willis’ father together with Ngāti Hinerangi to carefully negotiate the way forward, and which can be heard today in the speeches about the bill. I therefore acknowledge her dad, who has been instrumental in bringing Ngāti Hinerangi to this point in the bill which we are speaking about today.

According to the bill, there are eight Ngāti Hinerangi hapū who have made submissions and who have come together for the sake of this matter. It is good to see how several hapū can be included, ensuring that no one is missed out; that is important because when the hapū have been confirmed in this bill, it would be very difficult to add another one. We know how difficult it is to change names and hapū once they are recorded in the bill. I shall leave that there and simply congratulate the many hapū of Ngāti Hinerangi who have made it here today.

Provisions in this bill are no great surprise to anyone in this House. There are the sections pertaining to the apology, there are the sections around what we refer to in English as cultural redress, and there is the section that describes the amount of financial redress. But I would like us to think about the many places that are talked about in this bill. The majority of those places are not just places; they are areas of special significance to Ngāti Hinerangi; places that tell of the history of Ngāti Hinerangi; places that have been sacred since the time of Ngāti Hinerangi ancestors. Why, you may ask, do I mention this?

The reason is that some members of this House have talked about how this matter has now come to a close. If this bill is passed it seems, then the whole matter has been successfully concluded. What I say to Ngāti Hinerangi, though, is that this is hardly the end—it is only the beginning. Ngāti Hinerangi is still in a position to challenge the Crown, Ngāti Hinerangi is still able to pursue their case until they are satisfied that they have achieved what our ancestors, our forebears, set out to achieve, and that is self-determination, that is true independence; all those things that are envisioned in the Treaty of Waitangi. So let us not talk about this being the end, but rather that it is the beginning. That is the real challenge that is before Ngāti Hinerangi; that they take charge of their own destiny, that they continue to put the questions to the Crown and to local councils. Let us not assume that this is a matter for the Crown alone, but recognise the role of local councils as well. There are provisions in this bill to do with working together; that is to do with co-governance. Therefore, I reiterate that this is not the end of the matter, it is actually the beginning.

While I think about this, it is evident what the road ahead is now. Yes, this is the first reading, yes, the various stages of the bill will all be passed, but I can see the prescience within the name of the group which has the mandate to manage and implement the Ngāti Hinerangi settlement in coming years and that is Te Puāwaitanga o Ngāti Hinerangi. Such an apt name; the blossoming of Ngāti Hinerangi. Therein lie the dreams of the little one who is snoring right there. Therein are the aspirations of Ngāti Hinerangi which will be carried along for years to come. It is for these reasons that I endorse the name as such a good choice. Hence my admiration for the way Ngāti Hinerangi has gone about resolving the hurts that exist as part of their history. Let us not forget but they have been addressed for the present. But let us also look forward to the blossoming of Ngāti Hinerangi which will happen presently.

Let me mention in the few remaining minutes I have to speak—[Bell rung] you would be forgiven for thinking this was Ngā Manu Kōrero, ring the bell my friend—I was thinking about how well my senior kinsman the Hon Shane Jones recited the genealogy to connect Ngāti Hinerangi to members sitting here. Nicola Willis mentioned her connection to Ngāti Hinerangi, as did Dan Bidois and others. So I have been sitting here wondering how I can establish a connection to Ngāti Hinerangi who have made their way here today. I have found the link through one of the predecessors who has been identified in this bill, that is, Koperu. Yes indeed, he was a famous forefather of Ngāti Hinerangi, and I mention as I fossick for genealogical links, he was also a well-known ancestor among my people of the North. Koperu was the first husband of my ancestress Hineāmaru; I trust that this might make me eligible for one of the Ngāti Hinerangi grants at some future date. That, of course, is one of the delights of coming together like this and being able to relate directly to the occasion, and the occasion today is the reading of Ngāti Hinerangi’s bill in the House.

In these dying seconds may I offer to Ngāti Hinerangi the words uttered by my grandfather: you have come too far not go further; you have done too much to not do more

Therefore, go well as you journey home, assured of the blessings from on high.

Thank you all.]

Kia ora. E ngā mana, e ngā rau rangatira mā o te iwi o Ngāti Hinerangi, tēnā koutou. Nau mai, haere mai i tēnei Whare o te rā whakawhitiwhiti. He rongoā mō tēnei iwi engari kei konei mātou i tēnei rā.

[Greetings. To the authorities, to the distinguished masses of Ngāti Hinerangi, greetings. Welcome, welcome to this House on this day of exchange. It’s a solution for this tribe but we are here today.]

Yes, we are here today to, I guess, celebrate the first reading of the Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill. Because it’s the first reading, I have been looking into a lot of the background of your history and the atrocities that happened to your whānau, to your ancestors, to your tūpuna back in the colonial war days. Like every other speech that we’ve heard in this House today, again, another iwi has been left virtually landless through colonisation and the wars.

I just want to say that, today, whilst it’s a celebration for Ngāti Hinerangi, I am taken back to the ancestors and what they suffered during the land wars. I’m taken back to the time before that, when Ngāti Hinerangi was an iwi that flourished, where it had the huawhenua, where it thrived by trading with other iwi the fibres, the flax—the whole economic development lifecycle that they had before they were robbed of their lands. From Tauranga Moana to the Kaimais, this was a people that ran their own business. This was a people that had their own economic development, and today is the first step towards ensuring that we get this bill through, so that the cash and the cultural redress that is part and parcel of this bill can actually support Ngāti Hinerangi towards getting back towards some sort of semblance of that economic development.

Last week, I spoke on the Rua Kēnana pardon bill—a very different type of Māori bill as opposed to this one. Again, it is always about the atrocities and how we try to make things better into the future of yet another iwi. I’m always honoured to be able to speak on these bills on this side of the House as a National Party MP, as a member of the Māori Affairs Committee, and I always look forward to the submissions that we will expect to receive from you into the Māori Affairs Committee. It is those times that, for me, are the most special, because we hear directly from the whānau of the iwi on many things, the history—your history. Reading it is fine, but, for me, the sweetness of the kōrero, the meaning of the kōrero, actually comes from the words of the whānau of the iwi, and, in this case, of Ngāti Hinerangi. So I look forward to the time when the Māori Affairs Committee comes to your rohe and listens to your story, so that we can make things right in our stories as we impart them here in this House into the future.

I really don’t have a lot more to say. I have been away paying my respects to Koro Mullins, who passed suddenly. It’s been a very sad day for me, having to pay my respects to such an amazing person, so to finish off by a celebration for Ngāti Hinerangi has, for me, been a very moving experience.

As I said, I have not much more to add to that. I look forward to the stories, to the kōrero, that we will be imparted with in the submission process for Ngāti Hinerangi. I understand that one of our colleagues on this side, Dan Bidois, whakapapas to Ngāti Hinerangi, so it will be very special for him returning back to hear the whakapapa, the history, the kōrero that you will impart to him as well. So without any further ado, I support and I commend the bill to the House.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Ruth Dyson): The next call’s a split call.

Kia ora, Madam Speaker. Ki a koutou, Ngāti Hinerangi i tae mai nei i tēnei wā, tēnei te mihi ki a koutou i whakarangatira i a mātou i tēnei wā. Tēnei te tino mihi. I tautoko au i te kōrero o taku hoa, Peeni Henare, rawe tana korero.

[Kia ora, Madam Speaker. To you all, Ngāti Hinerangi, who have arrived here at this time, I acknowledge you all who have honoured us at this time. My profuse thanks. I supported the speech of my colleague, Peeni Henare; his speech was great.]

I think what the Hon Peeni Henare said was so right in terms of his kōrero, and this settlement lays the cultural and economic foundation for Ngāti Hinerangi rangatahi, mokopuna, and future generations, and that is reflected in the name chosen for the post-settlement entity: Te Puāwaitanga o Ngāti Hinerangi Iwi Trust—the blossoming of Ngāti Hinerangi. I don’t think you could get a better name for that trust, and I’m sure everyone here is so proud. So congratulations to Ngāti Hinerangi for coming here today to tautoko.

It’s an appropriate day. Here we are, the day after Ihumātao and the big kōrero and by Māori for Māori solution—and, yes, we’ve got it all worked out here in Parliament, as you would’ve heard over the news in the last day or two.

Appropriately, the Minister for Māori Development will be wrapping up our kōrero as we go forward, because we have all the answers, as the Hon Winston Peters had to say—tino tautoko. It is a kaupapa, though, that we support, this by Māori for Māori solution. This is an example of it, this settlement today. Ngāti Hinerangi, in terms of what’s happened, in terms of the good grace shown by the people of Ngāti Hinerangi, I congratulate the tribe, because graciousness is something that all our tribal negotiators show. I heard the kōrero from Nicola Willis and her father. And her father will know better than anyone how our people work through this process. It’s a very tough process with the Crown, never better exemplified, I think, through The Negotiators series. I’m not sure who has watched that, but we have had people like Tīpene O’Regan talking about this arduous process in terms of dealing with the Crown. My aroha goes to the negotiators in terms of Ngāti Hinerangi and what they’ve gone through.

I mentioned our Minister, who was also a former negotiator for Ngāti Maniapoto—very aware of the concessions and the compromises that are made. I mihi to the team. The graciousness shown can never be understated: $9 million is not going to turn the world around, but it’s a start—it’s a beginning. It’s a beginning that—and when you look at other tribes. I watched Tīpene O’Regan the other night talking about what you can do with a minimal amount of money. The $170 million that Ngāi Tahu, that Tainui came up with, has been turned around into a billion-dollar iwi—a billion-dollar iwi. I say, in terms of what our Minister, Andrew Little, has said, that the graciousness of the tribe has to be acknowledged and supported. When we go back again and you look at the previous settlements in terms of what they could have been calculated out at—Ngāi Tahu, Tainui, both those settlements could have been calculated out at $16 billion to $18 billion—you see the potential that the tribe has in front of them.

So I’m looking forward to seeing the results and the fruits of what Ngāti Hinerangi can come up with—what can we come up with over the next few years? Because as everyone has been saying: it’s a tribe that has been landless, that has had their history put to the side, and not had the support that they should have had. Now we have things in place where the tribe can come to those terms, can make a start, can set things up for our mokopuna who are out there, who are in the cities, who have moved away from the haukāinga but know they are Ngāti Hinerangi—know they are Ngāti Hinerangi, and they will hold that with them forever and a day. So I congratulate our negotiators today, our trust chair, the board who’ve been going through the whole process, and wish you well in your future ventures. Tēnei te mihi, tēnā koutou katoa.

Ngāti Hinerangi, koutou, e whakatata mai nei mō te pānuitanga tuatahi a tō koutou pire, tenei e tautoko ana ngā mihi kua mihia. Kia rere haere ngā whakaaro ki a rātou kua huri atu. Koutou katoa ngā mahuetanga iho, tēnā koutou.

[Ngāti Hinerangi, you who have come here for the first reading of your bill, I support those acknowledgments that have already been made. Our thoughts are with those who have passed on. To you, the descendants of those who have passed on, greetings.]

I listened very carefully to all the contributions on the first reading of the Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill. Like members in this House, I want to reflect on how significant it is to come to the House with a settlement with the greatest amount of consensus around resolving historical injustices and resolving to move forward.

If you look around the House at the plaques that are here, they demonstrate quite clearly the wars that New Zealand fought in around the world. But this time, last week, at 6 o’clock in the morning, several of us gathered from across the House and were joined by iwi to unveil a plaque of our own, and that was to recognise the significance of the New Zealand Wars and the impact that it had on shaping the history of this country. And why that is significant is because one would only have to look briefly through Ngāti Hinerangi’s bill and understand the context which shapes much of the reason why a settlement is so necessary.

Now, my colleague Willie Jackson will understand this: it’s not how big the tool is; it’s how you use it. But the point of that is it wouldn’t matter how big or small a settlement is; it’s the purpose and the intent with which you want to utilise the settlement to achieve your aspirations. I really want to come to that, because it was evident to me when I had a look at some of those aspirations for Ngāti Hinerangi that it wasn’t about money. It was to restore the mana, pride, and identity of the iwi, for Ngāti Hinerangi to become a leader in its own rohe, and that is significant, because it would be so easy to remain invisible, just with the bordering iwi around you to remain invisible. This will not let it be the case.

This will ensure that Ngāti Hinerangi’s human potential, development of whānau, and expertise can continue to grow and sustain your future. This will ensure that you can restore your marae, your traditional meeting grounds, so that they can be the meeting places of the next generation. It will restore traditional knowledge systems and tikanga, and, again, increasing and enhancing of the mana of Ngāti Hinerangi, raising the educational, social, cultural, and political aspirations of the iwi, developing short- and long-term strategic goals and plans for the future, and assisting in the development of your own commercial ventures, of which you will decide what that will look like and how that will benefit your future aspirations. But here it is: establish a centre and knowledge of learning.

I think there’s a germane kind of sense of resilience in your future aspirations that we should draw confidence from and be encouraged by, because, again, it’s how you utilise the purpose of your settlement, and it’s evident here to me that the purpose is about the people, restoring place and pride and connection to your cultural areas and wāhi tapu. This is difficult in this day and time, because, if you take the context of Ngāti Hinerangi, you’ve got Tauranga Moana that’s settled, Raukawa that’s settled, Hauraki that’s settled, Ngāti Hauā, Waikato that’s settled, and here is Ngāti Hinerangi fighting to ensure that their interests aren’t lost in the ether. But the overlapping aspects impacting on Ngāti Hinerangi and how you’ve still retained a generosity of spirit, I think, is something you can’t replicate by chance; it’s within you. For that, I recognise the ambition that you have for your people in being able to get to this point, and this isn’t the end of it.

The first reading enables the House now to understand your aspirations, for it to go to select committee, for submissions to be heard, and for people to really get a sense and an appreciation of what it will take to build confidence with the Crown, with the Government, in working alongside Ngāti Hinerangi, and that is the opportunity that you have taken with both hands and said, “We are going to do this.”, and for that, I too join with other members in this House and acknowledge your leadership, because that would have had to have happened at every level. There were difficulties within the iwi—there is no doubt about it—but this is your time, your moment, and we’re here to support you to move this forward to the next place so that we can get to the third reading and support, with confidence, your aspiration. Tēnā tātou katoa.

Bill read a first time.

Members, before I put the referral question, I just advise members that straight after the vote, permission has been granted for a waiata for our Ngāti Hinerangi visitors from the gallery, and we look forward to that.

Bill referred to the Māori Affairs Committee.

Waiata