Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill

I present a legislative statement on the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.

I move, That the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill.

Tākiri mai ana te ata, i runga o ngākau mārohirohi. Korihi ana te manu kaupapa, ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea.

Tihei mauriora. E mihi ana ki a koutou kua tae mai nei runga i te karanga o te kaupapa o te rā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. E mihi ana ki te hunga mate, haere, haere, haere atu rā. Ki a tātou te hunga ora, tēnā tātou.

Kia whakamānawatia ngā mana o ēnei whenua e tū āhuru nei, tēnei au, otirā mātou Te Kāwanatanga e mihi nei ki te kaupapa o te wā, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Dawn breaks, a new morning and a dauntless heart. The voice of this issue now sings, a new dawn leads to the full light of day.

I now begin. Greetings to you all who have responded to the call of this issue to be here today. I acknowledge those who have passed, may you rest in peace. And to us who remain, welcome one and all.

To pay tribute to this comfortable land, I stand here, we the Government stands here acknowledging the present issue. Therefore to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa o Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, greetings to you all, greetings, greetings one and all.]

I’m grateful to be here, in this form, to speak to the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill. I’d like to begin by acknowledging members of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, some of whom I understand are in the gallery this afternoon. We’ve only been allowed in the last few weeks to welcome iwi back into the House to watch their bills being read, and it’s always special to be able to celebrate the event when this happens.

I’d like to take time to remember and pay tribute to Ngāti Kahungunu leaders and loved ones who have passed on before they were able to bear witness to today’s milestone. They’re all in our thoughts and with us today in spirit. I also want to acknowledge the work and dedication of the Ngāti Kahungunu negotiation team. In particular, I want to thank Ron Mark, Ian Perry, Robin Potangaroa, Haami Te Whaiti, and Hayden Hape. The negotiators have been well supported by their advisers, Rawiri Smith, Marama Tuuta, and Lee Gray, and their legal counsel, Jennifer Braithwaite and Mike Colson. Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua have been served over the years by extremely courageous and committed negotiators and advisers, and I acknowledge their tenacity and hard work.

I also want to thank and acknowledge my ministerial colleagues, chief Crown negotiator Rick Barker for his contribution to this settlement, and officials from Te Arawhiti and other Crown agencies who’ve worked alongside Ngāti Kahungunu to develop this package.

Today’s reading marks a major milestone for Ngāti Kahungunu and their settlement journey. This comes after generations of struggle for their people seeking justice for the Crown to uphold its commitments under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and for recognition of the many breaches of Te Tiriti by the Crown. This settlement is grounded in the Crown’s acknowledgment and apology for its repeated breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles.

I want to mention that, in particular, the Crown acknowledges and apologises for the forced cession of tens of thousands of acres of land at Maungaroa in 1845; for the failure to act in good faith during rapid and extensive land purchases, which left Ngāti Kahungunu virtually landless by 1900; for the failure to honour the chiefly gifting of Wairarapa Moana, for which the Crown promised ample reserves on the shores of Lake Wairarapa but instead gave land at Pouākani, north-west of Taupō, much of which was subsequently taken back through public works; and for the failure to actively protect and encourage te reo Māori.

Unfortunately, when we signed the deed in October last year here in Wellington, we were operating under COVID-19 restrictions and were unable to have a large ceremony. It’s important the Crown apology is delivered to everyone, and I look forward to a time when the situation permits me to visit Ngāti Kahungunu in their rohe and to deliver the Crown apology in full to Ngāti Kahungunu kanohi ki te kanohi.

The redress contained in this bill will support Ngāti Kahungunu in realising their future endeavours and aspirations for their iwi and the many generations to come. The settlement redress package provides for 27 sites of deep cultural significance to be transferred to Ngāti Kahungunu as cultural redress. These include two properties in Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, a property at Remutaka summit, two properties near Mount Holdsworth, and three properties in South Wairarapa.

Significantly, I also wanted to mention that Ngāti Kahungunu will receive cultural redress shared with Rangitāne o Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua through Te Rohe o Rongokako Joint Redress Bill, which was read only a couple of weeks ago in this House. Through that joint redress bill, the Crown-owned part of Wairarapa Moana will transfer to iwi. To complement that great taonga, this bill provides for the return to Ngāti Kahungunu of the reserves surrounding Lake Wairarapa and Lake Ōnoke, including the Wairarapa Lake Domain and Lake Shore properties and the bed of Pounui Lagoon.

The bill will vest the Castlepoint Scenic Reserve in the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Settlement Trust, which will then be gifted by the iwi to the Crown. This is a very important place and taonga within the Ngāti Kahungunu rohe that will be able to be enjoyed by all New Zealanders. This gift is testament to their commitment to the new partnership between Ngāti Kahungunu and the Crown, and I thank them for their generosity.

The total financial and commercial redress for Ngāti Kahungunu is $115 million, and the bill also acknowledges the association of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua with their rohe by recognising 30 place name changes.

I mentioned earlier land at Pouākani. The Crown’s actions in relation to this land amounted to a breach of Te Tiriti, not only through the Crown providing Ngāti Kahungunu the land of another iwi but through the subsequent public works taking back of those lands. Pouākani is acknowledged in this settlement, and the prejudice suffered by Wairarapa Māori at Pouākani was taken into account in the development of redress included in the settlement. While not possible to provide redress in Pouākani, the hope is that extensive redress in Wairarapa forest land and farmland, along with redress at Wairarapa Moana, which will return to Ngāti Kahungunu, will assist in restoring Ngāti Kahungunu’s social and economic position in the lands of their ancestors.

The road to reaching settlement is a long and complex process, and this journey has had many bumps along the way. Together we are addressing grievances which will cause hurt and pain today. It’s the Crown’s wish that this settlement marks a new day in the relationship between Ngāti Kahungunu and the Crown. Today is about acknowledging the past and looking forward to the future. It’s been a long journey to come to this day. No settlement can fully atone for the wrongdoing of the Crown or compensate Ngāti Kahungunu for the hurt they have endured, but I sincerely hope this settlement is the beginning of a stronger relationship between Ngāti Kahungunu and the Crown, based on mutual trust, cooperation, and respect for Te Tiriti and its principles. I propose the bill should proceed without delay to the Māori Affairs Committee. I commend this bill to the House. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise as the National Party’s spokesperson for Treaty negotiations to speak in support of this bill at first reading.

Ngāti Kahungunu ki Waipareira [Wairarapa] Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, he rā tino nui tēnei mō koutou, nā koutou te kaha me te manawanui. Nō reira e rua rangatira mā, tēnei tāku mihi atu ki a koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Ngāti Kahungunu ki Waipareira [Wairarapa] Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, this is a very important day for you and your strength and steadfastness. Therefore, to the many chiefs this is my acknowledgment to you, greetings, greetings, greetings one and all.]

National supports this bill to select committee. To the elders, leaders, and members of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua who are witnessing this moment here within Parliament, we’re very pleased to be able to have you here this afternoon. As the Minister before spoke, it’s been rare in recent times for that to be able to happen. To those who are watching from home, wherever in the world they may be, I extend a very warm welcome, and it was a pleasure to be at the first reading ceremony this afternoon, for the mihi whakatau, and to see those in the gallery there this afternoon.

Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua have waited a long time to reach this point, especially considering the delay in signing the deed of settlement once it was initialled in 2018. I will also just take a moment to acknowledge the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Andrew Little, the officials, and the negotiators who have helped us reach this point.

This bill gives effect to the deed of settlement, signed on 29 October 2021, in which the Crown and Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua agree to final settlement of the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims. Ngāti Kahungunu has a population of approximately 12,000 people and consists of two of the six taiwhenua, regions, that make up the iwi. The Ngāti Kahungunu area of interest spans from, in this case, Cape Turnagain down to Cape Palliser, and it comes to the wider Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua regions.

Following nine weeks of hearings between 20 March 2004 and March 2005, the Waitangi Tribunal released the Wairarapa ki Tararua report in June 2010 at Te Oriori Marae, Masterton. Their report covered 28 claims filed by members of Ngāti Kahungunu and the Rangitāne hapū, and other claimant groups. The inquiry district covered the south-eastern corner of the North Island, inland to the Ruahine and Tararua ranges, and northward to Southern Hawke’s Bay. The claims investigated by the Waitangi Tribunal, concerning Wairarapa ki Tararua, covered the Crown’s purchase of land—including land around Wairarapa Moana—and the compulsory acquisition of Māori land for public works. The grievances of Ngāti Kahungunu included the Crown’s forced secession at Mangaroa and acquisition of vast lands throughout their rohe that left Ngāti Kahungunu virtually landless, the loss and degradation of Wairarapa Moana, the Crown’s failure to protect Ngāti Kahungunu from the erosion of their tribal structures, and the social deprivation and loss of te reo Māori that followed.

Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua did not sign the Treaty of Waitangi. Nevertheless, the Crown’s undertaking to Māori in the Treaty applies to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. From the 1840s, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua welcomed settlers to Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua and enjoyed wealth and benefits from rent and trade. In 1845, during the Crown’s first encounter with Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, the Crown prejudged their guilt in a dispute with settlers and forced them to cede tens of thousands of acres at Mangaroa with threats of violence. During the late 1840s and early 1850s, the Crown threatened to end Pākehā settlement in Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua unless iwi sold their land on to the Crown and gave up the pastoral leases, which were providing Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua with income and trade benefits while retaining ownership of the land.

In June 1853, the chiefs and people of Ngāti Kahungunu signed the Castle Point deed, their first land sale to the Crown. In August, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua met Governor George Grey for komiti nui, a large meeting, to hear of his plans for future land sales. They were led to believe that substantial educational, health, and economic benefits from settlement were the real payment for land sales. The Crown agreed to use some of the profits made from on-selling certain lands to provide a koha fund to be managed in committee with Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua to supplement some of these benefits. Immediately following the komiti nui, the Crown purchased approximately 1.5 million acres—well over half of the traditional rohe of iwi. The Crown did not fulfil its obligations regarding the koha fund, and Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua received few of the benefits they had been led to expect.

From 1866, the Native Land Court operated in Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, determining the ownership of Māori land and converting customary title into title derived from the Crown, a process that imposed a heavy cost on iwi. Until 1873, legislation limited the ownership of land blocks to 10 or fewer individuals. The individualised formal title granted by the Crown eroded tribal control and rendered the land vulnerable to fragmentation and sale. As a result, large areas of this land under the Native Land Court title were purchased by the Crown and settlers.

Iwi responded to extensive Crown purchasing and other grievances with staunch but peaceful resistance and tried to work with the Crown to address issues through kīngitanga, kotahitanga, the repudiation movement, and direct engagement. Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua responded to extensive Crown purchasing and other grievances with staunch but peaceful resistance and tried to work with the Crown—as discussed.

In this bill, the Crown apologies to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua for not honouring its obligations to respect the tino rangatiratanga of Ngāti Kahungunu through repeated breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi, and its principles and for the damage caused to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. These include the forced cessation of tens of thousands of acres of land in 1845, Crown threats to end Pākehā settlement in Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, the failure to protect Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua from becoming virtually landless, not upholding the spirit of the agreement in 1896, and a failure to actively protect te reo Māori.

The settlement package includes an agreed historical account, Crown acknowledgments and apology, cultural redress. The bill provides for the vesting of 27 Crown-owned sites in Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. The fee simple estate of the Castlepoint Scenic Reserve will vest in the settlement trust on the first 16 March that falls after the settlement date. On the seventh day after vesting, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua will return the fee simple estate to the Crown as a gift to all New Zealanders. Four sites will be jointly vested in Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua and Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā Trust as shared redress. Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua will also receive financial redress of $115 million plus interest. There is an issue. It will need to be addressed at the Māori Affairs Committee and I would look forward to hearing submissions on that as one of the permanent members of that.

The main value of Treaty settlements to our national life is they reorient the Crown-Māori relationship from a backward-looking historical focus to a future-facing focus. It was important that the way in which the Crown facilitates a settlement does not inflict new breaches and that the resultant settlement is durable. A key risk in this bill is that the Wairarapa Moana ki Pouākani Incorporation litigation in the courts and the Waitangi Tribunal would be brought to an end by this bill. There has been a clear recommendation from the Waitangi Tribunal that the settlement should not proceed at the present time and this does raise concerns as to Wairarapa Moana ki Pouākani’s rights to due process before the courts and the durability of the settlement contained in this legislation.

The Waitangi Tribunal indicated in early 2020 it was inclined to recommend the return of the land. However, the Crown and Mercury challenged this in the courts. The Crown and Mercury had a measure of success in the High Court. Wairarapa Moana ki Pouākani Incorporation appealed the High Court decision and on an application by the incorporation the Supreme Court agreed to leapfrog the Court of Appeal and hear the appeal directly. That appeal was heard at the start of this year and is awaiting the delivery of a decision. In the lead-up to the appeal, the Crown signed a deed of settlement with Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Settlement Trust. This deed of settlement purports to settle the incorporation’s Wai 85 claim. In the week before the Supreme Court heard the incorporation’s appeal, the Crown then introduced the legislation giving effect to this settlement. If passed, the legislation would bring an end to the incorporation’s application for the return of the land of Pouākani. The Supreme Court hearing went ahead despite the introduction of the settlement legislation.

There have been a number or risks or issues that the Waitangi Tribunal observed also—that Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Settlement Trust did not have a mandate to settle the incorporation’s Wai 85 claim and a number of other issues that I look forward to hearing more about in the Māori Affairs Committee. This bill is completing a settlement process, however, for Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, which was begun under former Treaty negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson and will help build a better future for iwi and future generations. Settlements recognise and right the wrongs of the past and strengthen the relationship between Crown and iwi. Settlements help iwi unlock economic potential and boost regional and provincial areas.

E te Māngai o te Whare, tēnā koe, otirā ngā mema katoa o te Whare, tēnā tātou katoa.

Ōku rau rangatira, ōku iwi o Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, tēnei te mihi aroha ki a koutou katoa i runga i te kaupapa whakanui. Harikoa te ngākau ki te kite i a koutou anō, nō reira, nau mai haere mai ki tō Whare, tēnei koutou.

[To the Speaker, greetings, and to all the members of the House, greetings to you all.

To my many chiefs, to my iwi of Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, this is my compassionate greeting to you as we honour this issue. I am elated to see you all again; therefore, welcome, welcome to your House, greetings.]

I’m pleased to take a call on the first reading of the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill and, yes, we probably can extend up to Waipareira, and that may be the intention for Ngāti Kahungunu to become Waipareira, so ngā mihi, ngā mihi. [Interruption from the gallery] Oh, kia ora, e te whanaunga. This is indeed a significant day: the first reading of a bill that has taken years in the making. Can I please acknowledge all the negotiators—the iwi negotiators, the Minister. Minister Little acknowledged the helpers on the side, those that lay and lodged the claims—many who are not here with us here today, but are in our thoughts. To the negotiators, thank you for your mahi. To the Crown negotiators, the Hon Rick Barker, the officials from Te Arawhiti, Te Puni Kōkiri and the other Government departments—I want to acknowledge your support—and, of course, the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Hon Andrew Little, and his predecessor Chris Finlayson, for their mahi.

Treaty claims aren’t the easiest undertaking. They are an attempt to right a wrong, and you heard both the Minister and the previous speaker talk about what happened to these particular people. I want to acknowledge that the people in our gallery at the moment, and those at home watching, descend from the kotahitanga kaupapa; a kaupapa that was formed for self-determination, for self-governance, and for national unity because too much of our land was being taken. And so what you have before you in the gallery are descendants of those rangatira who stood firm and fast at Pāpāwai—not once but twice—to indicate to the Crown of the day “You are taking land that does not belong to you.” and to return it.

I want to acknowledge these descendants who played that critical role, as we saw back in the 1880s. I want to share with members of this House that, prior to the signing of Tiriti o Waitangi, iwi, Māori, hapū were economically viable units. They owned their own whenua, they looked after their own tikanga and reo, they produced off their whenua, and they traded—and they traded. But what they also did is they welcomed in the settlers, they welcomed them in. They leased land. They allowed them to live amongst them. This was the graciousness of this iwi, and many others. But what did the Crown do in return? The Crown, in return, said, “Not enough, not enough. We don’t just want to lease your land, we want to purchase your land.”

So here we are today, acknowledging the huge sacrifice and the land grabs that happened for Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. And, for today, a small portion is being returned back to the people of Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua—a small portion, because we know they will never return the tens of thousands of acres that were taken from the Maungaroa. They won’t receive that. But this offer from the Crown is an acknowledgment of the hurt, of the tāhae that went on for these people, and I’m proud to stand in support of this first reading.

It is only the first reading, but I know these people have waited long enough. They have waited long enough, and it is to this House that we passage this bill so it comes back from the select committee in an expedient time, so we can pass it into legislation at its third reading, so we can acknowledge the hurt, the harm through this settlement for Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. I did mention around the claims that were lodged, because without claims that are originally lodged you will have no opportunity to negotiate with the Crown. So I want to acknowledge all those tīpuna who lodged initially.

Interesting that the mandate was agreed to in 2012. The AIP—which is the agreement in principle—was signed in May 2016. It was ratified in November 2016, and again, the Crown acknowledged the ratification in December 2019. In March 2018, the deed of settlement was initialled—or the DOS—and then that was ratified in November 2018, and here we are in May 2022, having the first reading.

Now, those years that I’ve given from 2012 to 2022 do not—even though it’s a 10-year period from achieving mandate to negotiate into the first reading, 10 years may seem, for a lot of people, a long time. And it is a long time, but if you add on the tāhae of land that happened in 1845, you’re getting a real perspective of how patient these people have been to have their claims heard and that we are starting on this journey to complete. So I am pleased to raise in support of this first reading.

Like the Minister said, it will go off to the Māori Affairs Committee—which will be in good hands; I’m told good things of that committee—and I do ask all those, including maybe some parties in this House, that have problems with this particular bill to submit, to submit their reasons for why, and for anyone that has difficulty with what we are debating in this House today. It is an opportunity for all the public—and I encourage all those who have opposing views or want enhanced views to please submit to the Māori Affairs Committee, who I know will come back to this House and report progress so we can see this bill completed.

It is a great day for Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. I want to acknowledge all those that have travelled near and far to be here to witness the first reading. I want to acknowledge the people’s patience while we finish this part of the process. But really, the day belongs to you, ōku iwi, ōku rangatira, e kui mā, e koro mā. [my iwi, my chiefs, my female and male elders.] And also to those that brought mokopuna, because it is for their lifetime that what we are doing today can improve their lot. Treaty negotiations never address all the issues or all the ills, but it does enable an opportunity for the iwi to go forward.

Like, I started this kōrero—these people are descendants of the kotahitanga kaupapa, which talked about coming together, it talked about unity, and it talked about national pride in who we are as Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. So with those few words, I wish this bill the speediest passage through this House, and I look forward to its third and final reading, where the iwi of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua can duly celebrate in all their hard work, their sacrifice, their patience, and acknowledgment of the wrongs of the Crown. Nō reira, e te iwi, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

E te Māngai, tēnā koe e te kui. E tū ana au ki te karanga mō te pānuitanga tuatahi o tēnei pire, Te Pire Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill. E mihi ana au ki a koutou ngā manuhiri e huihui mai nei i tēnei wā, ngā uri o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua.

Ko Harete Hipango taku ingoa. Ko au he mokopuna a Hori Hipango. Ko au he uri nō Whanganui.

[Madam Speaker, greetings. I stand to speak for the first reading of this bill, the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill. Greetings to you, our visitors who have gathered here at this time, the descendants of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua.

My name is Harete Hipango. I am descended from Hori Hipango. I am a descendant from Whanganui.]

In acknowledging our manuhiri who have travelled from afar and arrived here after generations of journeying, I follow my colleague the Hon Meka Whaitiri, uri of Ngāti Kahungunu. I also acknowledge in the House manuhiri and uri of Ngāti Kahungunu; however, former members of Parliament, the Hon Rick Barker, and I believe Marama Fox is back in the Whare. Tēnā koe, tēnā kōrua.

I turn to, importantly, the bill. As I’ve referenced, this has been a journey of generations for people of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa. And as uri of Whanganui, having been on that journey, I know that over the passage of time we carry our old people with us. However, I was heartened at the mihi whakatau to see our young people, tamariki, mokopuna, and rangatahi, because the purpose of this settlement bill is transitioning from the grievance and the injustices of the past and moving forward into the future with hope and prosperity.

I’m always cognisant that those of us who have travelled the journeys with these Treaty settlement bills, we know the history, we know the kōrero, we know the whakapapa. However, the opportunity to address people gathered in the House is also to those New Zealanders who may be tuning in or are tuned in through the television and technology. So these readings are also about bringing the rest of Aotearoa New Zealand on the passage of this journey as the passage of this bill has entered the House for its first reading; and then will transition to the Māori Affairs Committee, which I have the privilege of serving as a member of; then back into the House for the second reading, possibly with some amendments, some adjustments after hearing submissions from those interested parties to the bill; and then to transition to the third reading and into law. So this is an opportunity that I seize to bring New Zealanders on this journey, because many are ignorant of the facts of the journey of where our people have come from to the point that we are arriving at today.

On that note and in the limited time that we have—10 minutes to address the House—the key message, as my colleagues have addressed and spoken, is that this is a settlement bill to attempt to redress the wrongs, the injustices, the grievances, and the mamae from the past. My colleague Joseph Mooney, who spoke as a member of the National Party, as I do, traversed some of the history which is going to be encapsulated and inscribed, written into the bill. There was a particular poignant moment when a koroheke spoke at the mihi whakatau as your last speaker today, talking about the e koro, being of his generation and era, and the imposition of colonisation not making enough room and space for our tikanga for our way of living. And, e koro, I sat there quietly because your story is a story that my father shared with me. And my father, in his childhood, his parents made the decision and saw fit at that time, in the 1940s and 1950s, that for my father—and then, if followed through the generations thereafter, for us to not only survive but to succeed, we had to assimilate into Te Ao Pākehā. And, koro, I acknowledge, thank you, the privilege of listening to your story. It’s a shared story for many of us that many New Zealanders do not know and have not lived and do not carry that burden or the mamae from. The purpose of this settlement bill is to address some of those wrongs, to remedy, and to make better moving forward.

By way of background, part of the journey—and only part of the last 30 years of entering into this process to arrive here today at this time for the first reading—started, I understand, 30 years ago in terms of this part of the legal journey. Moving from Te Ao Māori to tikanga ngā ture Māori into this dimension of acknowledging and the passage of writing things from past wrongs into law. So I understand that in November 2012 the Crown recognised the mandate of the trust to represent Ngāti Kahungunu, with terms of negotiation signed in June 2013. And then on 7 May 2016 the agreement in principle was signed. In November 2016 the members of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua ratified the post-settlement governance entity, the settlement trust, and then the trust was formally established in March 2017. On 22 March 2018, the settlement trust, with the Crown, initialled a deed of settlement that was ratified in November 2018, and then the deed of settlement was signed—and I’ve misplaced the time but the people know this. It was signed on 29 October 2021. So that’s just a snippet of the passage that it’s taken to arrive at this point today.

The Māori Affairs Committee will have the duty and responsibility to prudently go through—but, importantly, to listen to—the submissions from the people of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and other interested parties about the detail of the letter of the proposed law in this bill. It will be our responsibility and obligation to listen to the submissions but also to turn our minds and our lens as to whether there are parts of the bill that may need to be improved.

The bill is being passed unanimously in this first reading through to select committee. At that stage, as I indicated, there may be some amendments. It’s been touched on in the House by one speaker, as I recollect, that there had been some grievance by hapū who took their concern to the Waitangi Tribunal. Findings with recommendations have been made, and then there were High Court proceedings initiated which the select committee will, with interest, await to see whether there is a determination or judgment during the time that we preside and listen and scrutinise the bill.

My point is that the Crown, having committed to signing the deed of settlement, is acknowledging the injustices, the grievances, and the wrongs from the past, but it is important as we move forward into the future to ensure that there are no further injustices that are created, or, if they are, that must be remedied. On that note, I complete my kōrero by saying it is a privilege always to speak to Treaty settlement bills, but today for me, as uri of Whanganui and tūpuna Tamatea Pōkai Whenua—the marae I come from is Pūtiki Wharanui o Tamatea Pōkai Whenua.

On that note, I commend the bill to the House. Kia ora.

Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa ngā mihi ki a koutou i whakarangatira i a mātou i tēnei wā.

Engari, aroha mai, tuatahi e tika pea ki te mihi ki ngā mate kātahi anō kua hinga. Ā, kua hinga ngā kapua pōuri i runga i Taranaki Maunga, kua wehe atu rā te tumuaki o Te Hāhi Rātana, arā ko Matua Harerangi Meihana. E koro, moe mai rā me piki ake koe mā runga i te aroha o te iwi ki te taha o tō koroua, arā a Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana.

E Harerangi, he kākano rangatira koe i ruia mai i Rangiātea, he maha anō ngā tini kākano kua tiakina e ō ringa. Kua waiho rā āianei i te ātārangi o te haerenga, otirā ahakoa te pōuri me whiti mai te rā kia ahu mai ngā otaota mō ngā rā kei tua. E te pou, haere atu rā, hoki atu rā kei raro i te aroha o Te Matua, Te Tama, Te Wairua Tapu, me ngā Anahera Pono me Te Māngai e tautoko mai, āianei, āke nei āe.

Huri au ināianei ki taku hoa tawhito kātahi anō kua hinga inā nā, ko Anaru Robb. Ahakoa he tangata Pākehā, he ngākau Māori tēnei tangata. I ngā wā o mua e mahi ana ia i taha o ahau mātou ko Derek Fox i runga i te ao pāpāho, Mana Māori Media. He tangata i tautoko Huirangi Waikerepuru me ngā rangatira i roto i te ao Māori. E tika ana ki te maumahara tēnei tangata, he tangata i whawhai mō ngā tikanga Māori ahakoa he Pākehā. He tangata momo, he tangata mōhio tō tātou reo Māori. Nō reira e tōku hoa, Anaru, moe mai, moe mai, moe mai rā. Ka nui tēnā.

Ki a koutou ngā rangatira tae mai nei i tēnei wā. He rawe, rawe ki te kite a koutou i tēnei wā. Ahakoa i raro i te kapua o te pōuri i tēnei wā, tēnei te tino mihi ki a koutou. Tika ana pea ki te haramai ki te maumahara ngā wā o mua ki te whakanui tēnei kaupapa hoki, tēnei te tino mihi ki a koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā anō tātou katoa.

[Greetings to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, to you, who are ennobling us today.

My apologies, firstly we should acknowledge those who have passed recently. Dark clouds hang over Taranaki Mountain as the leader of the Rātana Church Matua Harerangi Meihana has passed. To my elder, rest, ascend upon the love of the people, alongside your grandfather, Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana.

Harerangi, you were a chiefly seed sown from Rangiātea, and there have been numerous other seeds tended by your hands. We are left in the shadow of your absence, and in spite of the sadness, the sun will shine so that the grass will grow for the days to come. To the stalwart, go, return, within the love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Faithful Angels and The Mouthpiece, to uphold us now and for evermore.

I turn now to also my old friend who has only just died, Andrew Robb. Although he was a Pākehā, this man had a Māori heart. In the past he worked in broadcasting with myself and Derek Fox at Mana Māori Media. He was supported by Huirangi Waikerepuru and other leaders within the Māori world. It is appropriate that we remember this man, who fought for Māori customary practice even though he was Pākehā. He was a character and a man that knew our Māori language. Therefore my friend, Andrew, may you rest in peace. I will leave it there.

To you the chiefs who have arrived here today. It is marvellous, marvellous to see you at this time. In spite of the dark clouds of the time, this is a very special greeting to you all. It is perhaps appropriate to come and remember the old days and, as well as celebrate this issue, warm greeting to you all, greetings, greetings, greetings one and all.]

Welcome our manuhiri here today; lovely to have you here today. A sad day, when we have to announce the loss of the head of the Rātana Church, who, no doubt, some of our whānau who come here today will be a whanaunga to. It is a significant loss for this country—not just for Labour, but for this country. Everyone knows about the connections with Labour, but these sorts of connection are with Te Ao Māori. If you go there you’ll see all different denominations there, and we mourn the loss of a leader today: Harerangi Meihana, or Harry, as we used to call him. I always liked him. I liked him because of his understated ways and not out the front there like other kaiārahi—understated, unsung hero, in terms of Te Ao Māori. So we mihi to Ratana at this time.

I also did a mihi to one of our old mates, a Pākehā fellow who worked with myself and Derek Fox in Māori media; a guy who got fluent in the reo and was a huge supporter of Te Ao Māori—supported Te Ao Māori all his life and supported people like Debbie Packer’s whanaunga Huirangi Waikerepuru. Huge. One of those kaitautoko there all the time. Anaru Robb—we called him Anaru—Andrew Robb, one of the neatest people you could ever come across; I was very saddened to hear of his loss yesterday, and just a wonderful contributor in terms of Te Ao Māori, so we mihi to him and his whānau.

And I mihi to you all today. You’ve heard all the kōrero about the statement, you heard our Minister, and you’ve heard Harete Hipango and Meka Whaitiri. We know all the background to it; I don’t want to pour anything on this kaupapa because there’s a lot to celebrate—that’s why we’re all here. I don’t want to pour any worry on the kaupapa.

I always say in these types of situations, it’s always good to reflect on the Treaty settlements process. I was probably one of them who opposed it to start off with—all those years ago when I was a lot younger, of course—and was against the settlement process, because who was going to settle for $1 billion; you know? I’m sure some of our audience here would remember those days, where we had Tame Iti standing on a ladder and pointing, looking down at Doug Graham—those were the days, you know! And Māoridom sort of moved en masse against the settlement process, but in the end we sort of all—

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: Woke up!

Well, I wouldn’t say—Gerry Brownlee says “woke up”; he’s probably not far away actually. “Gave up” might be the other side of the argument.

It’s an interesting kōrero, and I respect Gerry Brownlee because he’s been part of that kōrero—because the challenge is: do you take nothing or do you take something? That’s the challenge always for our Māori leadership: do you take nothing or something? That was the challenge for Mahuta and for O’Regan. These are not silly men; these are not silly rangatira. So you’re talking about these people taking $170 million in 1995, 1996. Gerry Brownlee might know the economists at the time, particularly in terms of Ngāi Tahu, were talking about Ngāi Tahu being worth—

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: Six billion dollars.

Somewhere between $15 and $18 billion.

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: Yeah.

Yeah, that’s right. Gerry knows.

So what does that say about our people? It says they want to get on with things. And against all odds, our leadership—and of course the allegations of being called sell-outs and all that sort of thing, that goes with the territory; that goes with the territory. Rawiri Waititi knows this, now being a member of the Crown. He refuses to accept it, but he’s a member of the Crown; him and Deb, they’re staunch as, but we all know. He actually speaks for me now at formal gatherings—got better reo, you see, so I’ve got to utilise him.

But these are the things that we have to wear. If you want to get into Māori leadership, then you’ve got to take it from our people. That’s why I admire the Mahutas and the O’Regans, because they got called this. I remember Sandra Lee, who I worked with in the past, she opposed the Ngāi Tahu bill—but they did the deal, and look where those tribes are today.

My hope is that this tribe will go down the same track. We can scorn or criticise the pūtea that’s been put there, but it’s a good pūtea. I’m saying now to people, don’t work out what percentage it is; you only have to go the Māori Party site and they’ll tell you every two minutes what it’s worth! But it’s no good doing that, otherwise you get negative, you see! You listen to these fellas too much, you’ll go jump off the Auckland Harbour Bridge!

💬 Rawiri Waititi: Well, hurry up!

Ha, ha! But the reality is, it’s a good pūtea and you can do something with it; make something of it. How are we going to look after our—we work with the tribes now. We work with the tribes now; myself, Minister Whaitiri, and Minister Kiritapu Allan. The challenge now is where do we go as iwi? How does that iwi utilise that pūtea? How does that iwi work with Government? What pūtea are they going to put up? Do you think that the Government should be putting everything up or should there be a partnership? How are you connecting with urban Māori? These are all the challenges for people who settle.

We all have to remember this: some tribes, most tribes are doing well. There’s one or two where there’s a few questions—there’s a few questions, probably not too far from where yous are. There’s a few questions and we have to utilise this pūtea well, because we’re talking about advancing our young people. That’s the challenge for the negotiators. I want to thank all the negotiators, and they have already been named, for your fortitude and for putting in the time to make this happen. The real challenge will be: what do we get out of it, what do our rangatahi get out of it, how can we preserve that pūtea and actively work?

Don’t sit there and just—you know, invest here. There’s a lot of things we’ve learnt through the process: we’ve learnt to work with Governments, whoever that Government is; be constructive; be creative; be good partners and the $100 million could become a $1 billion just like with Ngāi Tahu and Tainui.

I didn’t go into the settlement. I thought I’d just have a general kōrero just to tautoko the kaupapa and have a bit of a poroporoaki to my old mates. Mihi to you and so well done. Is that you up there, the new chair of Kahungunu? You look very flash, very sharp. Congratulations to yous, and don’t forget Ngahiwi—don’t forget Ngahiwi Tomoana. Mihi to our mate Ngahiwi.

Mihi ana ki a koutou, tātou katoa. Tēnei te mihi ki a koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā anō tātou katoa, kia ora.

[Greetings to you all, to all of us. This is my acknowledgment to you all, greetings to you all, greetings one and all, thank you.]

Kia ora. E mihi ana me te ngākau whakaiti ki a koutou katoa e karapinepine ana ki raro o te whakaruruhau o tēnei Whare. E mihi ana ki a koutou i whakapau kaha ki te tae ki tēnei wāhi o te haerenga roa i tīmata mai i te wā i whati te Karauna i ngā tūmanako o Te Tiriti o Waitangi. He pōhēhē nā rātou i te mea ko tō tātou Tiriti he oranga mai i te wā i haina ngā tīpuna tae noa ki tēnei wā, nō reira tēnā koutou katoa.

He mokopuna tēnei nō Te Tai Rāwhiti, he whanaunga kē ko Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, ko Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, ko Whānau-a-Kai, me Ngāti Oneone.

[Greetings. I greet you all with a humble heart as you gather here under the shelter of this House. I acknowledge the energy expended to arrive at this point of the long journey, a journey that started at the time the Crown breached the expectations of the Treaty of Waitangi. They are mistaken because our Treaty has been a living document from the time it was signed by our ancestors right through to today; therefore greetings to you all.

I am a descendant from the East Coast with connections to Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Whānau-a-Kai, and Ngāti Oneone.]

Today I’m channelling my grandfather, Kahungunu Kerekere, who was born in 1898, unfortunately passed before I was born, but I absolutely feel him here with me today. I also rise on behalf of Jan Logie—my colleague is our Tiriti o Waitangi spokesperson for the Green Party—to speak to this bill, the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill. We note it’s the compendium bill to the Te Rohe o Rongokako Joint Redress Bill and it gives effect to the final settlement of the historical Treaty of Waitangi Claims between you and the Crown.

Firstly, we acknowledge that the claims settlement process is deeply, deeply flawed because it enforces Crown control at every stage, often undermining whakapapa and mātauranga Māori. It is designed to pit iwi and hapū against each other, layering new intergenerational trauma over the settler colonialism on which this process is founded. And after decades of work and sacrifice, iwi receive approximately 1 percent of what was already theirs, while the Crown congratulates itself on yet another settlement. We do not consider any of these settlements to be fair, full, or final. My colleague just spoke about our iwi being pragmatic, and we know we have to be, generous and patient—absolutely. But we also acknowledge that after all these years of work and sacrifice, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua needs it to finish. It is an impressive achievement that you are here and we know that your negotiators and all the whānau are exhausted. It was a privilege to be at the pō’hiri today, but sad to see the photos of the pā and those you have lost—on the table beside us. Too many have been laid to rest through this process. It is time to finish it. We acknowledge, though, their wairua here with us today.

While the iwi have acted in good faith throughout, we have major concerns about the actions of the Crown and the implications of those actions on the constitutional arrangements for other hapū and other iwi. At the best of times, our hapū and iwi do not always agree with each other, or maybe that’s just our hapū and iwi at home. So of course that rolls out in most, if not all, of these settlement claim processes. It is exacerbated by the rules around large natural groupings, which significantly disadvantage small iwi and it invisibilises hapū.

Whilst Treaty settlements are rarely, if ever, tidy and unanimously agreed to, the concerns with this settlement are actually significantly greater than usual. And in this case we have the recent Waitangi Tribunal ruling that others of my colleagues have mentioned here today, which unequivocally tells the Crown to stop progress on the settlement until the litigation before the Supreme Court is completed. The tribunal also found that the settlement trust does not have a mandate to settle on behalf of two parties to this bill—Ngāi Tūmapūhia-ā-Rangi and Wairarapa Moana ki Pouākani Incorporation—and that continuing with this settlement would create new breaches and not result in a durable settlement. No one wants to go through all of this again, and we are not proposing that we stop here to wait for that court settlement. We hope that it will be done through, as my colleagues have said—and it will come out in—the select committee process and all of that will be resolved.

We acknowledge that Waitangi Tribunal rulings are not binding on the Crown except in the case of the return of State-owned enterprise land, but we do not think it is appropriate for the Crown to dismiss completely a direct ruling from them. To our knowledge, it is unprecedented for the Crown to introduce legislation that, once passed, will extinguish the rights of parties with a case in front of the Supreme Court. We may be MPs and this may be Parliament, but we do not have the right to undermine and determine the whakapapa of any other hapū or iwi. We should never be looking to undermine the tino rangatiratanga of any of them. The Minister, though, has assured us that he believes the Waitangi Tribunal was incorrect and that the Supreme Court will rule against the claimants. It is essential we remember that the Crown is not a neutral party in this. They have a clear financial conflict of interest in the outcome.

The Greens have met with some of the interested party, who have been in the courts over this matter. The issue is not with the settlement trust; it is with the Crown. They expressed a wish for the settlement to go ahead, just without the sections of concern or their inclusion. I heard the wero laid down at the pō’hiri today: haere whakamua i roto i te kotahitanga. [Move forward together.] Absolutely. We agree we must move forward together. So we will not delay this bill. We will absolutely not hold it up in any way and we will not vote against it. In our own wero to the Crown, though, today we will abstain.

Having stated thus, let’s look at some of the whakapapa. Some of my colleagues have given more details, but we note that Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua did not sign the Treaty of Waitangi. They have contributed greatly to the nation through military service and wealth created from their lands, some of which has been gifted as with Wairarapa Moana. As is their wont, in some of the bad faith that we will often see from the Crown, they forced the cession of tens of thousands of acres of land in 1845, threatened to end Pākehā settlement in Wairarapa and Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua to force land sales, and failed to uphold the rangatiratanga of the Wairarapa Moana, failed to actively protect te reo Māori, which we all know means they actively attacked our language in parts of the attempt to assimilate Māori, which, of course, they did around the country.

This resulted in many of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua being alienated from their lands, culture, and language and the rich fabric of hapū and iwi life being severely damaged. The ravages of colonisation have left them virtually landless and much of what they retain lacks legal or practical access. Their waterways and lands have been degraded to fuel economic development. They have endured social and economic underdevelopment, and have struggled to make use of the lands that retained, maintain their traditional marae communities, and recover their language and culture in the 21st century.

These are awful, awful things. But the people still stand proud. They still retain their mātauranga, still know their whakapapa—all of those things. With this, even though it comes with pūtea, even though it might come with land, some bits and pieces, it is nothing to what has been lost. It is, though, the basis from which to move forward. The Crown must apologise for its misuse of power, its theft, and its treachery, and the profound intergenerational harm that it has caused. A fulsome apology is the absolute minimum that is required to honour the tino rangatiratanga of the people here, and that apology can only be genuine if a real, proper fair redress is made available. This will enable the uri of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua to continue to rebuild, to create a better future for them and their whānaua for their mokopuna.

So finally, after all the work, all the sacrifice, all the meetings, discussions, arguments, and let’s admit it, probably a few full-on fights, this bill is in the House. It may not be ideal, but soon it will be done. So you can celebrate, rest, heal, and keep moving. The Green Party absolutely wants this for you. And so with much respect to the negotiation team and the whānau who supported them to do that, those who have travelled to be in the gallery today, those of you watching, tēnā rā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora huihui mai tātou katoa. [Greetings to you all, greetings, be well, one and all who have gathered here.]

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is a pleasure to rise on behalf of ACT to support the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua Claims Settlement Bill. I’d just like to acknowledge the people who are sitting here today, and I cannot imagine how you must be feeling today, after years of fighting for what is right.

It is a real honour to be a part of that and to stand here today and say thank you for your courage, your strength, and your patience to get to the point where we are today. I’m hoping that the select committee process allows you to have a voice, to make changes, or to express how you’re feeling, and to express if there is an issue that you would like to still be addressed, and, hopefully, the select committee process will be a better process than what you’ve experienced so far.

Every person in New Zealand, no matter what their origin or their ethnicity, deserves to be treated with equality before the law, and every New Zealander should feel that their property rights will be protected. Unfortunately, early in our history, the Crown failed to uphold people’s basic rights and allowed numerous thefts and frauds of people’s property. This is why ACT supports the Treaty settlement process. But in saying that, I can only imagine the hurt and the pain you have suffered, and I am saddened that is has taken so long to get where we are today. I can only hope that once this last, final bit has finished, this can bring some closure to that pain and allow our next generation to see a better future for themselves and their children.

This settlement is to acknowledge the injustices of the past that resulted in the alienation of your tribe’s culture, language, and land, and with that comes an apology, cultural redress, and financial compensation, but this will never be able to change what happened in the past. But I hope from the bottom of my heart that it allows those affected to start to heal, and, with that, I commend this bill to the House.

E te Māngai o te Whare, tēnā koe, e ngā mema tēnā koutou.

[Madam Speaker, greetings, to all the members, greetings to you all.]

Karanga mai ki a Tākitimu waka e kōkiri ana

Karanga mai ki a Ruahine Maunga e tū whakahī ana

Karanga mai ki a Manawatū awa e rere ana

Karanga mai ki a Ngāti Kahungunu whānau whānui

Tēnā koutou, ngā rangatira me ngā mokopuna hoki.

[I call to the Tākitimu canoe, moving forwards

I call to the Ruahine Range, standing proud

I call to the flowing Manawatū River

I call to the extensive family of Ngāti Kahungunu

Greetings, from the chiefs down to the grandchildren.]

It is always special to welcome the whānau for whom these settlements are negotiated into this House, which is your House. And I’m glad that our COVID restrictions in Parliament now allow us to share this day together. May I start by acknowledging the settlement trust chairman and the settlement trustees, particularly Ron Mark, Ian Perry, Robin Potangaroa, Haami Te Whaiti, and Hayden Hape as well as their tireless advocates, including Jennifer Braithwaite and all those who stand as kaitiaki and custodians of this process.

Tēnā koutou katoa; tēnei te mihi mahana ki a koutou i tēnei rangi ātaahua.

[Greetings to you; these are my warm greetings to you on this beautiful day.]

Let me also acknowledge and thank the Hon Andrew Little for his work and, before him, the Hon Chris Finlayson, and negotiators on both sides, including the Hon Rick Barker—tēnā koe te rangatira. I want to also thank officials and advisers who have worked on this bill and the settlement arrangements which accompany it, which represent decades of work between the Crown and this rōpū. I want to also acknowledge the settlement trust’s work in engaging directly with the people who will benefit from this settlement—through its proactive approach to communication, whether it was sending mail directly to its people or whether that was communication on Facebook and through digital methods, and through its voting process by hosting and live streaming hui. I want to acknowledge those who have been advocates for this whānau, and the whenua that are no longer with us as well.

The first claims were lodged when I was just a small child, and their work has informed the lively and valuable debate that we have had over the years about this settlement and the wider exploration of these issues in the Waitangi Tribunal and in other bodies. And I thank them. I have heard the calls from the trust’s chairman for everyone involved to look to the future, and it is in that vein that I want to assist the House in understanding the future-focused arrangements in this bill between the Crown and the iwi—the arrangements that sit beneath it.

The redress package includes commercial redress and the valuable opportunity to buy Crown-owned properties. But it’s the other redress that I want to highlight, which relates to the Wairarapa Moana which I will speak to later, as well as the right to taonga tūturu and to work with Government departments as kaitiaki. These things are very important, and we haven’t yet addressed them in this House. I look forward, as a member of the Māori Affairs Committee, to scrutinising those arrangements in great detail, but I want to touch on them now and the sorts of discussion that we will get into. For the bed of Lake Wairarapa the arrangements in this settlement negotiation include a statutory board that will include four members from Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Settlement Trust. That board will be responsible for managing not only the lake and those assets but also the reserves around it. It’s a really important step, because managing that process and creating this sort of board brings people together to share their ideas about what’s important in this natural asset, which is so important to the people who use it and to the neighbours of the whenua. It’s also a way that promotes the sort of dialogue that we need in our regions and also in our enduring settlement process.

I also want to touch on the sites of significance, particularly Castlepoint Scenic Reserve o Rangiwhakaoma. It recognises the cultural and spiritual associations that this iwi has with this whenua. And this particular place includes a cave where the lighthouse is today named Te Ana o te wheke o Muturangi, which is a particularly important site, and one where an ancestor of mine, Whātunga, established a pā. That’s one where our ongoing associations with this particular piece of whenua, are incredibly important to not only this iwi now and its children who are alive now, but those children who come after us and the way that they experience their land and the associations that we place on it and the way that we teach our history to our children.

Now let me touch on the taonga tūturu protocols in this bill, which is something that is often overlooked in Treaty settlements but which is particularly important and something we should take note of. These are relationship agreements issued by the CE of Manatū Taonga—the Ministry for Culture and Heritage—to the iwi, and they support the cultural and heritage aspirations of the iwi. They help iwi engage in policy and legislation reviews, and give iwi a say on the relevant appointments to the boards that make decisions about arts and cultural institutions in their area. That’s so important when we have a thriving arts and culture sector in New Zealand, but we desperately need more Māori leadership in those organisations. We get that, with iwi who feel empowered to come to the table. We get that, with Māori coming through with scholarships and with assistance into the arts sector to take those leadership roles, because for too long New Zealand’s art sector has been led by people who have come from overseas, but we need iwi to take the leadership and to take the reins in that sector.

They also set in place agreements for iwi to be involved in arts and culture events and celebrations at a State level and at a council level, like Matariki, which is coming up very soon and we’re proud that it will be a New Zealand holiday this year. These sorts of agreements will make sure that we have the leading role in making sure that it is celebrated in a way which is relevant, and celebrates that day appropriately.

Most importantly, in my view, these agreements cover those matters set out in the Protected Objects Act. That is where taonga—things like kō, things like axes, adze—when they are found, and when agencies are involved, these set out how the iwi should be consulted; when they should be brought into the process; what role they should play; and whether they are displayed, kept, or not kept. Because for a very long time, it was up to the State, and it was up to our State institutions, and they always went in museums and on display. It’s so important for the whānau to say that sometimes the creators of these taonga wanted them in the ground.

It also creates recognition for 30 geographic name changes. You might think that that was not significant, that that was a matter for councils, but it is incredibly significant for the way that our children relate to the land. When they see the names of their tūpuna on street signs; when they see the names in their whakapapa; when they bear the names of their maunga, of their awa, of their whenua, it creates that important knowledge of who we are and where we stand in the world, which is what these settlement agreements can do when they are negotiated well.

I’m looking forward to considering this bill in the Māori Affairs Committee, which is ably chaired by my colleague Tāmati Coffey. We will consider this carefully. We will listen to the submissions of all people, and we will really benefit, I think, from a lively discussion in that committee, which I welcome. I commend this bill.

I stand to follow Te Paati Māori’s first speaker today, Willie Jackson, e hika mā, [friends] and thank you for opening the floor for us! Also, at this time—we usually only get five minutes, but generously National has given us their other five, so you’ve got 10 minutes to listen to me, e hika mā i tēnei rā [friends, today]. So thank you to Gerry Brownlee and the National Party for the 10 minutes of Te Paati Māori i tēnei rā. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. Marama Fox, awesome to see you, sister, nice to see you back in the House after standing outside the House. Being trespassed and not trespassed—nau mai, hoki mai. Where are you? Oh, she’s up there in the corner there. Kia ora e te tuahine.

Hey, just to pick up on what ACT was talking about in regards to not knowing how it feels today after 182 years of abuse, what I know is that—what are we going to do tomorrow? We have a duty of care in this House to ensure we put a stop to the constant abuse that many Governments in the past—and I’m sure in the future if there’s not constitutional transformation—will continue to do on our mokopuna. That’s the big question. Treaty settlements ain’t an apology for us to get over 182 years of abuse—e kāo. This is an opportunity for us to move forward, but to allow us to do that with some dignity. The greatest thing the Government can do is to give everything back.

Pere atu taku pere ki Te Tai Rāwhiti, ko Te Pōtangaroa ko Te Toiroa Ikariki. Kei Pukerimu ko te puna o Te Mātenga, ka kohiti te marama i runga o Te Kōrito.Tōia mai, tōia mai Kahungunu ki runga Pōneke, ki te Whare Pāremata.

Tika tonu ngā kōrero a taku rangatira, a Willie, tangihia ō tātou mate o te wā. Arā, ki te whānau Walker Gemmell, ki te whānau Karaitiana me te whānau Kāwana hoki, ngā wharemate o te iwi, tangihia. Pīkauhia. Mā rātou tēnei kaupapa e kawe ki te ao wairua.

Ā, me te hāngai tonu ngā mihi ki te tumuaki o te Hāhi Rātana ki a Harerangi Meihana, ā, ki a Andrew Robb hoki. Whoatu rā koutou i runga i te ara kōrero kua parangia e te tini, e te mano. Hoki mai rā ki a tātou ngā mahuetanga iho, tēnā tātou.

I rongo atu awahau i ngā kōrero i runga i te pae i tēnei rā mō te ana o te raiona, kāore au i kite he raiona i roto nei. He puihi noa iho. Tōia mai Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. Tōia mai Tākitimu waka. Tōia mai i ngā koroingo o ngā mātua tīpuna i te pō. Tōia mai ngā tūmanakohanga a te iwi Māori mō ngā mokopuna e ao ake.

Tōia mai te kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi o Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. Takoto mai rā i runga i te mahau o tēnei Whare hei kōrerorero hei wānanganganga mā te hunga, mā ngā māngai o te motu. Ko te tūmanakohanga ka whai ana hoki tātou i tētahi huarahi hei oranga mō tātou i tēnei rā me Ngāti Āpōpō, ā tātou tamariki mokopuna.

I rongo atu awahau anō hoki i te kōrero a te pae tapu. Nau mai, haramai tōia mai i te Pāpāwai. Tōia mai i a Te Mānihera Te Rangitakaiwaho, nāna te kaupapa o Te Kotahitanga. Tōia mai i a Hāmuera Tamahau Mahupuku, nāna te Whare o Hikurangi hei Whare Pāremata Māori, hei Whare mō Te Kotahitanga.

I rongo i te oranga a Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua i ngā hua i roto i te āhuatanga o te hainatanga o Te Tiriti o Waitangi i te tau 1840, te taha ki te mahi hokohoko me te mahi tahi ki a Pākehā. He iwi whai rawa i tērā tāima. Wairarapa waha nui, tēnā koutou.

I tūtakitaki te iwi tuatahi ki te Karauna i te tau 1845. I whakatumatuma te Karauna i te noho Māori a te iwi ki runga i tōna whenua, ā, ka noho te Karauna hei tuarā maitai mō Pākehā i whakararuraru i te iwi i tērā tāima.

Ā, ka raupatuhia te manomano eka ki Maungaroa me te whiu i te riri ki runga i a Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. I mahi mū te Karauna, i mahi mū me te kī atu ki te iwi ka whakawātea a Pākehā ki runga i ō koutou whenua e te iwi mēnā ka hoko ngā whenua ki te Karauna, pokotiwha. Kātahi te mahi mū ko tērā.

Nā ngā whakahau a te Karauna i te tau 1853 i te marama o Hune, ka hainatia te iwi i te kawenata o Castlepoint. I whakaae ana te Karauna ki te whakaritea he pūtea mō te whenua hoko atu ki wētahi atu mā Kahungunu e tiaki, engari rā auare ake. Ko hoko e te Karauna neke atu i te 1.5 miriona eka me te kore i mana i te kawenata rā. Nā Te Kōti Whenua Māori i te tau 1866 ki te 1873 te whakapākehā i te whenua mā te tohatoha ki te taitara tangata hei aukati i te mano o ngā hapū ki wā rātou whenua tōpū. I tēnei rā, waru tekau pai hēneti noa iho o te whenua o Castlepoint kei roto i te whenua rāhui o Mātaikona.

Kua here te Kāwanatanga i taua whenua paraka rā, tōna mana, tōna ihi, tōna tapu kei roto i te whenua rāhui o Mātaikona. Arā ana ngā mahi mū a te Kāwana. He iwi whenua kore tēnei iwi. Te tokoiti o te whenua kei a rātou tonu kua tūkinotia, kua parangia e ngā paru o ngā kamupene penehīni, arā kei te patua tonu i tēnei rā.

Inā ngā kōrero a Tākuta Takirirangi Smith ka whakaritea ngā mahi parahako a te Karauna ki tētahi pahū nui. Te tāhae whenua, te apo tikanga, te apo māra hoki me te āta wetewete i ngā tawatawaenga here ā-whakapapa, ā, kei te ū tonu te mamae i ēnei rangi tonu.

Ka huri au ki te reo pihikete.

[My bell rings in the East, where Pōtangaroa and Te Toiroa Ikariki reside. At Pukerimu is the pool of Te Mātenga, and the new moon rises over Te Kōrito. Welcome, welcome Kahungunu to Wellington, to the House of Parliament.

My esteemed colleague Willie is correct; we must mourn the recent deaths. So to the Walker Gemmell family, to the Karaitiana family and the Kāwana family as well, the bereaved families of the tribe, mourn them, carry them. They will carry this issue to the spiritual realm. They will instruct, they will tell of the things that you are bearing in the physical world.

And I must acknowledge Harerangi Meihana, the leader of the Rātana Church, and also Andrew Robb. Go forth upon the storied pathway forged by the myriads. Returning to us all, those who have been left behind, greetings one and all.

I heard in the speeches given today there was mention of the lion’s den, I do not see any lions present. Just pussycats. Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, you are drawn here today. Tākitimu canoe, you are drawn here today. Bring with you the dreams and desires of your ancestors who have passed. Bring with you the hopes of Māori for tomorrow’s generations.

Bring with you the Treaty claim of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. Lay it down on the porch of this House to be discussed and be considered by this group of representatives from around the country. It is hoped that we can also follow a path that benefits us all as well as the future generations.

I also heard the speeches of the orator’s bench. Welcome, welcome to those from Pāpāwai. Bring with you Te Mānihera Te Rangitakaiwaho, from whom sprang the kotahitanga movement. Bring with you Hāmuera Tamahau Mahupuku, who established the House of Hikurangi, used as a Māori House of Parliament, for the kotahitanga movement.

We heard of the health, Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, of the benefits of signing the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, in terms of trading and collaboration with Pākehā. They were a well-resourced tribe at that time. Boisterous Wairarapa, I acknowledge you.

The iwi first encountered the Crown in 1845. The Crown challenged the tribe living as Māori on their own land and the Crown acted as a formidable ally for Pākehā who were causing problems for the tribe at that time.

Thousands of acres were confiscated with threats of violence against Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. The Crown was underhanded, people, they were underhanded in telling the tribe that Pākehā would be removed from your land if the land were sold to the Crown, what a sham. What an underhanded tactic that was.

In June 1853, under the instruction of the Crown, the tribe signed the Castlepoint deed. The Crown agreed that a fund would be created for Ngāti Kahungunu from the onsale of lands, but this never happened. The Crown purchased over 1.5 million acres and did not fulfil its obligations to the deed. From 1866 to 1873, the Native Land Court assimilated the land into European culture by distributing individual titles and thus blocking thousands of sub-tribes from their own land. Today, 80 percent of the land from Castlepoint is in the Mātaikona reserve. The Government has locked up that land block, its spiritual and physical significance, and its sacred nature, in the Mātaikona reserve. That is the underhanded work of the Governor. This is a landless tribe. The little land that is left to them has been mistreated and polluted by the contaminants from the petrol companies, and that goes on to this very day.

Dr Takiririrangi Smith has likened the disparaging acts of the Crown to a great explosion. The stealing of land, the extortion of customary practice and cultivations along with the purposeful unravelling of genealogical connections, the pain of which is unyielding to this very day.

I now turn to the English language.]

Many Governments of the past have flaunted themselves as a beacon for indigenous rights on an international stage while exploiting the generosity of tangata whenua at home. Crown negotiation policies such as large natural groupings and the fiscal envelope have determined this. Engineering further division, further harm, and further breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi itself. That is why Te Paati Māori does not accept that settlements are full and final—they never should be. You will only get 1 percent of your due, but we must always leave the door open to our mokopuna to fight for the other 99 percent. Our trauma does not lie in the past—inequality, poverty, and the desecration of Papatūānuku is happening in the present, and will continue to be our future if we continue down this track. I would like to remind the Crown—Willie Jackson—that the Treaty was never about tangata whenua. We had mana motuhake long before we had the flu. The Treaty is what gives the Crown the right to be here, so I’m not sure why we’re in such a rush to settle. Article 1 consented to Kāwanatanga, article 2 secured the pre-existing rights of Māori before 1840, and article 3 was about working together to create a better future as a nation. Te Tiriti is not for settling; it is for honouring. I honour you today, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.

E te Mana Whakawā e koa ana te ngākau i te tū i konei, kōrero ai Te Pire Whakataunga Kerēme a Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua.

Tuatahi iho he mihi ki ngā uri o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. He mihi aroha ki a koutou i tēnei rā tino whakahirahira.

I tēnei wā ka hoki ngā mahara ka rere ngā mihi ki ngā rangatira, ki ngā kura tangiwai kua riro tītapu i mua i te kitenga o tēnei taumata te pikitia ana. Kei te rua o te mahara rātou, ā, kei konei ā-wairua i te rā nei.

E mihi ana ahau i te paunga o te kaha, i te ūnga o te ngākau o te tira whiriwhiri a Ngāti Kahungunu. Ina koa ka mihi ki a Ron Mark, rātou ko Ian Perry, ko Robin Potangaroa, ko Haami te Whaiti, ko Hayden Hape e tautokona paitia ngā kaiwhiriwhiri i ō rātou kaitohutohu, arā e Rāwiri Smith rātou ko Marama Tuuta, ko Lee Gray tae atu ki ō rātou rōia, ki a Jennifer Braithwaite rāua ko Mike Colson.

I roto i ngā tau e tautokona paitia ana a Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua he hautoa e te manawa ū o ngā kaiwhiriwhiri me ngā kaitohutohu, ā, e mihi ana ahau i te manawa roa me te pukumahi. E mihi ana ahau ki ōku hoa mahi, ki te Minita, ki Anaru Iti, he mihi mahana ki a koe i tō whare.

Ki te kaiwhiriwhiri Karauna matua, ki a koe Rick Barker, mō āna mahi i te whakataunga nei me ngā āpiha a Te Arawhiti me ētahi atu tari Karauna, nāna nei i mahi tahi ki a Ngāti Kahungunu hei whakarite i te kaupapa nei.

E te Mana Whakawā, ko te pānuitanga i te rangi nei, he pai nui mō Ngāti Kahungunu. I te whakataunga kerēme nei, he pae tawhiti kua tata. Kua hia whakatupuranga nei te iwi e oke ana, e whai ana i te tika kia ea ai e te Karauna ōna herenga i raro i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ā, kia whākina hoki ngā wāwahitanga huhua o Te Tiriti e te Karauna.

E tātou e noho nei e hiahia ahau ki te whāki ana, e mihi ana, e whakapāha ana te Karauna mō ēnei mahi. Ko te tukunga uruhitanga o ētahi eka whenua e hia tekau mano nei Maungaroa. Ko te korenga ōna e mahi i runga i te tika me te pono i ngā hokonga tere, ngā hokonga nui o te whenua e tata whenua kore ai a Ngāti Kahungunu ā tae atu i te tau 1900. Ko te korenga e whakatutuki i te tukunga rangatira o Wairarapa Moana, i kī taurangi ai Karauna ka nui ngā whenua rāhui ka tukuna e te tahatika o Wairarapa. Ā, ko te korenga i āta tiaki, i āta poipoi i te reo Māori.

E te Mana Whakawā, ka tautoko te puretumu o roto i te pire nei i a Ngāti Kahungunu ki te whakatutuki i ngā wawata i ngā hinonga o muri nei mō te iwi me ngā whakatipuranga e haere mai nei. E rua tekau mā whitu ngā wāhi tapu rawa kei roto i te kete puretumu nei, ka tukuna ki a Ngāti Kahungunu hei puretumu ā-ahurea. Ko ētahi o ēnei: e rua ngā whenua i roto o Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua; ko tētahi whenua kei te tihi o Remutaka; e rua ngā whenua e tata ana ki Taratahi, ā, e toru ngā whenua ki te taha tonga o Wairarapa.

Ko tētahi take e hiahia ana ahau ki te kōrero, arā ka whiwhi ngātahi Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne o Wairarapa me Rangitāne o Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua ki te puretumu ā-ahurea mā te puretumu ngātahi te Rohe o Rongokako. Mā taua puretumu ngātahi i whiti ai ki ngā iwi ki wāhanga nā te Karauna o Wairarapa Moana.

Hei hoa haere o taua taonga nui ka whakaritea e te pire kia whakahokia ki Ngāti Kahungunu ngā whenua rāhui huri noa i Wairarapa me Ōnoke tae atu ki Wairarapa Lake Domain, ngā whenua o Lake Shore me te takere o te tāhuna o Pounui. Ka tū ki te pire i te Castlepoint Scenic Reserve, a Rangiwhakaoma ki te tarahati whakataunga a Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua kātahi ka takohaina e te iwi ki te Karauna.

Ko tēnei wāhi, he wāhi tino whakahirahira, he wāhi tino tata ki tōku ngākau, he taonga hoki o roto o te rohe o Ngāti Kahungunu e rēhia ai ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa.

He tohu, he tohu takohanga nei o tō rātou titikaha ki te nohonga kōtui hou i waenga o Ngāti Kahungunu me te Karauna, ā, tēnei au te mihi ki a rātou mō tō rātou ohaoha ngākau. He roa, he kōpikopiko te huarahi ki te whakataunga, ā, he huhua hoki ngā tukituki i runga i tēnei huarahi. E rongona tahi ana tātou i ngā nawe e whakapā tonu ana i te mamae i te kinikini i te rangi nei.

Koia tēnei ko te hiahia ko te Karauna ki te tohua ki te whakataunga kei te aonga o tētahi rangi hou mō te whakahoanga o Ngāti Kahungunu me te Karauna. Ko te kaupapa o tēnei rā ko te mihi i te onamata me te tahuri ki te anamata. He roa te haerenga, āe, tae noa ki tēnei rā. E kore e ea i tēnei mea te whakataunga ko ngā mahi hē a te Karauna ko te mamae rānei e pā a Ngāti Kahungunu. Engari e tūmanako ana taku ngākau ka noho te whakataunga nei hei tīmatanga mō te whakahoanga pā kere kē i waenga i a Ngāti Kahungunu me te Karauna, he whakahoanga e takea ana i te whakapono o tētahi ki tētahi, te mahi tahi me te whakaute i te Tiriti me ōna mātāpono.

Ka tautoko au i tēnei pire ki te Whare. Nō reira e te iwi, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Madam Speaker, I am elated to stand here today to talk about The Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill.

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the descendants of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. This is my compassionate greeting to you on this very important day.

On this day we recall, and our acknowledgments flow to the chiefs and the treasured ones who have passed on, before being able to see this goal be reached. They reside now in the abyss of memory but are with us in spirit today.

I acknowledge the exhaustive energy put in, and the resolute hearts of the Ngāti Kahungunu negotiating team. Specifically I would like to mention Ron Mark, Ian Perry, Robin Potangaroa, Haami Te Whaiti, Hayden Hape, the negotiators who were well supported by their advisers Rāwiri Smith, Marama Tuuta, and Lee Gray, including their lawyers Jennifer Braithwaite and Mike Colson.

Over the years, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua has been well supported by the courage and steadfastness of the negotiators and advisers and I acknowledge their perseverance and hard work. I also acknowledge my colleagues; to the Minister Andrew Little, I send warm greetings to you, at home.

To the chief Crown negotiator, to Rick Barker, I thank him for his work on this settlement along with the officers of the Office for Māori Crown Relations and other Government departments, who have worked together with Ngāti Kahungunu in negotiating this claim.

This reading today will be of benefit to Ngāti Kahungunu. By way of the claims settlement a long-term goal will be achieved. For many generations the tribe has fought, pursuing justice that the Crown should fulfil its obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi and also to disclose the Crown’s many breaches of the Treaty.

To everyone seated here I wish, on behalf of the Crown, to disclose, acknowledge, and apologise for these actions: the forceful ceding of tens of thousands of acres of land at Maungaroa; the lack of fairness and honesty in its dealings and the speedy sales of large tracts of land, which left Ngāti Kahungunu virtually landless by the year 1900; the failure to fulfil the chiefly gift of Wairarapa Moana, with the Crown promising numerous lakeside reserves; and, furthermore, the absence of proper protection and care of the Māori language.

The redress within this bill will support Ngāti Kahungunu in fulfilling its aspirations of future entities for the tribe and the generations to come. There are 27 culturally significant sites in the redress package, which are being returned to Ngāti Kahungunu as cultural redress. Some of these are: two sites in Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua; one piece of land is at the summit of Remutaka; two sites near Clareville, and there are three sites in the south of Wairarapa.

One issue I would like to talk about is the joint redress that Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne o Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua have received, in respect of the Rohe o Rongokako in the form of cultural redress. This joint redress allows for the Crown’s allocation of Wairarapa Moana to be vested in the tribes.

In addition to those important treasures the bill will also arrange for the return to Ngāti Kahungunu of reserve land all around Wairarapa and Ōnoke, including Wairarapa Lake Domain, lands at Lake Shore, and the bed of the Pounui Lagoon. The bill vests Castlepoint Scenic Reserve, Rangiwhakaoma in Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua settlement trust, then the iwi will be gift it back to the Crown. This place is an important place, a place very close to my heart, a treasure as well within the boundaries of Ngāti Kahungunu, where all people of Aotearoa New Zealand will be able to recreate.

This is a sign, a sign of their commitment and dedication to the new relationship between Ngāti Kahungunu and the Crown, and I acknowledge them for their generosity. It has been a long and winding road to reach this settlement, and there have been many stumbling blocks along the way. Together we have heard about the grievances that still cause pain and gnaw away to this very day.

The desire of the Crown is this—to indicate by way of this settlement that a new day dawns with this partnership between Ngāti Kahungunu and the Crown. Today’s purpose is to acknowledge the past but turn towards the future. Yes, it has been a long road to arrive at this day. This settlement will never take away the deceitful actions of the Crown, or the pain felt by Ngāti Kahungunu. But it is my heartfelt hope that the settlement will stand as a beginning to this strong relationship between Ngāti Kahungunu and the Crown, a relationship stemming from trust of each other, one of collaboration and one focused on upholding the Treaty and its principles.

I recommend this bill to the House. Therefore, to the tribe, greetings to you, greetings, greetings one and all.]

Tēnā koe e te Mana Whakawā, tēnā koe e te Whare. Rau rangatira mā, tēnei te mihi ki a koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te rā. Tēnā koutou ngā iwi rangatira o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Madam Speaker, greetings. Greetings also to the House. To the esteemed leaders, greetings, welcome to the discussions of the day. Welcome to the chiefly tribes of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua; greetings, greetings, greetings to you all.]

It gives me great pleasure to rise in support of the really important first stage: the first reading of your settlement bill. These are the moments in Parliament that I wish more people would witness, because this is an important piece of legislation that we do support, and while I don’t necessarily agree with some of the comments the speakers before me have made, this day is about you.

This is a step in what I’m not even going to pretend to comprehend. I feel fortunate as the member of Parliament for Taupō, having walked some of the journey for Treaty settlement with Ngāti Raukawa and Tūwharetoa, so I’ve been able as a student of theirs to learn the history, the hurt, and the anguish. While it feels, at a level—when I speak in this House—like I can’t even scratch the surface, I do, as a mark of respect to you and your forebears, stand in this House to speak in support on behalf of the National Party in this first reading.

One of the things that is really clear to me, and I think about the other Treaty settlement processes that Christopher Finlayson started as the Minister, and that now Andrew Little continues as the baton has been passed, is that so much of that process is beyond challenging. I do feel incredibly fortunate as a New Zealander to have witnessed a Crown apology, and I have to be honest and say that I thought it would feel like words. But the power of the Crown apology is so much more than that, and, as I say, if I hadn’t witnessed it for myself, I wouldn’t be confident to say that.

I was a member of the Māori Affairs Committee in my second term in Parliament. I know it’s really important, the discussions that will take place after this first reading as the submissions are provided, and some of that will provide more angst and more anguish. But it is so, so critical as a result of this next step of the process to get to a point with the second reading, and then I look forward to being in the House and witnessing your jubilation at the third reading. May it not be too far off, because I know what an enormous difference it makes for you, it makes for your children, and—more importantly—it makes for us as our communities and as our country.

One of the wishes that I have with the claims settlement process is that more New Zealanders understand and learn our history to acknowledge it and to honour it but, more importantly, to think carefully and deeply about our future, which can only be and must only be together. Kia ora.

E te Māngai o te Whare, tēnā rawa atu ki a koe. Kaupeka ki runga, kaupeka ki raro, kūī, kūī, whiti ora e! He mihi ki ngā rangi, he mihi ki te whenua he mihi ki ngā tāngata, ngā whānau o Ngāti Kahungunu ka mihi atu ki a koutou.

Nau mai haere mai ki te Whare Pāremata, ki te whare raiona, nau mai, haere mai. Ki ngā kaumātua, ngā kuia o te motu ka mihia ki a koutou nau mai haere mai ki te kōrerorero mō te kaupapa nei, nō reira e mihi ana ki a koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Madam Speaker, a warm greeting to you. Kaupeka above, and below, alive and flourishing. Greetings to the skies, greetings to the land, greetings to the people and the families of Ngāti Kahungunu, we greet you.

Welcome to the House of Parliament, to the lion’s den, welcome, welcome. I acknowledge the elders, both male and female who have come to discuss this issue, and so welcome to you all, welcome, welcome one and all.]

Whānau mā, it’s beautiful to see you this evening and to join you this afternoon at the pōwhiri. You’ll hear the whakataukī that I take from Mōkai Pātea at the start of my kōrero this evening. But many of you will know that we are not too distantly related, and in fact, our rangatira, our tūpuna, is Kahungunu. It also reminds me of familiar faces—as you came through the door this afternoon—of my late father, Winston Halbert, and growing up in Ngāti Kahungunu, we travelled to many marae where he spoke, where you spoke, not too different to this Whare and the kōrero that we are having today. But, deeply and humbly, can I welcome all of our whānau here for this very important kaupapa.

Ka mihi atu ki a koutou Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua tēnā rawa atu ki a koutou.

[I acknowledge you of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tamaki nui-ā-Rua; my sincere thanks to you all.]

As a member of the Māori Affairs Committee, and as somebody that’s new to this House, it’s always a privilege to go through the number of Treaty settlements that we have in the past 18 months. To sit there, to learn, to hear the stories, to hear the kōrero of our people on both sides, to hear the history, is very, very important to understanding how we proceed forward. I sat here this afternoon in the general debate and listened to the leader of the ACT Party’s kōrero, and I looked up to you. And while you may have seen a little a bit of shouting at this end, it came with passion and aroha and embarrassment for that kōrero over the other side of the House that diminished the state of our people and the contribution that we can make to this nation as Māori. It was divisive, and it challenged all of us to stand up and be very, very proud of what we can do together, and today’s mahi, our kaupapa here [today’s work, our purpose here] is the start of that.

After that, I heard from my colleague, the other ACT Party member Karen Chhour, who talked about fighting for what is right. I know, as a member of Parliament—and I’d like to think that all members of Parliament that are here are here to fight for what is right. And we can use a term of co-governance as a political tool to bash each other with across this country, but when we look at pieces of legislation like this—and I’ll speak to it soon—it is that we share common values of what we want for the future of this nation, what we want for our taiao, what we want for our wai. And, indeed, there are ways that we can work together.

This particular settlement includes significant pūtea—yet not enough to acknowledge the hurt and mamae that has been done—but it brings forward a Crown apology and acknowledgments. And, in my readings of the Tribunal report, it speaks of the speed of changes that happened in the Wairarapa-Tararua district in colonial times as one of these things that, in particular, not just us but the Tribunal marvelled at. The Crown’s whirlwind buy-up of 1.5 miriona—1.5 million—acres in the Wairarapa in 1853 and 1854; in the space of no more than a decade, from the 1850s to the 1860s, tangata whenua were no longer being landlords of their own whenua. And in my memories, I look back to the first time that I spoke in this House, in my maiden speech, and I remember my other tupuna, Hiraka te Rango, who came to Omāhu marae back in the 1800s as a part of te kotahitanga to stop the confiscation of Māori land. So those are the memories that we remember when we’re looking through these pieces of legislation in this first particular reading.

This settlement has been 30 years in the making with ongoing negotiations and litigation along the road, and I acknowledge that, in the report, our kaumātua and kuia have been organising and researching these claims. Some of those kaumātua and kuia are no longer with us today: moe mai rā. And it is fitting that we should mention one in particular, namely the late Hinepatokoriki Paewai, who was tireless in her efforts to take these claims forward to the Crown. Treaty claims were presented to the Waitangi Tribunal over nine weeks of hearings between March 2004 and March 2005—a long time ago. The Wairarapa ki Tararua report was released on 26 June at Te Ore Ore marae back in 2010. And that particular report makes findings in relation to Barton’s run, Mangaroa, the collapse of the Wairarapa leasehold economy, Crown purchasing in the Wairarapa, Native Land Court operations in the Wairarapa, the loss of Wairarapa Moana, the provision of Pouakani, Pouakani and Mangakino issues, the Public Works’ takings, and local government, the Department of Conservation, and taonga-protection issues.

Whānau mā, I’m the last speaker of this first reading for this piece of legislation that is before the House. You will also see myself—and can I put in the apologies from our chair, Tāmati Coffey, who is away at the moment, but he did ask that I pass on his apologies—along with Rawiri across the way and Joseph Mooney, Arena Williams. We will be there visiting your whenua in order to hear your oral submissions as a part of the Māori Affairs Committee. And know that we are with you, know that we are there to hear from you. Kōrero mai ki a mātou. Talk to us. Put it all on the table once again so that when we put the departmental report back into this Whare, it has been scrutinised, it reflects the correction of this mamae, of this hurt, and we can move forward together. But, most of all, whānau mā, remember the kōrero in this Whare today. Remember it for months; remember it for years because, today, we remember you. Nō reira, mihi ana ki a koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

The question is that the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill be considered by the Māori Affairs Committee.

Motion agreed to.

Bill referred to the Māori Affairs Committee.

Waiata

This debate is interrupted. I shall be on the Chair after dinner at 7 p.m.

Sitting suspended from 5.55 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.