Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill

I present a legislative statement on the Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill.

💬 SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.

I move, That the Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time.

Tākiri mai ana te ata

Kia rongo a ngākau mārohirohi

Korihi ana te manu kaupapa

Ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea

Tihe mauri ora.

E mihi ana ki a koutou kua tae mai nei i runga i te karanga o te kaupapa o te rā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou 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. Maniapoto, kua hīkoi koutou te hīkoi roa kia tae mai ki tēnei rā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[The morning has dawned

A brave heart is heeded

The bird of purpose sings

It is day, it is day, it is daylight

Behold there is life.

I acknowledge those who have come here today for this occasion. Greetings to you all. I acknowledge those who have passed, rest in peace. To the living present, I greet you.

Let us honour the authorities of these comfortable lands. The Government and I acknowledge this occasion. Maniapoto, you have traversed a great distance to get here to this day, greetings to you all.]

This is a significant day for Maniapoto and for the Crown. I’m honoured to move the Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill to be enacted into law and for Maniapoto to finally receive the benefits of a settlement that has been long hard fought for and which is long overdue.

I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Last week, Parliament adjourned in order for this House and New Zealanders to pay their respects to Her Majesty, but last week we were scheduled to have this reading in the House, and so much effort has had to go into rescheduling, not so much for this House but for the many representatives of Maniapoto who are here today. I want to acknowledge the patience and understanding of those who have had to reorganise their schedules in order to be here for this third reading today. It has allowed us to appropriately mark our respects for Her Majesty, and appropriately pay respect to Maniapoto and this significant day for you.

We are joined in the House this morning by Maniapoto, who have travelled to Wellington from all parts of the motu to witness this final reading of their settlement bill. I want to extend, again, my warm welcome to you all, not just to those in the House but to those who are watching at Pipitea Marae and those who are watching at home in the rohe, Te Rohe Pōtae, because we know just how significant this bill is and how significant this reading is. This is a momentous occasion and it is testament to the significance of the settlement to your iwi and, actually, to the whole of Aotearoa New Zealand.

I acknowledge Te Nehenehenui, the post-settlement governance entity of Maniapoto, and all members of the Maniapoto negotiating team. Maniapoto representatives in the House today include Bella Takiari-Brame, chair of Te Nehenehenui; Matua Tiwha Bell, former chair of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board; Matua Pat Stafford; and other kaumātua, trust board members, and staff. I also want to acknowledge the tūpuna who began this settlement journey for Maniapoto and who are no longer with us today. This settlement could not have happened without the determination and dedication of all those involved.

I acknowledge my colleagues in the House who whakapapa to Maniapoto, especially the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, the former lead negotiator for Maniapoto, who began the negotiation process and for whom this settlement carries special significance. I acknowledge the previous Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Hon Chris Finlayson, who began the settlement journey with Maniapoto. And I acknowledge all my colleagues in the House—those who were there this morning at Pipitea Marae to welcome Maniapoto and to welcome Maungārongo, the taonga that Maniapoto has lent this House for the period of five years as an expression of their trust in this House and the Crown.

As we celebrate this milestone, it’s important to reflect on where we have come from. In 1840, your tūpuna signed the Treaty at Kāwhia and at the heads of the Waikato River. Maniapoto rangatira, including Taonui Hīkaka and Haupōkia Te Pakaru, put their trust in the Crown and the commitments that the Crown then made. But the Crown abused that trust, and over the last 180 years, the Crown repeatedly breached the solemn promises it made under Te Tiriti. It indiscriminately killed and injured your people during the Waikato Wars, including women and children, who were non-combatants. One such event, when the Crown attacked Rangiaowhia Pā, was so atrocious that we are now working with your whanaunga, separate from your settlement, to address this mamae.

Following confrontations with the Crown, it subsequently labelled your people as rebels and confiscated land in which you had interests. Despite strained economic circumstances, you provided shelter and manaakitanga to your whanaunga who were displaced by the wars and by raupatu—a responsibility which the Crown discharged. It’s to the Crown’s great shame that it treated you with such disdain and disrespect. In these circumstances, it’s understandable that you enacted a puru, or an aukati, to preserve mana whakahaere over your rohe. Your dedication to keep your lands and people safe, both then and today, is resolute and is a quality to be admired.

Over the 1880s, the Crown and Maniapoto engaged in negotiations and agreements to remove the aukati, manage Maniapoto land, and allow the passage of the North Island main trunk railway, Te Ara-o-Tūrongo. These agreements were known as Te Ōhākī Tapu.

As described by the esteemed rangatira Rewi Maniapoto, Te Ōhākī Tapu was like the planting of a tree of goodwill so that both parties could enjoy its fruits. But, again, the Crown dishonoured its promises. The railway was supposed to bring prosperity to your tūpuna, and the Crown was to only purchase as much land as was required for its construction. So the aukati was withdrawn, construction began on Te Ara-o-Tūrongo, and the vast tide of Crown purchasing swept into Te Nehenehenui. That’s why the symbolism of so many of Maniapoto who have come to Te Whanganui-a-Tara today by train is so important. It reflects what happened at that time.

It is right that the Crown atones for the pain and suffering it has caused your people. The Crown will deliver its long-overdue apology at Te Tokanganui-ā-Noho marae on 4 December this year, following the 150th anniversary of that great wharenui, and I look forward to accompanying the Prime Minister as she delivers that apology.

You have brought with you, as I said before, the taiaha Maungārongo. He will be on display at Parliament for the next five years. This taiaha has been used by Maniapoto to guard the boundaries of the aukati. When the aukati was withdrawn in 1885, the rangatira Wahanui gifted Maungārongo to the Crown, symbolising the coming of peace between the Crown and Maniapoto. We regard Maniapoto’s offer to lend the taiaha to Parliament for five years as a gesture of reconciliation. This taonga is a symbol of our renewed partnership.

Maniapoto’s association with their whenua is central to their history. Maniapoto have a deeply felt responsibility as kaitiaki in their rohe that has been passed down through the generations.

No settlement package can ever fully compensate Maniapoto for the magnitude of loss you have suffered. It’s a testament to your extraordinary grace that Maniapoto have chosen to accept the current package and move towards a period of reconciliation with the Crown. With $165 million in financial redress and a commitment from the Crown to establish a true Treaty partnership which supports the aspirations of the iwi, I’m confident that Maniapoto will have the means to chart their own path.

I express gratitude to the Maniapoto kaumātua and tūpuna who took the first steps towards reconciliation. They had a clear vision, and I deeply regret that many are no longer with us to witness this momentous occasion where their vision becomes a reality.

I must acknowledge the hard work of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board, and, in particular, its two chairs throughout negotiations, Tiwha Bell and Keith Ikin. Negotiations can be long and difficult. However, through this time, you did not compromise on the values and aspirations at the heart of this settlement, and you’ve worked tirelessly to persist to achieve the best for your people.

I have absolute faith that Te Nehenehenui will continue to lead Maniapoto with the same foresight and integrity, and I wish the new chair of Te Nehenehenui, Bella Takiari-Brame, and her team well. I want to also thank and acknowledge all the Crown agencies who worked on the settlement, and the chief Crown negotiator, David Tapsell, for leading the Crown team.

Lastly, I thank all the people of Maniapoto for your strength, determination, and dedication in carrying this important kaupapa. Today, we reaffirm the Maniapoto-Crown relationship. Your strength and independence means you do not need the Crown to guide you. It’s important that the Crown respects your mana whakahaere as we grow our partnership. Today marks a new beginning in realising the promises made to Maniapoto, and it’s my sincere hope that this settlement and new partnership based on mutual trust, respect, and cooperation will provide for the future wellbeing and prosperity of Maniapoto. Kia tau ko te maungārongo ki a tātou katoa.

[Let there be peace among us all.]

I commend the Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill to the House. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Ko te pātai kia whakaaetia te mōtini.

[The question is that the motion be agreed to.]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Tēnā koe e te Māngai o te Whare, huri noa i te Whare nei e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. Tēnei te mihi, nau mai haere mai te iwi o Ngāti Maniapoto. Nō reira, mauria mai ō whakaako ki te kaupapa, e huihui ā tākata. E mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.

[Greetings to the Speaker of the House, greetings to all. To the tribe of Ngāti Maniapoto, I acknowledge and welcome you. Therefore, bring your teachings to this matter that brings people together. Acknowledgments to you all.]

It is a pleasure to rise, as the member for Southland and the National Party spokesperson for Treaty negotiations, in support of this legislation’s third and final reading. To the elders, leaders, and members of Ngāti Maniapoto who are witnessing this auspicious and significant moment—either here within Parliament or from their homes, or wherever in the world they may be—I extend a very warm welcome. This settlement, this bill, and this process is about you. It’s about your tūpuna. It’s about your uri. Ngāti Maniapoto have waited a very long time to reach this point, especially since it’s taken over 30 years to complete the process between Ngāti Maniapoto and the Crown, but, obviously, this story goes back much further.

There are many things that we can disagree upon in this House, but one thing that we agree on across all parties is this process of a Treaty settlement, and I think that is a very special thing that we can reflect on and see as we have all the members of Ngāti Maniapoto in the House today. The finalisation of this settlement and its journey through the House of Representatives is testament to the decades of hard work and negotiations between Ngāti Maniapoto and the Crown, and it signifies the beginning of a new relationship between both parties based on trust, cooperation, and a commitment to living up to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

I also note that this bill completes a settlement process which began under the former Treaty negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson under the then National-led Government, and I note that the then Minister Finlayson went to Kāwhia to meet Ngāti Maniapoto elders and negotiators, visited sites of significance, and then signed the agreement in principle with Ngāti Maniapoto in 2017. I recognise the leadership and efforts of the current Minister of Treaty negotiations, Andrew Little, who has shepherded this process through to completion today. I also acknowledge the efforts of the Hon Nanaia Mahuta as former lead negotiator, for whom this is of special significance.

We also acknowledge the tireless efforts of Ngāti Maniapoto negotiators and, as Minister Little said, the tūpuna who have done much work over the years prior. Some, unfortunately, cannot be here to see this today, but we remember them. We also acknowledge the Te Arawhiti officials, who have worked tirelessly as well through this journey.

Ngāti Maniapoto’s legacy is etched into the history of the King Country and into Aotearoa New Zealand. Had it not been for the generosity of Ngāti Maniapoto leaders in times past, the construction of the North Island main trunk railway through the King Country, which was begun in 1885, would have been delayed for many a year. I note the significance and the symbolism in the fact that many members of Ngāti Maniapoto have travelled here today by train to witness this historic moment, and I also note the extraordinary significance of the taonga taiaha Maungārongo, which is being entrusted by Maniapoto to be cared for here in Parliament for five years to symbolise that this is a relationship that is beginning on trust between the Crown and Ngāti Maniapoto. This is powerful symbolism of that agreement.

The Maniapoto settlement package is one of the largest ever negotiated. It includes financial redress which will in total be worth approximately $177 million, relationship agreements with various Crown agencies, the transfer of 36 sites back to Maniapoto as cultural redress, the first right to purchase Crown lands in the future, an agreed historical account, and an acknowledgment of Treaty breaches and a formal apology for those breaches.

Ngāti Maniapoto’s historical grievances relate to loss of life in conflicts with the Crown and to bearing the costs of the New Zealand Wars. The Crown deliberately undermined Maniapoto independence, failed to uphold promises made in the 1880s relating to Maniapoto land administration and self-determination, and acquired Maniapoto land in an aggressive manner.

The historical relationship between Ngāti Maniapoto and the Crown carries a legacy of socio-economic and cultural deprivation. Key grievances of Ngāti Maniapoto relate to the Crown’s invasion of the Waikato region and the confiscation of that part of the Maniapoto lands which lay north of the Pūniu River. The impact of this invasion and the ensuing conflict on Maniapoto included the loss of life, the destruction of property, and the significant burden of providing shelter to refugees; the loss of independence and territorial autonomy, which Ngāti Maniapoto had held until the 1880s; the Crown’s failure to uphold various agreements made in the 1880s relating to Maniapoto land administration and self-determination; the aggressive way the Crown acquired Ngāti Maniapoto land using monopoly powers and various forms of unreasonable pressure; and substantial public works takings, particularly for the Tokanui hospital and Waikeria Prison.

This settlement contains an apology from the Crown for its acts and omissions in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi—the Treaty of Waitangi—and the acknowledgment that the Crown failed to uphold its promises in Te Ōhākī Tapu in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi—the Treaty of Waitangi. Specific breach acknowledgments in the deed include acting unjustly and sending Crown forces across the Mangatāwhiri River during the Waikato War, including indiscriminately killing non-combatants and looting and destroying property; breaching the Treaty by confiscating land in which Ngāti Maniapoto had interests; unfairly labelling Ngāti Maniapoto as rebels and failing to provide for refugees entering the Maniapoto rohe; and also failing to protect Ngāti Maniapoto tribal structures from the operation and impact of the native land laws, particularly the individualisation of tribal lands, which led to massive alienation of the tribal lands Ngāti Maniapoto had cherished for centuries.

There’s also cultural redress, which recognises the traditional historical, cultural, and spiritual associations of Ngāti Maniapoto in places and sites in their rohe which are owned by the Crown. This allows Ngāti Maniapoto and the Crown to protect and enhance the conservation values associated with those sites. The settlement will vest 36 sites of cultural significance in Ngāti Maniapoto, including three jointly vested sites.

As I noted at the outset, the National Party supports this settlement and it is very pleased to see it come to its third and final reading today. No settlement will ever compensate for the mamae that Ngāti Maniapoto have endured for many generations, but it has been a long journey, and we acknowledge that for Ngāti Maniapoto to reach the point that we are today.

This settlement is, ultimately, not just about the past; it’s not just about the present, but it is about the future aspirations, the future mana, and the future success of Ngāti Maniapoto across future generations. It is my sincere hope that this settlement will lay the foundation for an aspirational future for the people of Ngāti Maniapoto, whether it be in Te Rohe Pōtae—the King Country—in and around Te Kūiti, Ōtorohanga, and Te Awamutu, or wherever whānau may be. This settlement forges a new relationship between the Crown and Ngāti Maniapoto and it will be a real catalyst for growth and empowerment for present and future generations. The National Party commends this bill to the House. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Whakataka te hau ki te uru

Whakataka te hau ki te tonga

Kia mākinakina ki uta

Kia mātaratara ki tai

E hī ake ana te atakura

He tio, he huka, he hauhū

Tihei mauri ora!

Ka hoki ngā mahara ki a rātou mā kua wehe atu ki te pō, ngā mate kei waenga i a koutou, ngā mate kāore i konei mō tēnei rā whakahirahira, nō reira ngā mate haere, haere, haere atu rā. Rātou ki a rātou, tātou ki a tātou. Ngāti Maniapoto, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Tainui waka, Tainui tangata, he uri tēnei o Te Arawa e mihi atu nei ki a koutou i tēnei wā tonu nei. He tino hoa tātou i a tātou, mai i te hoenga mai o Tainui waka, o Te Arawa waka i Hawaiki. Nō reira, e aku whanaunga, tēnā rawa atu koutou.

[Cease oh winds of the west and of the south

Let the bracing breezes flow over the land and the sea

Let the red-tipped dawn come with a sharpened edge, a touch of frost, a promise of a glorious day!

The breath of life!

We remember those who have passed, the bereavements among you, those who have passed and cannot be here for this auspicious day, therefore rest in peace. Let those who have passed be together, and return to those who are here. Ngāti Maniapoto, greetings to you all.

Tainui waka, the people of Tainui, as a descendant of Te Arawa I acknowledge you at this time. We have been great friends, since the paddling here of the Tainui and Te Arawa waka from Hawaiki. Therefore, my kinsmen, I greet you.]

From the very days that we left Hawaiki, Te Arawa and Tainui have had a very special relationship, and we carry that today. On your very significant day, we stand by you—yes, physically—because, back home, we’re neighbours, but, today, on your significant day, it’s appropriate that we mihi to you and this, your special settlement. We acknowledge those that are not here, our kuia and our koroua who have passed on and who are unable to be here to witness this very, very special occasion.

As chair of the Māori Affairs Committee, it’s never an easy task to listen to the submissions, and I want to thank everybody who made submissions to our committee. They tuned in online—it was at a time where we couldn’t be together—and we heard submissions from all around the country, actually, because, as we heard this morning in the pōwhiri, over 90 percent of Ngāti Maniapoto don’t live in the rohe of Ngāti Maniapoto. So we had submissions coming in from all over the place, and that was very special—some people that were very supportive of this settlement; some people that didn’t want a bar of it—but we have to make a decision, and we have to go with it. We have to consider the best interests of the majority of the people, and that’s the place that we’ve arrived at today.

To those people listening at home, I’m a history graduate, so this is a masterclass, actually, in how the Crown, in days gone by, sought to completely annihilate a tribe, to take away everything that they had going for them, and to test them—to test them in every way possible. Throughout the course of the submission hearings, in getting a real deep understanding of the plight of Ngāti Maniapoto, it’s been a history that I hope that all children around New Zealand get to understand, especially the children within the rohe of Ngāti Maniapoto.

I am pleased that we, as a Government, have made it so that we will be teaching our New Zealand history in schools, and Treaty settlements are a huge part of that. There’s so much to learn, and the Crown has a big role to play in that learning.

The Crown, through this settlement, acknowledges all of the wrongs that it has done. We, the people that occupy these seats at this point in time, look back in horror at the kinds of things that happened to the people of Ngāti Maniapoto over time. It is lived history; it is traumatic history, and the people that are sitting here in this gallery and all of those people of Ngāti Maniapoto that are watching from Pipitea Marae, that are listening at home on the radio, and that may be watching Parliament TV are the uri of that trauma. They carry that on their shoulders, and it’s nothing to be overlooked or to diminish. This is a very significant thing.

In the Crown acknowledgments of the settlement bill—how do you take down a tribe? Well, first of all, you take away their language. As with many iwi around the country who have had to endure and many iwi that have come to this House to settle their historical Treaty claims, many say that they lost their language, and, actually, the loss of language is a huge thing. It’s one way to strip a culture of everything that makes them unique.

The Crown at the time sought to open up the main trunk line, and I note the appropriateness that, for many of our whānau who have travelled here today, they came on the train—the train that has been a gift and a curse in both respects. It was a gift because it opened up opportunities for New Zealand and it was Ngāti Maniapoto that put that up. It was Ngāti Maniapoto land that the main trunk line went through, and the Crown didn’t really uphold its bargain in returning that same value of economic benefit back to the people of Ngāti Maniapoto, and, for that, the Crown apologises.

Before 1840, Ngāti Maniapoto were the sole kaitiaki of Te Nehenehenui, and, over time, the Crown ignored its responsibilities according to the Treaty—the Te Tiriti partnership—to be able to look after Te Nehenehenui. Again, take away the language and take away the environment, and you’re doing a really good job of stripping a people of everything that they find special. For far too long, the Crown has ignored the inadequate housing, the inadequate education, and the inadequate healthcare of the people, and the inadequate employment opportunities of the people.

I was shocked to find that, in the first four decades of the 20th century, there were lower pensions for the people of Ngāti Maniapoto than there were for the rest of New Zealand. I was also shocked to find out that, actually, when it came to conscription—the forced enrolment of people to go to war when we had the First World War—Ngāti Maniapoto were conscripted from the Waikato-Maniapoto district. Despite the fact that the Crown knew that Ngāti Maniapoto were coming forward voluntarily to participate in the First World War, they still conscripted men, and there were men that went away and there were men that died and they are the grandparents and the koroua of some of the people that are here honouring this very significant day.

The Crown also acknowledged that it further acquired Ngāti Maniapoto land through compulsory takings for what they called scenery preservation. It acquired 3,000 acres of Ngāti Maniapoto land when it knew that all it needed was a few hundred acres for the purpose at the time. It was unjust and it was wrong.

It’s a big burden to carry all of that. It’s packed on to their shoulders, and it makes this an incredibly humbling experience to be somebody who stands here, on behalf of the Crown, as a Māori and as Te Arawa, to acknowledge everything that the Crown did and to hope that, in the future, by acknowledging everything that went wrong—the warts and all—by acknowledging the bloodshed that happened, and by acknowledging the role that the Crown had to play in this here, the hope is that we can move forward. For that, you have to give kudos to Ngāti Maniapoto for even being here: for going through this process, for being humble enough to sit at the table, and for being humble enough to have brought a gift with them this morning—their maungārongo—to actually acknowledge the reconciliation that they want and to understand the role that the Crown has played, the wrong that the Crown has played, in their historical journey.

So to you, Ngāti Maniapoto, we stand by you today on this, your incredibly significant day. As our Minister, Andrew Little, said, we’ll come to your rohe and we will stand there on the marae, shoulder to shoulder, as the Crown representatives. We will stand by our Prime Minister as she reads that apology to you and we will be there to grieve with you. Our tears will flow, our noses will run, but, actually, it’s something that we need to complete this healing process.

I acknowledge you all for having gone through this. It’s not easy—it’s not easy for you; it’s not easy for us—but it’s necessary for you, as a people to be able to move forward for the benefit of your tamariki mokopuna, who will inherit, hopefully, the good stuff and acknowledge the other stuff that happened. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, mauri ora ki a tātou katoa.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would really like to put out a heartfelt thanks to Maniapoto for the special event that we held at dawn this morning. It was such a pleasure to be there, and I want to thank Teanau Tuiono for helping me. I’m not one of those in the House that has great te reo, but, between Teanau and Tāmati Coffey, they helped me through a few things, and it’s like who am I, as “Ngāti Pākehā”, to be here standing here, talking to you? But you’re in my heart. I really felt in my heart what happened this morning, and it was absolutely beautiful and it was such a pleasure to be there.

I also want to acknowledge the gift of the taonga that you are going to trust Parliament with for a period of five years. That’s a big call because this is not a place that Maniapoto or many other iwi have any reason to trust. I think that all of the dialogue that’s gone in the past few years in terms of getting to this place has been building trust, and I really want to thank you for that opportunity.

It’s been a very long road for you, and it’s also been a very difficult year for you because earlier in the year, when I went to the signing of the deed of settlement, most of Te Kūiti had COVID, a lot of Ōtorohanga had COVID, and there were only a few people here that could actually participate in that very significant event, and that was noted. But, goodness, haven’t we noticed you all arriving here today, and I am really taken by the way you’ve arrived on that train. With all of the injustices that have been done to you through building that main trunk line, you’ve come here today and you’ve shown this country that Maniapoto is back, so good on you.

I also just wanted to say that I want to acknowledge the loss of the Queen and I want to acknowledge that there has been substantial reorganisation in your path to get here, as you were supposed to be here a week ago, and the death of the Queen has actually delayed that. I would like to mention her passing and acknowledge the new King. But what I would also say is that while we’re changing a few things in this country and Queen’s Counsel are turning into King’s Counsel and we’ll be looking at banknotes and all of those sorts of things as to how we develop in the new world, the King Country was the King Country, and your rohe is the King Country, and so no name changes up there—you can be very proud of where we all come from.

I would like to acknowledge, first of all, the Hon Chris Finlayson, who’s now a KC, for starting this work and going out to the beautiful place of Kāwhia—the King Country and the Maniapoto area is really one of the most beautiful areas in this country—and starting that work. I would like to acknowledge the Hon Nanaia Mahuta for the work she did through this process—incredibly, she is one of the people that got us to where we are today—and then, of course, the Hon Andrew Little for coming through and finishing this process with you.

It’s always a beautiful time in the House when we do Treaty settlements. It’s always very emotional, and, most of the time, what you see in this House can be fairly argy-bargy, but what I love is the collective agreement of how everybody works together to make these days very peaceful and heartfelt.

I’m not going to go through some of the history, because I could never could portray the history like Tom Roa portrays the history. Watching a programme on television recently and the stories that come together—I just feel your pride today, and I feel the way that we’ve acted together. But what I would like to acknowledge is all of you. I would like to acknowledge Tiwha Bell, and the other person I would like to acknowledge while I’m acknowledging Tiwha is Leah Bell. So in my first year in Parliament—it’s eight years this week since I arrived here—the first Youth MP that I had was Leah Bell, and Leah did you all proud. She was a wonderful Youth MP to have. I bumped into her recently in the street and I had a chat, and she really carries your mana extremely well and it gives me great pleasure in knowing that your wonderful younger people—and we saw some of them this morning—are going to keep everything up with the mana of you all.

I’d also like to acknowledge Keith Ikin, who’s come in more recently and taken over, and all of you that have been involved. It’s been no easy path and there’s obviously been some give and take along the way, and I—it’s always a deficient moment when we do these Treaty settlements, because the generosity. We can never make up for what happened—none of us in here can ever make up for it—and it always strikes me as very generous of anyone who settles in this way, because we can’t make up for everything that has been lost, but what we can do is we can move forward together. I’ve only known a number of you for about eight years and many of you I still have to get to know, and the last 2½ years of COVID has made it much more difficult for us to interact with each other, but I want to just mention the apology because that’s really important.

When we did the Parihaka settlement, that was really interesting for me because I went to school with a lot of those people. I always think back to those days—when we were at school, no one ever talked about it. It was almost like it was history. It was buried, it was done, no one talked about it, and we always knew that Parihaka was up that road. None of us ever knew the significance of it, we didn’t know what it was for, and I just thank goodness every day that we’re starting to make progress and we’re coming a long way in interacting as people together.

So while I don’t have the long association with Maniapoto as I do with Parihaka in Taranaki, where I come from, I’ve certainly appreciated the eight years so far that I’ve been able to interact with many of you, and I think what’s going to happen from here on in—obviously, some of these sites that are associated with this and that you’ve negotiated in this piece of legislation are wonderful. You know, Kāwhia Harbour, the most beautiful place in the world; the Marokopa Falls scenic reserve—I mean, I’m not going to read all these out, but there’s just some fantastic places in here.

I think, probably, the places that we speak about less favourably over the years are places like Tokanui, which were taken. The history of that place is nothing to be excited about. There are a lot of sad memories for people who went through in a time in our history when we actually didn’t understand mental wellbeing as well as we currently do. It was an awful time.

So it’ll be great seeing all the work going on to restore what has been settled, and I look forward to working together for you. I’m sure, from now on in, every time I sit in Stoked Eatery and the train goes past, it’s going to bring back memories of today and this morning. I think it’s just absolutely fantastic that you’ve all arrived and that you’ve all been able to get here.

With that, I’m just going to say well done, congratulations, thank you, and let’s move on with the future and find some great opportunities together. Thank you.

Tuatahi e mihi ana ki a koutou Ngāti Maniapoto, i whakarangatira i a mātou i tēnei wā. Rawe, rawe ki te kite i a koutou i tēnei rā, nau mai, he rawe kei konei katoa. Ka whakanuia mātou e koe i te aroaro. Ka kite ahau i a koutou katoa, ka kite i tōku whaea, i a Ngāti Maniapoto i ngā rā katoa, ia rā. Koirā te take he rā pai tēnei ki ahau, he aha hoki tana tino whakahīhī. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, haramai, nau mai.

[Firstly, I acknowledge you, Ngati Maniapoto, who have honoured us by your presence today. It is great to see you today, welcome, it is great to have you all here. We are honoured by you being here in our presence. I see you all, I see my mother, I see Ngāti Maniapoto on all days, every day. This is why this is a good day, it is also very proud. I acknowledge and welcome you.]

Lovely to see you all here today to celebrate this kaupapa, and a special thanks, as our Minister said, to chair Bella Takiari, Matua Tiwha Bell, the former chair Matua Pat Stafford, and Keith Ikin. It’s just terrific, some of the work and some of the contributions that have been made in terms of Ngāti Maniapoto. But I want to say that today is not a sombre occasion; this is an occasion to celebrate. We can be happy, and we can have a laugh too—we can have a laugh too. It’s not all doom and gloom.

I want to celebrate the chief negotiator of Ngāti Maniapoto, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta—homai te pakipaki for Nanaia. I’m really, really proud of her, as other Māori members are, because she was the chief negotiator and she had to work with Mook Hohneck and Peter Douglas. I mean, that must have been tough, you know? It must have been tough to manage those two and get through a Treaty process, and we know how hard that Treaty settlement process is, as you go from Māngere down to Piopio and to all the different areas.

I want to say to the tuāhines—who, as we know, are going through a bit of a tough time at the moment—kei te pai. We’re all here to celebrate—we’re all here to celebrate—and, you know, I always say that if you don’t have a conflict of interest, you can’t be a Māori anyway. But we won’t go there. We won’t go there, because otherwise I’d be conflicted out of this House. But I listened to Bella Takiari this morning, and terrific was her kōrero as she talked about mana wahine. You know, she’s got that little sort of jive, and then she sort of started her—I heard it, Bella—and it was so neat because she was talking about our Minister Nanaia and what she had to do and how she had to work through this settlement. It’s a tough business.

It’s a tough area—some of you know that. So when I think about Ngāti Maniapoto, I think about mana wahine like Bella and like Minister Mahuta, and I think about my mother. Every day, when you talk about Ngāti Maniapoto, she used to say that to me every second day, “You are Ngāti Maniapoto first and foremost—not Ngati Porou; Ngāti Maniapoto.” Oh yes, I got that—I even thought about that when she died. So I think about her today and how she’d be celebrating—how she’d be celebrating. This is a happy occasion.

She was absolutely Ngāti Maniapoto, as my auntie was, who was the last of our line—98. Auntie Kath, who died at Mokau, the last of our line. She died—when did auntie die? Four weeks, or two months ago, at 98 years of age. She was the last of her line, the last of the Batley line—another mana wahine.

I’ve got another one up there—she’s still alive—Auntie Christine. She’s another mana wahine—these kuia. Now, Maniapoto, could you put her on your board, please, Bella? She’s not getting quite enough votes, and I want to use this occasion to promote her. That might be seen as a conflict of interest—it is!—but she runs Taumarunui. I’m so proud of her. The National Party promoted her, she keeps reminding me. John Key went up to her place, so we’re trying to get up there, Auntie. Peeni Henare has been there. But John Key and some of them have gone up and celebrated her—as Barbara Kuriger and them know—and she’s another mana wahine.

You know, all these fantastic women epitomise Ngāti Maniapoto—epitomise Ngāti Maniapoto—so well done to all those women.

I thought I’d better chuck a couple of men in, because they’re not too bad, you know. Keith Ikin did a wonderful job, and I want to mihi to him because he covered all the whakapapa stuff at Mum’s tangi, and that’s really important—connecting all the Ngāti Maniapoto whakapapa.

I want to mihi to Tom Roa because, you know, I think Tom Roa is a show-off—eh, Peeni? We had our Wiki o Te Reo Māori last week. We started off and we were meant to have Tom doing the mihi. I mean, he’s only meant to do the mihi, but he steals the whole show, you know, and he gives us a whole speech about—oh, it was magnificent, Tom. But you’re not going to be speaking at another Government initiative after that—you can’t steal the show from myself and Peeni Henare. So well done to Tom Roa, and this is a day where we celebrate Ngāti Maniapoto people.

Just before I finish, I want to say hello and all the best to my uncle, Alan Batley, who’s still the chairman of the Mokau marae, despite my sister over here trying to unseat him, I think, at the—that’s us, though, eh? That’s Ngāti Maniapoto. But we’re trying to get them together. My sister Huinga Rowanne, and my uncle—and they’re positioned strategically in the House today. So well done to my uncle, and we’ll work it all out, as we try to do in Ngāti Maniapoto and in here.

But what we must work out, people, is how we distribute this $165 million. When you hear about 90 percent of our people not being in the Maniapoto area, I want to know what the process is going to be so that all Ngāti Maniapoto can benefit from this settlement. Will they have to go back to Piopio? I mean, how on—oh no, I shouldn’t say that. Jenny-May Coffin will be furious! Oh, it’s a beautiful place, Piopio—it is, really. I mean, come on, I named my daughter after Āria. Her name is Te Aria, because her grandmother told me to name her Aria.

But, really, do we have to go back to our areas, where there are 26 people living there, to access our Treaty rights? We must come up with strategies as iwi.

It’s not just Ngāti Maniapoto. These are the things that we’ve been trying to work through for years and years, myself and Rawiri Waititi’s father-in-law—oh, that’s right, that’s another conflict of interest. John Tamihere is his father-in-law. John Tamihere—myself and John have challenged iwi to find the right strategies in terms of hooking up with their whanaunga, because the reality is that your whanaunga live in Māngere, they live in Ōtara, they live in Porirua, and some of them will never come back to Taumarunui, Āria, or wherever. They’ll never come back, but does that really give you the right?

I ask you today to hold their right and hold their settlement rights. I think this is something that Bella and the board have to work through, because too many of our people are missing out on their Treaty rights.

Too many of our people are missing out on their Treaty rights, and this is something we have to work out in terms of Te Ao Māori. We can only do so much in this Government. Whether it’s a Labour Government or them, it’s all the same. We can’t do everything for the people, and we can’t manage the operation at ground level. You have to, and you have to work that process out, or otherwise we’ll always have to work through the allegations of iwi elitism and that type of thing.

I’m not saying anyone is part of that iwi elite today; I’m saying let’s think about how those rights are extended to our whanaunga in the urban areas. It’s a kaupapa, as many of you know, that has been part of me for most of my working life, and I’m proudly Ngāti Maniapoto, although I never got voted on to the Ngāti Maniapoto board when I stood. I got close, but that was about seven or eight years ago. I probably got—

💬 Rawiri Waititi: I think you’ll still be struggling after that speech.

He’s right—I’ve probably got no chance now that I’ve been in Parliament. But it is fundamental and it is incredibly important.

But I just wanted to say, today, that I want to mihi to you all, and have a think about that. I congratulate us as a nation when we take these types of settlements—$165 million. Everyone in the House knows that the settlements are probably worth 10 times that amount. I see Rahui Papa there. Tainui: they settled $170 million in 1996, and they probably could have settled for $10 billion, eh, Rahui—$10 billion.

We have given to this nation. Maniapoto—Maniapoto—has given to this nation. It’s an honour to be part of your tribe, and I honour my mother today. Tēnei te mihi ki a koutou. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā anō tātou katoa.

Tēnā koe e te Māngai. Straight up, just to declare my conflict of interest, I’m, unfortunately, just a Ngāpuhi whānau, and I am not related at all to Willie Jackson.

Tākiri ko te ata

He manu kororī

He manu kororā

He reo anō tērā nō tuawhakarere.

Haere rā te pō.

Ngāti Maniapoto nā koutou anō tērā. Ngāti Maniapoto, te tereina o Ngāti Maniapoto, nau mai, haere mai, whakatau mai rā ki tēnei o ngā teihana, ki te Paremata. Tautoko katoa au i ngā kōrero kua kōrerohia ki roto i te Whare i tēnei rā ki te whakanuia ā koutou mahi.

Kei te whakaaro ake au ki ngā āhuatanga o te tereina i te mea ko tēnei ngā Kākāriki e mihi nei ki a koutou me te whakaaro ake ko tēnei iwi he iwi atamai, he iwi kerēwa, he iwi i mōhio ki tōna hītori, ngā painga me ngā raru o ngā tereina. Heoi anō kei te koke whakamua ki ngā āhuatanga i te mea ko te hunga e kake ana ki runga i te hoiho rino, ki runga i te tereina ka mohio mai kāore he waka anō ki runga i te ara, nō reira he pai tērā mō tō tātou nei taiao, he pai tērā mō tō tātou nei āhuarangi. Nō reira ko tēnei ngā Kākāriki e mihi atu ki a koutou mō tō koutou nei tauira i tēnei wā.

Kei te whakaaro ake au ki ngā āhuatanga, i a koutou i haere mai ki runga i tērā tereina, i te mea e ai ki ngā kōrero i huri rauna te tereina mai i te Rohe Pōtae i tau ki Kirikiriroa, i tau ki Te Kuiti, i tae ki ngā wāhanga katoa o te Rohe Pōtae, ka tae mai ki konei. Kei te whakaaro ake ko te teihana i tau tēnei tereina o Ngāti Maniapoto i tēnei wā ko tēnei whakatau kerēme, ko tēnei whakatau kerēme. Heoi anō, ka mutu tēnei ka rere te tereina ki hea? Ka rere te tereina ki hea?

Me rere, me tau ngā tereina katoa o tō tātou nei ao Māori ki te mana motuhake o tō tātou nei ao Māori. Ki te mana motuhake o tō tātou ao Māori, te tino rangatiratanga i kōrerohia tō tātou Tiriti o Waitangi ki roto i tana wāhanga tuarua. Ko te Tiriti o Waitangi tērā, ko te tino rangatiratanga. Nō reira, Ngāti Maniapoto ko koutou anō te tauira i tēnei rā, nō reira tēnei ka mihi, tēnei ka mihi.

Tautoko katoa au ngā mihi ki a rātou mā kua riro atu. Nōku anō te hōnore, nōku anō te whiwhi kia tae ki Pipitea i tēnei ata ki te whakarongo ki ngā kōrero, ki ngā kōrero o tērā pāpā o tātou, Tom Roa, i te mea ko au anō tērā kei waho i te wā o te petihana, te whakanui i te 50 tau o te petihana. E tika ana tō Willie, i kaha matou ki te whakarongo ki a Tom Roa, i wareware katoa ngā kōrero a Willie Jackson i taua rā. Nō reira, e te pāpā, e mihi ana ki a koe. I areare katoa ngā taringa o aku nei tamariki i haere mai i te Papaioeia mai i te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manawatū ki te whakarongo ki a koe.

Otirā nōku anō te whiwhi ki te whakarongo ki ngā kōrero o ō koutou nei kaumātua i te pae i te ata nei ki Te Pipitea. Me mihi au ki te āhuatanga o te taonga i whakatakotoria ki Pipitea, me mihi au, me mihi tēnei Whare ki tērā o ngā āhuatanga kia tau tērā taiaha, kia tau te Maungārongo ki te poho o te wharenui.

Me te whakaaro ake he kōrero pai tērā mō tātou katoa e tohe nei ki roto i tēnei Whare i te mea he tau pōtitanga kei te haramai, nō reira, he tauira pai tērā mō tātou ngā kaitōrangapū kia mau te rongo, kia hohou anō te rongo, kia kōkirihia ki ngā whakaaro e hapaitia te ngākau o tēnā, o tēnā o tātou, ō tātou nei uri, ō tātou nei tamariki, ō tātou nei mokopuna, tēnei mea te maungārongo. Nā reira, Ngāti Maniapoto ko koutou anō tērā i whakatakotoria te tauira me ōna āhuatanga, me tōna hītori kia mahara anō tēnei Karauna kia mahara anō tēnei Kāwanatanga, kia maumahara anō tēnei, tātou katoa te Pāremata o te noho tau i waenganui i a koutou me te Karauna. Otirā he tauira anō mō tātou mō ngā tau kei te haere mai.

Ko tēnei pire, tē taea te whakatau ngā nawe katoa, tē taea te whakatau ngā mamae katoa. Tērā i rongo au i te wā i tae mai a Maungārongo ki Te Pipitea, i rongo au i ngā kōrero o te hītori i te wā o te pakanga, i ngā pakanga whetū, o tātou nei whānau i whakarere atu te pakanga ki ō rātou nei whenua, ki ō rātou nei takiwā kia tae anō rātou ki waenganui i a Ngāti Maniapoto. Kei te whai rātou he āhuru mōwai pērā ki a Parihaka i taua wā.

Nō reira, me kaha tēnei Paremata, me kaha tēnei Kāwanatanga kia maumahara anō tērā o ngā hītori. Nā reira kia ora anō tērā hītori me akona ki roto i ngā kura, me akona tērā hītori e pā ana ki a koutou o Ngāti Maniapoto, e pā ana ki ngā āhuatanga o ngā pakanga whetū, kia akona ki roto i ngā kura auraki, kia akona ki roto i ō tātou kura kaupapa kia mōhio mai ō tātou tamariki, mokopuna he aha te hītori, he aha ngā kōrero tuku iho kei raro i ō rātou rekereke, kei raro ō rātou nei waewae, kia mōhio mai rātou ka tū au ki roto i tēnei whenua ko Aotearoa, kei te mōhio au i ōna kōrero katoa, ā, ka tau anō te wairua o tēnā whenua o ō tātou tamariki mokopuna. Nō reira me kaha tātou ki te whai i tērā o ngā āhuatanga.

Ko tēnei pire, ka whakamana te pire nei i te Whakaaetanga Whakataunaha i waitohu rā e te Karauna me Maniapoto hei whakatau i ngā kerēme hītori Tiriti o Waitangi katoa o Maniapoto, i hua ake i ngā mahi, i ngā āwaretanga hoki o te Karauna i mua i te tau 1998. Kua kapi te rohe pānga o Maniapoto, ko te Rohe Pōtae tae atu ki te tai moana e pā tata ana me tētahi wāhi o te āpure ohanga rāhui.

Kei roto i te pire ko tētahi whakarāpopoto o ngā tātai kōrero o ngā kerēme, otirā ngā hītori i kōrerohia nei te Whare, tae atu ki te ōhanga ā-tinana, ā-ahurea, ā-wairua hoki o te iwi. Ka mau hoki ko ngā whakaaetanga me te whakapāha kei te tāpae rā e te Karauna ki a Ngāti Maniapoto.

Kei roto i te pire nei ētahi ritenga e pā ana ki tētahi puretumu whakataunga me mātua whakature kia ū ai, tae atu ki ngā rawa ahurea, ngā rawa taiao, te puretumu tauhokohoko me ētahi ritenga e pā ana ki te whakahounga hangahanga. Ko taku manako mō tātou katoa, otirā ki a koutou o Maniapoto kia mau tonu ki ērā ngā kupu o ngā mātua tīpuna.

Kāore e kore ka pērā koutou, he iwi atamai, he iwi kerēwa. “Kia mau tonu ki tērā, kia mau tonu ki te kawau mārō, whanake ake, whanake ake, whanake ake.” Me tērā o ngā kōrero o te koroua a Rewi, i pēhea tēnei hononga o te āhuatanga o Te Tiriti o Waitangi? E kore e oti, e kore rawa e oti. Ko tōna oranga mō ake, ake, ake, ake. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, Ngāti Maniapoto, tēnā tātou katoa.

[The day is dawning,

Birds on the land,

Birds on the sea,

Their call is from ancient times.

Farewell oh night.

Ngāti Maniapoto, that is your saying. Ngāti Maniapoto, the train of Ngāti Maniapoto, welcome to this station, to Parliament. I am in full support of what has already been said in the House today to pay tribute your efforts.

I am considering the attributes of a train, because this member of the Green Party acknowledges you and considers you to be an intelligent and clever tribe, a tribe who knows their history, the good and the bad of the trains. Nevertheless, you are moving forward to what is ahead because those who ride the steel horse, on the train, know there is no other vehicle on the path, therefore, that is good for our environment and for our climate. Accordingly, we the Green Party acknowledge you for your example at this time.

I am considering the circumstances when you came here on that train because, according to accounts, the train travelled around from the King Country and stopped in Hamilton, Te Kūiti, and went to all the parts of the King Country and then arrived here. I think the station this Ngāti Maniapoto train has now arrived at is this claim settlement. However, when this is complete, where then will the train go? Where will it go?

All the trains of our Māori world should journey towards and arrive at self-determination of our Māori domain, to the autonomy of our Māori world—the sovereignty spoken of in article 2 of the Treaty of Waitangi. That is what the Treaty of Waitangi is about: sovereignty. Ngāti Maniapoto, you are the example today, I therefore acknowledge you.

I fully endorse the acknowledgments of those who have passed. The honour and the good fortune is mine to have been at Pipitea this morning to listen to the speeches and to the narratives of our elder Tom Roa, as I was also there outside at the time of the petition, the 50-year commemoration of the petition. Willie is correct in what he said, we listened so intently to Tom Roa that we forgot everything Willie Jackson said that day. So, sir, we acknowledge you. My children listened attentively, they came from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manawatū in Palmerston North to listen to you.

I am also fortunate to have heard your elders, your orators on the bench this morning at Pipitea. I must acknowledge the nature of the treasured item that was laid down at Pipitea, I and this House should acknowledge the circumstances around the laying down of the taiaha, Maungārongo, in the bosom of the meeting house.

I think this is a good narrative for us here debating in this House, as an election year is coming. As such, that is a good example for us politicians to be in a state of peace, to make peace, to champion ideas that uplift the hearts of each and every one of us, our children, and our grandchildren, this thing peace. Therefore, Ngāti Maniapoto, it was you yourselves who presented the example and all that comes with it, its history, so that this Crown, Government, and Parliament are reminded of the resolving between you and the Crown. Indeed, it sets the example for us for the coming years.

This bill cannot settle all grievances, it cannot resolve all the pain. I heard this at the arrival of Maungārongo to Pipitea, I heard historical accounts of the wars, the battles of the stars, and of our kinsmen who fled the battle on their lands and districts and sheltered amongst Ngāti Maniapoto. They were seeking refuge, similar to Parihaka at that time.

Accordingly, this Parliament, this Government must remember this history. In order to keep this history alive, it should be taught in schools—that history about you of Ngāti Maniapoto and the circumstances of the battles of the stars should be taught in mainstream schools and within our Māori-medium schools so that our children will know the history and traditions that lie right there beneath their ankles and feet, so that they know when I stand here in Aotearoa I know all her stories and the land of our children and grandchildren will be tranquil once again. We must pursue this situation.

This bill, this bill empowers the deed of settlement signed by the Crown and Maniapoto to settle all the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims of Maniapoto that resulted from the Crown’s acts and omissions before the year of 1998. It covers Maniapoto’s area of interest, the King Country to the adjacent coast and a part of the exclusive economic zone.

In the bill, there is a summary of the process of the claims, indeed the histories that were spoken of in the House, including the physical, cultural, and spiritual economy of the tribe. It also includes the agreements and apology tabled by the Crown to Ngāti Maniapoto.

In this bill are provisions regarding a settlement redress that must be enacted so that it is fixed, including the cultural and environmental resources, commercial redress, and provisions for renovating buildings. It is my hope for us all, and indeed for you, Maniapoto, to hold fast to the words of the forebears.

There is no doubt you will do this, you are an intelligent and clever people. “Hold fast to that, hold fast to the fighting formation, move onwards, rise up.” Also that saying from the elder Rewi, how has this relationship of the nature of the Treaty of Waitangi fared? It will never end. It will endure for all time. Acknowledgments to you, Ngāti Maniapoto, and to all.]

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Tēnā koutou katoa, and welcome to this Whare. Welcome to your Whare, this place where we get to come to a conclusion on what has been a very long time of negotiation. I must admit it is not often that I agree with Willie Jackson, but he is right in that this is a celebration. It’s a celebration of great achievement where we can recognise what has occurred in the past and move forward together as iwi and the Crown.

I’ve not had the opportunity to speak on this Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill, and I feel very privileged to be able to do so now in this, the third reading, as we come to its conclusion. I feel privileged because ACT have always supported the Treaty settlements. We do believe in them and we think it is a way that we can unify together as a country and move forward. It’s a way that we address the wrongs that have occurred so that we can move forward together.

In that respect, I’d like to acknowledge the iwi of Maniapoto and the hard mahi that you have done to get to this point. As I read up on the claims, I read that there are over 277 of them. I hear of the passing of those that started these negotiations and the advancement of those that started on your behalf and now sit, as Nanaia Mahuta does, as a Minister in this Whare as well. I acknowledge all of that work, and for those that have passed and not seen this completion, I acknowledge them as well.

Ngāti Maniapoto is somewhat unique in that you have been able to retain your autonomy, or your self-government, for longer than most other iwi—possibly Tūhoe might be up there with you as well—and I think that this is important because this tribe has been one that has fought the Government for a very long time, and did so so strongly. I am of Ngāpuhi descent and I understand that feeling of constant fighting to be able to manage what you know is right for your people, those that have passed and those in the future. You retained that autonomy up until the 1880s, and my understanding, of course, is that then the Government reneged on some of the promises that they’d made to you, but you fought valiantly all the way through.

With this, cultural redress is important, because when we look at the pain and the suffering that our iwi have had, to have this acknowledged by the Minister in this Whare—some of those wrongs—is very important. It’s an important part of this process and the apology that is to come is even more so, and this allows us to move forward with the Crown and iwi as this entity that is in agreement. It, of course, begins with the acknowledgment and it ends with the agreement, but the mahi in between to get to those points, working out the solutions, is always a constant. In that respect, I acknowledge the Supplementary Order Paper that came to the House earlier to also tidy up. It means that just because we sign it, it doesn’t mean that it’s over. We can continue.

The claims settlement bill has taken some time to work through and I acknowledge the resolve of Ngāti Maniapoto to get here. The Government, as I mentioned earlier, had breached their agreement. They actually breached article 2 of the Treaty of Waitangi, which guaranteed that the sale of Māori land would be done in a way which protected Māori interests, and when the Government came through in the 1890s and aggressively purchased Māori land in the Ngāti Maniapoto rohe without regard to article 2 and respect to Māori land rights. It is great for me to see this being acknowledged here, in this Whare today, by the Crown of today.

We notice that the redress includes natural resources. There’s forestry, commercial redress, titles to land, some reorganisation of governance and fisheries matters as well. But, more importantly, it’s about the apology, because the Crown did break their promises back in the 1800s, and I acknowledge the loss of 250,000 hectares of land back then.

The Māori townships of Ōtorohanga and Te Kūiti, they were self-governing back in the time, and the Government replaced the devolved self-government by legislating to create the Waikato-Maniapoto Māori Land Board. They took away your ability to govern yourselves, and by promoting legislation without consulting Ngāti Maniapoto, the Crown failed to respect Ngāti Maniapoto rangatiratanga. Even today, it is inappropriate for the Government to push central government ideals on to local communities, even in this modern time, so it’s important that we do understand and we move forward together, because when we can do that as one, we will have much better outcomes when we can have these agreements.

But I do want to point out that I am in agreement with Willie Jackson: this is a celebration. You have achieved so much and you have worked so hard, and the apology that’s still to come will be the way that we can finalise that and finish that movement forward. In that respect, I do want to also acknowledge the taonga that you’re bringing to this Whare for us to hold for five years. I think that’s very special. That’s so great—when you look back at the things that you have lost and yet you’re willing to move forward.

This is a celebration of the mahi that is coming to a conclusion. It’s a celebration of an outcome. It’s a celebration of the future, for our tīpuna in the past, and our tamariki that are still coming. But, most importantly, I think it is a celebration for you, Maniapoto, and the hard work that you have done. I am very proud to be a part of it and to acknowledge ACT’s support in this third reading, and that you get to have the redress, the acknowledgment, and the apology, and you get the aroha of this House back to you because you so deserve it. Kia ora koutou.

The next call is a split call. I call on Arena Williams—five minutes.

Tēnā koe e te Māngai o te Whare. E mihi ana ahau ki a koutou kua tae mai ki te Whare Pāremata me te marae o Pipitea i tēnei rā whakahirahira, i tēnei rā whakanuia. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[To the Speaker of the House, I acknowledge those who have come to Parliament House and to Pipitea Marae on this important day, this day of celebration. Greetings to you all.]

Kei te mihi ki te Nehenehenui [I acknowledge the people of the Nehenehenui] and all of the negotiators, including the chief Crown negotiator, David Tapsell. The work you have done to get us to this day has been a service to your iwi, to everyone here, and to all New Zealanders.

E kī ana te Minita, [The Minister states,] “It is right that the Crown atones for the pain and suffering it has caused your people.”, and today’s reading of this bill is the next step towards the historically important and overdue apology from the Crown at Te Tokanganui-a-Noho marae on 4 December. I look forward to that, and, as the chair of the Māori Affairs Committee, Tāmati Coffey, said, we will stand alongside you, with tears in our eyes and our noses running, on that important day.

I also want to acknowledge the comment of Joseph Mooney that Ngāti Maniapoto’s history is etched into that of the King Country, and it is all around New Zealand. I grew up seeing, most days, the memorial at the junction of Mangere Road and Great South Road that commemorates the member of the House of Representatives Colonel Marmaduke George Nixon, who commanded the Colonial Defence Force Cavalry—which attacked your people at Rangiaowhia—in the Waikato Wars.

I acknowledge the comments around this House that Parliament recognises the shame for the Crown in the way that it acted in those years, particularly at Rangiaowhia, and the disrespect of the unequal treatment that followed with conscription and confiscation since then. But those views aren’t shared everywhere and by all New Zealanders, and that shame is not known. What I hope is that, from today’s reading in Parliament and from the work that you will be able to do from settlement and the work that continues with the Government, you will be able to tell that important history to everyone and, most importantly, to your mokopuna, who will know that they come from a great line of people and have a place in New Zealand and with you. And I want to acknowledge the work of the ever-impressive and obviously quite intimidating Tom Roa on that.

My thanks as well to your kaumātua and tīpuna, who, despite what they have suffered through the effects of colonisation, have always striven to uphold their tribal unity and mana whakahaere. They made sustained efforts in their pursuit of their claims for redress and compensation from the Crown. They shared that history, they kept that memory alive, and my thanks to all of you for the sense of hope that you bring, today, for your mokopuna and for ours. Ki a koutou, ngā mihi maioha, ngā mihi mahana.

[Warm and affectionate greetings to you all.]

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

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā hapū maha o Ngāti Maniapoto, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Tēnā koutou i runga i te kaupapa whakahirahira, tēnā koutou i runga i tō karanga, tēnā koutou i runga i te rā whakanui. Nō reira ōku rau rangatira mā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Madam Speaker, I greet you, indeed, to all the members of the House, I greet you all.

To the authorities, the orators, and the many subtribes of Ngāti Maniapoto, I greet you all. I acknowledge you on this auspicious occasion, thank you for inviting us, greetings on this commemorative day. Therefore, to the many noblemen, I greet you all.]

I’m simply pleased to take a call on this significant piece of legislation in the third reading of this bill, and I too want to put my conflict of interest on the table—

💬 Teanau Tuiono: Oh no, here we go.

—oh, hold on, hold on; no recordings—on behalf of my mother, who benefits from the kaumātua support of Ngāti Maniapoto trust. She would want me to say thank you very much because she is registered to Ngāti Maniapoto and, hopefully, is moving to Te Nehenehenui Trust because of the whakapapa that we have to Ngāti Maniapoto through my great-grandfather Īhakara Rāpana nō [from] Ōtorohanga. So it’s with great pride that I stand and acknowledge my whakapapa to those that are in the gallery and those who are listening at home. So I want to declare that conflict proudly—that I have whakapapa with the very people we are honouring here today.

💬 Hon Willie Jackson: And Hukarere.

Of course, Hukarere—Hukarere. But I wanted to say that in response to Mr Jackson’s tono around getting out benefits to our people who don’t live at home, I just wanted to put on record that we are doing that, and if it wasn’t for what we are doing, then we wouldn’t see the proliferation of Waipareira Trust or his Manukau urban authority, who over several decades have received millions of dollars of compensation from the Crown to deliver services. So I just wanted to say, in honesty, that that’s what we’re celebrating here, and the recognition of the trials and tribulations of Ngāti Maniapoto, but also the extension of aroha that you give to all your descendants, no matter where they live. I wanted to acknowledge that and thank those that keep the home fires burning, because without that, we would have no mana. So mihi maioha mihi aroha ki a koutou.

In your settlement particularly—and I don’t want to go back over the history, but I particularly want to underscore the primary industry protocol that you have. Many iwi that we settle with in this House tend to go into the social spaces—the protocols with Government agencies—but, clearly, you have done a beeline to the primary industries in reflection of the importance of your whenua, the last bit of whenua that you have. But not only that, it’s the richness of your whenua and what your rohe has given to this nation.

I know that the other side of the House, the National side, acknowledges the significance of the primary industries to this country, but to see it in a Treaty settlement as a priority protocol with the Government going forward, I think it needs to be noted in this debate. I think it’s a significant turnabout. It’s signalling very clearly where this particular iwi is going to take its future. It is going to be on the whenua, with the whenua, and the opportunities that is going to lock in for not only their people but all people of this nation—I want to mihi and acknowledge that in the short contribution that I have on this bill.

It is a great day. I want to acknowledge all those who have made this possible: the negotiators on both sides; both our Treaty Ministers that started and finished the process; and, of course, to our tuahine Nanaia Mahuta, who has our absolute respect in this House, and to her husband, Gannin Ormsby, we send aroha to both of yous because we love you and we honour what you do on behalf of all of our people. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Kia ora. The next call is another split call. I call on Tim van de Molen—five minutes.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I rise to take a call on the Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill in its third and final reading, I just want to acknowledge first of all that it is a beautiful part of the country. I have been privileged to spend a bit of time farming and hunting in that region, and I do want to acknowledge everyone from Maniapoto who has come here to be with us today for what is a pretty historic account from Maniapoto, but I also acknowledge a former member of this House, Mr John Robertson, the Mayor of Waitomo, who has joined us today as well. Can I just note on behalf of a colleague of mine, Harete Hipango, our spokesperson for Māori development, that she would have loved to take call in this debate as she regularly spends time travelling through the Maniapoto rohe, but she is unable to take a call in this third and final reading.

Here we are, at the end of a very long process. They say that good things take time, and I believe that having come through what has been quite a journey, hopefully, everyone can agree that this is the best outcome that was able to be reached. I say that in the context that there are always differing views. It is long process and a complex process, and we saw that through select committee process as well, where a number of submitters had varying views on groups that should or shouldn’t be included and, indeed, on different aspects of that bill throughout that process as well.

But it takes time, and it is challenging and it involves negotiation. Ultimately, though, a position has now been reached that I think we can all support. We have a good outcome. That includes, of course, cultural redress, financial redress, and commercial redress—things that are important. But for me, as I understand it, a sense of identity, I think, is absolutely critical, and the self-worth, the value, and the importance that comes from settlement claims being finalised is absolutely vital. When I see our country experiencing a time of increased division and increased uncertainty across a range of areas, I think this is a good step to help try and, in part, perhaps address some of those challenges that are being faced as well.

On that note, I would just like to reiterate that we do support this bill. We are delighted to see it now receiving its final reading and we look forward to the completion and the subsequent moving forward for Maniapoto. As their future looks bright, I am sure, and the opportunities will be significant, I think that is the most exciting aspect of any settlement bill. It puts a line in the sand and enables people to look with positivity to the future and to drive their own success from there. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Tēnā koe e te Pīka. E rere haere ana ngā mihi ki a koutou o te Rohe Pōtae i tēnei wāhanga o te pire wakataunga. Nāku te whiwhi kia tū tēnei Whare kia tautoko Te Paati Māori ki a koutou i tēnei rā. Haere mai ki a au, ki a Te Ua Haumēne, haere mai ki a Rāwiri, ki a Te Kooti, kei te ara whanaunga, kei mamao rawa e.

[Greetings. Greetings abound to you of the King Country at this stage of the settlement bill. I am honoured to stand in this House so that Te Paati Māori can support you on this day. Welcome to me, to Te Ua Haumēne, to Rāwiri, to Te Kōoti, the kinship ties are recognised lest we become distant.]

It’s an honour to rise on behalf of Te Paati Māori to speak in support of the Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill for the third and final reading. We would like to mihi to all of those who are watching today, either here in person or here in wairua. We acknowledge the kuia, kaumātua, negotiators, hapū leaders, w’ānau, rangatahi, and, specifically, those no longer with us since this journey started over 30 years ago.

I stand to celebrate our resilience. Here today stands the strength of a people whose tūpuna fought beside my own tūpuna in Taranaki to defeat imperial troops at Puketakauere, near Waitara. Here our w’anaunga, whose tupuna Rewi Maniapoto supported the resistance to our tūpuna land sales and muru raupatu, and, as an uri of Taranaki, Tītokowaru, and Parihaka, I know this process to reclaim our relationship with the Crown puts our own relationships at strain. So let today be one of those days you ease that mode and celebrate yourselves. Celebrate that you created traffic jams in rail systems never seen before—traffic jams in bus systems that brought Pōneke, I understand, to a halt—as everyone arrived here today, everyone who are either urban, ahikā, rangatahi ma.

I also declare my conflict as a wahine with a hoa rangatira that I love to the moon. I also declare my tautoko to our tuāhine Nanaia Mahuta for her mahi in this kaupapa and for her w’ānau.

I stand as Te Paati Māori, as the only party 100 percent in attendance, actually, but afforded the smallest amount of minutes to talk, which is five minutes, to be actual—which is why Willie Jackson could never be with us—so I’ll be very direct. I’ll be very direct. Here today, Aotearoa, stands the generosity of the koha of Ngāti Maniapoto to our nation, accepting this settlement to enhance our nation’s peace. We believe Te Tiriti is to be honoured, not settled, so it’s no surprise that we don’t believe settlements are full and final—don’t listen, ACT—and we look forward to supporting you coming back for the other 99 percent that Willie and Peeni Henare are still holding back.

Today, we celebrate you and that you honour us with Maungārongo. You reminded, as a nation and a Whare, that our poropiti use Maungārongo as an action and a way of being, as a living kaupapa with living mauri, and as a consistent reminder of our enduring relationships and responsibility to each other and to our mokopuna.

Kia mau, kia rongo is about being a calm collector. It requires patience, a patience like you’ve never seen before, such as that seen in Ngāti Maniapoto and tangata w’enua throughout the motu—a patience of those who tolerated the atrocities of imperialism, the imperialism that punished you for hiding King Tāwhiao after he’d passed. But you still show the utmost aroha today, continuously contributing to the greatest human attributes ever gifted: the gift of forgiveness and the gift of hope.

To us in this Whare, to the Government today and the Government-in-waiting, we have been charged with the koha of Maungārongo. We must now make sure the Crown constantly remembers the gift of Maungārongo: how we must hold on to the intent that is Maungārongo and what it means to be a true good partner in the terms of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and this new tiriti with Ngāti Maniapoto. We know the track record of the Crown and many of us are survivors of the breaches of that Crown, and we look at this honour and challenge for the institution of the Crown and at how it holds on to the commitment which is this new tiriti with Ngāti Maniapoto—five years to be proudly looked after in Pāremata. It will serve as a constant reminder for this Whare.

Minister Andrew Little said this morning that this was the beginning of a relationship, not the end. Te Paati Māori, as the Government-in-waiting, will be here to ensure this Whare holds true to that promise.

Nō reira, kei runga, kei raro, kei roto, kei waho, rire rire hau pai mārire.

[In closing, above, below, within, without, goodness and peace.]

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou, Ngāti Maniapoto. Nau mai ki te Whare. I just want to stand in acknowledgment of all of you who are here today—all of those who are at the marae down the road, and all of those who are at home—and all of those who have passed before who have led all of us to today. I want to acknowledge you and acknowledge all of those negotiators and everybody who has contributed to this process across the House and across your generations. Your strength, your patience, and your grace to get all of us here today is something very special, and, as the Hon Willie Jackson has reminded us, it is something to celebrate. This is—you are—what legends are made of.

When I was in the classroom and we would draw upon your great stories and histories with my students in performing arts, there were some wonderful, wonderful lessons, and it will be wonderful to see what happens with the stories that you have created in getting us here today—legendary. You are inspiring and you bring us hope, not just to your whānau and your mokopuna, but to the entire nation. Your tragic and brutal history is finally, today, acknowledged. The Crown apologises, and we acknowledge the shame and the scars that you bear today from the loss of your language and from the loss of your land, your people, and your prosperity.

Like I say, to see you in good faith again and again, despite the behaviour of the Crown—and you entered negotiations and agreements for more than 150 years, whether it was about the main trunk line, as we’ve heard acknowledged today, or trying to do well for your people in education, or with the whenua, or with health. There was the enormous failure by the Crown to make sure that the benefits: economic, employment, or just for your wellbeing—they failed. It is the most humbling experience to be standing here and acknowledging your perseverance. Despite the Crown failing again and again to meet its obligations and its commitments, you have persevered so graciously.

I guess the other thing, on top of acknowledging the fighting for justice and redress, is that at the same time you simply got stuck in and did what needed to be done, and you are doing what needs to be done for your people to build a future. We’ve heard the word “hope”, but you’ve realised that. Despite COVID and despite 150 years of people actively trying to eliminate you as a people, you’ve got on to it and you’re building a future, not just with words but with actions.

It’s wonderful to drive up through Mokau—it catches a lot of sun up there—and to see the solar panels going up on the marae. The fact is that you are able to show leadership, build relationships—real relationships—with the lines company, and bring peer-to-peer energy-sharing and that push for decarbonisation, and be so progressive and future-focused and positive and ambitious, being able to ensure that for our rural communities and for our more vulnerable community members, you’re able to bring some equity to energy vulnerability. I know that sounds like a really small thing to some, but I think it’s a really wonderful example of how you just get on with things, and I just want to acknowledge that.

Again, Maniapoto Whānau Ora, with your beautiful new waka that I saw, which is going to be able to, again, bring some equity to health services for our more rural communities—it is really inspiring. You’re able to forge relationships and be innovative, despite everything that has been done to you.

💬 Education: I come to this House as an educator and I acknowledge the very proactive use of education as a weapon. That breaks me to say that, as a person who knows the value of it, and who knows of the very proactive assimilation and attempts to destroy your reo, your identity, your tikanga, and your mātauranga Māori. Despite this, you’ve forged on, again, with perseverance, leadership, and hope.

I understand that Te Wharekura o Maniapoto has been acknowledged internationally for all that you do for indigenous education. You bring hope not just to our nation but to indigenous people around the world, and that hope is something that means that I’m really curious about how we can participate in building a new education system for all of our tamariki. It isn’t just this history, this really rich and important history that we need to bring to our classrooms and that will enrich the learning and the lives of all of our tamariki, but the opportunity we have to be led by you to make sure that mātauranga Māori and tikanga is embedded and revolutionises our education system, because we will all be richer and better off for it.

We’ve got a scary future ahead with climate change and all of the other things that are happening, and, time and time again, it is Te Ao Māori that is leading us to revolutionary and inspiring solutions. We’re just really grateful that you’ve hung in there and that you’re going to make sure that with your leadership and our partnership, we’re going to be able to build a future that is going to be a wonderful one for all of our tamariki.

We’ve heard about the 150-year celebrations happening in December. When we see the hui that have been going on as far away as the Gold Coast, I understand, it’s going to be one heck of a celebration and a party, and I think that it is a wonderful thing to be marking for the future of your iwi.

I just want to acknowledge, again, some wise words that have come to me in the past, which are that we must conclude today by ensuring and committing that this House will never again pass legislation that will not uphold the mana of Maniapoto. We need to make sure and be vigilant that today is the start of that journey, and it goes on. As we’ve heard from the House, this isn’t a settlement; this is about honouring Te Tiriti and is a recommitment to everything that we need to do with your iwi. So it is a very humbling experience to stand here and acknowledge all that has happened, and it is with hope that I commend this bill to the House. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Kia ora tātou. Thank you very much for the great honour of being the National Party’s last speaker in the third reading of this incredibly long process that Ngāti Maniapoto have endured—30 years—and now here we are. There have been a lot of phenomenal perspectives shared in this morning’s kōrero, and a number of speakers have started by reflecting on their conflicts of interest and their shared whakapapa. So, in that tradition, I will do the same, and it is not true that I am Willie Jackson’s long-lost twin brother. If you imagine him with these glasses, you can see what I mean—there’s a resemblance.

💬 Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: No, you don’t talk that much.

But I don’t talk that much.

But there is a shared connection that is personal and profound. My great-great-grandfather was in the 65th Regiment of Foot and walked to battle against your forebears, your ancestors, whose love and tradition and honour and mana you hold in your hearts as you reflect on this third reading today. Here I am, as his great-great-grandson in this House, as part of a National Party that comes from our own tradition of Sir Doug Graham, and, more recently, Chris Finlayson, who stand shoulder to shoulder on this issue with the Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Andrew Little and Willie Jackson and the whole House. I stand here with my own weight of history, reflecting on my family’s whakapapa and contribution to your collective pain.

So it means something for me to stand here and to be part of this special occasion of apology for the 150 years of suffering and hurt and loss immeasurable, because it’s not a quantification in a financial sense. It sits in someone’s soul—it sits in your souls. You’ve carried this, yet, despite that, you engaged always in good faith with the latest version of the Crown to try and find a way forward. The humility and grace that lives in those collective decisions of you all and of those who have been part of this journey for the last 30 years is a testament to you and, frankly, it is a breathtaking standard of commitment to what is best about this country, which should sit in front of all of us as legislators.

So, as a very small part of this 120-member Parliament, I personally commit, as the MP for the Bay of Plenty, yes, but also as National Party spokesperson for oceans, when we talk about this being the beginning of the next phase. Meka Whaitiri, in a very good speech, acknowledged the reference to the whenua. There is also reference to the moana, and I’m our oceans spokesperson. So for me to hold true to this is a conversation, should I ever get the opportunity to sit on that side where Willie is, as opposed to this side—it’s better, because you get paid more for what you say over there.

💬 Hon Willie Jackson: It’s all about the money!

See? Now, I want to make sure that when I sit where Willie is and if I have the privilege of holding that portfolio of oceans, I sit with you to understand the opportunity that sits in front of us and you to improve the quality and sustainability of the moana, because that, actually, is partnership in my view, as we move forward from the history to look forward beyond 2022 and 2023.

So, as the great-great-grandson of someone who felt that he was doing his duty, it is my great honour to stand here and give my small voice as part of this Parliament’s acknowledgment today. Thank you, Ngāti Maniapoto, for your grace, and let us move forward together. Kia ora tātou katoa.

He hōnore, he korōria, he maungārongo ki te mata o te whenua, he whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata katoa. Pai mārire. Kua rewa ake ngā karamihimihi o te Paremata nei ki ngā kokonga o tēnei Whare kia rongo mai a Ngāti Maniapoto kua tae ki te wā. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Honour, glory, and peace across the face of the earth, goodwill to all men. Goodness and peace. Acknowledgments from this Parliament have been elevated to the corners of this House so that Ngāti Maniapoto hear that the time has come. Therefore, I greet you all.]

It took me quite a bit of time to think about what I was going to say. I had constructed each of my contributions: on the first reading, talking about the pou of the settlement; on the second reading, talking about the relationships and how important it was to ensure that we made this settlement a living settlement; and on to this moment, because this moment, as I have acknowledged many times before, has taken a long and turbulent path. We have to recognise the legacy of Wahanui, the legacy of Taonui, the legacy of Manga, and everything that they brought with their conviction that Maniapoto would be in a position someday to be able to be the architects of their own destiny and to hold the mana of their determination within the palm of their hands.

I thought, “OK, if I was going to make a contribution that was going to be somewhat useful, what would that look like?”, and I thought back to the moment where I saw this ad in the paper that the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board were advertising for negotiators—who does that? But when I looked at it, I did a couple of things. Firstly, I said to my darling—I asked him. I said, “Look, I’m quite interested, maybe, if they’ll have me, in trying to do something useful for Maniapoto.”, and he jumped in boots and all. I said, “Well, you know that your job is. It’s going to be the driver and looking after our kids.” So I asked him, and he was supportive right from the get-go. I said, “It means that we need to talk to our whānau who are looking after our kids to make sure that they’re going to be OK if I do this mahi, because I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but I think I could do it.” I got the tick there.

Then I went to go and see my Uncle Dan. You know the Dan I mean—Dan Ormsby. He lives in Maniapoto, and he didn’t have too many nice things to say about the trust board at that time. So I thought, “Well, I’ll go and ask his advice and I’ll see what he says.” Well, after he got over himself around his views about the trust board, I said, “Yeah, but I think I could do something useful here. But, firstly, uncle, where is the rohe of Maniapoto anyway? What did Nanny Pop tell you?”, and he said, “Well, you know, the story goes ‘Mokau ki runga, Tāmaki ki raro—that’s Maniapoto.’ ” So I kind of thought about that and I said, “I need to grip up some of my support here.”

The other person I went to go and see was the late Koro Wetere, my predecessor—our predecessor, Mr Speaker—and, with great humility when I went to go and see him, I asked for his advice and he said, “Yes, girl. You can do it—you can do it for the people.” So with those, I think, acknowledgments of “Yep, it’s something to do.”, I then got myself into the position of sitting alongside Mook Hohneck and Peter Douglas.

Now, our negotiating strategy evolved, but I’ll characterise it like this: we didn’t trust each other right at the beginning. We looked each other up and down, and each one of us thought we were better than the other, I guess—well, I know they did; not me! But if I characterise our negotiating technique, as we got to know each other, Mook cleared the path. He was the sledgehammer—he cleared the path—Peter Douglas lit the fire, and then I had to come along with the water and put it out, and that’s just our negotiating technique with our own people, before we even got in front of the Crown.

But I respect what they brought to the conversation as we started on a journey, and before even that journey began, I went to the then leader of the Labour Party, which happened to be the Hon Andrew Little, who is now our Minister for Treaty settlements. I sat down and I said, “Look, I think I can do this.” I declared the conflict and all of that, and said, “This is how I can manage it as a parliamentarian so that there’s not going to be any trouble here, and if you allow me the time to be able to do this, I can serve the people whom I’m committed to serving within my electorate. I can do it this way.” He listened to me and he thought, and he said, “Yep. OK, you can do it, Nanaia.” So I owe you two debts of gratitude: one is for the fact that you enabled me to do it in Opposition, and the second is, as Minister, your commitment to ensure that we got to this point.

Then there was the Treaty settlements Minister of the day, Chris Finlayson—and I take note of the comments of Todd Muller, the previous speaker. He was absolutely committed to ensure that Maniapoto could reach a settlement in a way that characterised the very essence of what they wanted to achieve. He was the first Minister—or, actually, the second Minister, if you don’t count Koro Wetere and myself—to go to Kāwhia, and it was at Kāwhia that we delivered the special factors presentation and talked about the doubly compounding impact of raupatu in Waikato, raising the aukati for 20 years, and then Maniapoto looking after Waikato who were dispossessed, and also some of our Taranaki whānau who were dispossessed. It had a doubly compounding impact and it impressed upon Chris Finlayson that there was a double-duty obligation on behalf of the Crown to address these issues, and we outlined a number of other things.

But the reason why going to Kāwhia was so important is that for Maniapoto, their sense of self-determination didn’t begin and end with the Crown. Maniapoto owned ships and were trading out of Kāwhia with Waikato, and were producing wheat and all of that. So he got a flavour of the fact that Maniapoto were a self-determining iwi.

We were able also to pull together as we worked along this pathway the strength of what the Maniapoto Trust Board had already done, and they’ve had some ups and downs—mandates have been challenged and all of that. I want to acknowledge Uncle Tiwha Bell—who is here—Keith Ikin as deputy, and also Janise Eketone, who at the time was the chief executive, and her team of girls. I think about Charmaine—you’re still there—and Marissa, Tremayne, and all the many girls that were there—or women, ladies; aroha mai—leaders who helped at that time, and I thank you for that.

Then, I had wisdom around me, and I’m so fortunate. I think about John Kaati, Pat Stafford, the late Bob Koroheke, Rovina Maniapoto, Miria Tauariki, and Muiora Barry. We were the team that travelled around and listened to the iwi and that said “Well, this is where we’re at.” and then “What are you thinking?”, and it was very much a two-way conversation. But the thing I learnt about Maniapoto is that they didn’t start with a disempowered mind-set in terms of their aspiration.

If I had to characterise the difference between Maniapoto and Waikato, Maniapoto had a sense of self-determination that was very much invested in their sense of place. Yes, 90 percent of our people live out of Maniapoto, but 100 percent of the aspiration for the iwi is in Maniapoto: how do we have a settlement that enables the iwi and empowers the iwi so that we can attract our people home to contribute and strengthen the aspirations of the iwi—and that’s what sits around the House today. Every iwi member that has come down to Parliament and is in the House, and also at Pipitea, listening to this settlement wants to know that this is an opportunity for them, their children, and their children to follow, and I salute you all because you bring your tūpuna here to witness the statements of the Crown, of the Government, and of this Parliament so that in five years’ time, when we do the health check on the settlement, everyone will know whether or not it has delivered what we anticipated it would deliver. I have high hopes—I have high hopes.

Sitting across the table was David Tapsell. I don’t know what he thought about us as negotiators, really. He had a really steely look, you know, that commercial lawyer look—the kind of look where you think, “I don’t know what we’re going to get here today.”—but I did appreciate his very up-front, straightforward way of working.

I also appreciated the technical group that enabled me to think differently, and, in no particular order—and it’s very difficult when you start naming names—I do want to acknowledge Doug Ruki. Every time I fashioned a part of the settlement that held the kiko of the aspirations of the people, I’d say to Doug, “How am I going to characterise this?” So many of the whakaaro etched out in the deed of settlement and some which are in the legislation—Doug, you had a big hand in that. When I listen to your compositions that our kids are singing, I think to myself that we are so fortunate to have our own reo experts, and I thank Shane Te Ruki too for your awhi in this space, and Tom Roa and Paul Meredith for what you did with Te Ohaki Tapu. You educated our people on the way through so that none of this would be a surprise for our people. This is who they are—this is who we are—and you educated our people in a way that we can all stand proud about what those legacy negotiators left to us, and it is a treasure trove of opportunity that we can teach our kids.

Heather Baggett, Tania Simpson, Liz Munroe, Leonie Simpson, and Tamati Kruger were at the end of the phone every time I got to a point in the negotiations where I asked, “Hey, how did you deal with this?”, and they generously gave their experience to me in ways that I could just figure some of these things out. Koro Wetere I have already highlighted. From a comms perspective, both Nevada Halbert and Katherine Barry—you guys helped us communicate to the people, and I now see that the board, Te Nehenehenui, has gone over where we humbly started in terms of trying to communicate well with our whānau. All of this has been done so that we can, yes, recognise the struggles of the past and the pain of the past but—more importantly—lift that and put it in front of ourselves and say that this is why we have to go forward, this is why we have to do more, and this is why we have to invest in ourselves.

There’s one thing not in the settlement, and it’s a commitment to te reo Māori. You will all ask why it wasn’t in the settlement, and I need to say it: the reason why it’s not in the settlement is because we go back the kawenata. The kawenata said that the strength of Maniapoto is in our Māoritanga and only we can give that to ourselves, not the Crown. So I made it really clear that we’re not going for a reo Māori contribution in this settlement. It’s going to be up to Te Nehenehenui to actually make their own commitment to reo, which will see our people flourish wherever they are in the world—wherever they are in the world.

Lastly—my final mihi—the history of Waikato Maniapoto is inextricably linked. The stories that we heard this morning at Pipitea are our stories, but our ability to give life to that relationship requires us to continue to live those stories in ways that we can continue to connect as Waikato Maniapoto, as people who support uphold and support the values and aspirations of that movement that started at Te Puna o te Roimata. Again, that’s up to us—nobody else. It’s up to us—nobody else. Kia mutu te riri me tiri te rākau pai.

[To end the conflict we must extend the olive branch.]

That was the final part of the special factors presentation that I gave to Chris Finlayson to set in place that the aspiration of the iwi—that will never falter.

If I have a conflict that must be declared today, it is that I am proudly Waikato Maniapoto, and I am proudly standing on the legacy of a history that they created for us so that we can be here at this moment—at this moment—and say that we are products of hope, vision, and aspiration. And we will not falter because that legacy is for our kids, their kids, and those kid that we don’t even know yet, and they will be proudly Maniapoto. They will be proudly saying what they can contribute to the wellbeing of their people—hopefully.

Nō reira, e mihi ana ki a tātou katoa i roto i te ngākaunui me te manawanui o ngā mātua tūpuna.

[Accordingly, within the commitment and determination of our forebears, I acknowledge all here.]

Mr Speaker, because you are unable to speak today, I noted on your Facebook page that there two salient comments that you’d made, because you’ve been a negotiator as well. The first one was that this is not about compensation; this is redress and it’s important that the people are clear as they go forward that we have to keep making this an opportunity, and that’s what I took from what you said. The other one was about the benefits—that this must benefit our rangitahi. Thank you for your words, thank you for your leadership, thank you for being the member for Te Tai Hauāuru to help, in your way, us get to this point. It is much appreciated.

Nō reira, tēnā tātou, kia ora mai tātou katoa.

I mua i te wakaaetanga o te mōtini nei e tika ana kia tū ake au kia tukua atu taku mihi atu ki a koutou o Maniapoto, ka whakapiringa ki ngā mihi o te Whare nei ki a koutou. Nō reira, tēnā rā koutou, tēnā tātou.

[Before assenting to this motion it is only right that I stand to acknowledge you, Maniapoto, and add my greetings to those of this House has extended to you. Therefore, greetings to all.]

Bill read a third time.

Nō reira koutou, Maniapoto, kei a koutou te wā kia whakakapi tēnei āhuatanga.

[Accordingly, Maniapoto, the time is now yours to bring this aspect to a close.]

Waiata

Haka