Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui Claims Settlement Bill

Kia ora koutou, Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui.It’s good to see familiar faces again from when you so generously greeted us as the Māori Affairs Committee and with the Minister down in your rohe some weeks ago. There’s nothing as profound as coming to the place, to the lands, to sit alongside the awa and to understand the context of the people for whom the settlement makes some small amends for the evils of the Crown.

Reading through, again, the historical account, about the sullied hand of that infamous facilitator of original trouble through New Zealand Company actions, Edward Gibbon Wakefield, the hyper-capitalist who was convicted in Britain of abducting a young girl and then he sets out to the South Pacific to try and abduct a whole country, and with the dishonest land dealings and the backing of the Governor’s military force, he wreaks havoc and mischief. Even after all that mischief-making, he gets elected as the member for Hutt South to this Parliament.

I read the accounts of the Heretaunga skirmishes and the five youths who were so brutally and summarily executed unjustly. Every time I read that story of the poisoning with arsenic of the flower, it just makes me sick to the stomach that people would do that to other people. It paints a picture of Crown breaches and injustices against Wanganui that are irreparable and for which there can be no satisfactory compensation or amends. The conflict in Wanganui and the retribution of the Crown against the legitimate resistance of your people, both passive and with force, is inexcusable, and here today this Parliament acknowledges it was the Crown that did wrong. It was the Crown that acted unjustly.

Your settlement opens a way forward for you who have withstood. But the outstanding truth of what this does for us as a nation—and I echo the sentiments of my colleague—is that it is your generosity and accepting the settlement that is the act of nation building. That generosity is what makes me, as tangata Tiriti, ever profoundly humbled by the blessing of being a New Zealander among the tangata whenua of Aotearoa—ever humbled. I think the finest attributes that the world recognises as New Zealand attributes are, in fact, those either directly enacted and expressed by Māori or those that we who have come from somewhere else learned from Māori. Those principles of manaakitanga and generosity and kindness and friendliness; those are things that, when I hear people speak about the New Zealand character and personality, I think that my ancestors learned that stuff from Māori. That’s how I feel about it—that’s how I feel about it.

Today marks a profound and important step for you as an iwi. But I want to say that we have to do better as a country. You know that we are heading into the election time and we try to make these settlements nonpolitical, but I just want to say, I would love it—I would love it—that when we can stand here together in unanimity and vote, every party in this House, for a settlement such as this one, that irrespective of who wins the election on 7 November, we bind ourselves as representatives of the nation to upholding that profound and visionary basis upon which to build a country that is Te Tiriti o Waitangi. And that we actually honour it and we actually step up to it, because it is in honouring that agreement in its deepest meaning that we become a truly cohesive nation.

The paradox of recognising tino rangatiratanga, the right of Māori to self-determination, is that it actually makes us in unity. It actually brings us together. Those who would advocate that somehow upholding the Treaty means different rights for different people have completely missed the actual intent and meaning of that agreement. So my bid and my wish for my fellow colleagues is that we do better for the good of the nation, and we give thanks that of all the bases on which to found a country, we founded ours with a peaceful contract between the newcomers and the sovereign indigenous people who were already here. What a fantastic foundation for a nation. Let’s step up to it and live up to it. I believe settlements such as this are an expression of the best of what we are capable of, but we can do better.

Whanganui, I see in the certainty that you expressed to us down in your rohe a determination to build a great and a thriving nation for your people, and I wish you the very greatest success in that. We, as Te Pāti Kākāriki, as the Green Party, will always stand beside you in support of that ambition. Thank you for coming here today and for receiving this offering, and for your generosity in accepting it, because you help to move the Crown towards honour, because it is the Crown that has committed the dishonour. So thank you for your acceptance and for your generosity, and kia kaha. Ngā mihi.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

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I am not a member of the Māori Affairs Committee, unfortunately. It gets to engage so deeply with these settlement bills. But I encourage every Kiwi, every New Zealander, every person of the world who’s interested in history to reach to these settlement bills, to read historical accounts, to understand the history of this country as it’s laid down—not just in this bill, which will become an Act and be in the legislative, but all Treaty settlements that have gone through this House and the ones that are still to come. They talk to a long-carried burden, a burden which, through the Acts of Treaty settlement legislation, is designed to be shared and carried by all New Zealanders, with this House representing the Crown’s burden to carry.

The history of New Zealand is a weight on the past that we all have. But these settlement bills are also designed to create a future that we can build together so that we can look each other in the eye and see the common humanity, which wasn’t seen in the past, but make sure that the country that we are building goes on with forever. Toitū Nu Tireni.

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I’ll begin my contribution today on behalf of New Zealand First with sending greetings from my leader the Rt Hon Winston Peters and Matua Shane Jones to Ngā Hapū o te Iwi o Whanganui.

Toitū te kupu, toitū te mana, toitū te whenua—hold fast to the language, hold fast to the spiritual authority, hold fast to the land. This historical whakataukī was explicitly spoken by the ancestor Tinirau of Whanganui, and it serves as a regional mandate to protect the core pillars of cultural survival.

Today is a significant day for those gathered in this House, gathered today for the third and final reading of Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui Claims Settlement Bill. I wish to acknowledge all the kaumatua and representatives—Ken Mair, Rick Barker, and others who are with us today in the gallery—and, of course, make mention of those who are not here because, during this time it has taken for the settlement to come through to the third and final reading, they have passed on.

For generations, the mamae, the grievances, have been carried, long before this bill even arrived at Parliament. We’re not just debating legislation today; what we are witnessing is the weaving together of a fragmented history. We’re here to acknowledge the many strands of grievance, resilience, and hope that has brought us to this moment. Like an echo of the past, there’s been a turbulence and grievance in navigating this settlement—discord, dispute—and, in time, with the passage of time, this bill will settle on calmer waters as it comes to rest.

As to history and contemporary times, there are turbulences always to navigate, as in the passage of this bill into law towards a full and final settlement. A depiction and symbol of Whanganui Māori history which navigated its own turbulence during the Whanganui Māori conflicts with the Crown and Māori during periods for which this settlement, in part, addresses, lies not far from New Zealand Parliament and just along the waterfront at Te Papa Tongarewa, the prominent Whanganui waka taua, Teremoe. Teremoe was a prominent waka carrying Whanganui Māori during the Whanganui River and land conflicts of 1864 and 1865, notably the battle of Moutoa Island in May 1864, which Moutoa Gardens, one of the 27 cultural sites under settlement, was named in memory of. It was later reclaimed and renamed Pākaitore, resultant from the 79 days in 1995, that occupation led by Tariana Turia, Niko Tangaroa, Ken Mair, and also aided by a young legal adviser at the time, Harete Hipango.

Another battle Teremoe transported Whanganui Māori to was the battle of Ohautahi, where prominent Whanganui chief Hoani Wiremu Hipango fought in defence and protection of his mid-lower Whanganui River lands, domain, and all people from the advances of the Pai Mārire, commonly known as Hauhau. Hipango was a prominent pro-Government chief who fought and died from invasion in protection of all those settled and living in the mid-lower reaches the Whanganui River.

The waka tau Teremoe was bequeathed to the Wellington Dominion Museum in 1930 by Waata, the son of Hoani and Ema Hipango, rangatira of Whanganui, and whom former parliamentary colleague of ours Harete Hipango-Brownlie is kaitiaki of. This waka has been settled and resting at New Zealand’s Te Papa Tongarewa, emblematic of those turbulent times and incursions, a reminder of the Whanganui past, its turbulence and transience towards a presence and present state of resting, peace, and calm.

Let me transport us now forward to today’s settlement. It’s noted that this settlement, not unlike other Treaty settlements, has not been without dispute and discord. It has not been without troubled waters and turbulent currents. I turn to the advice received from officials in relation to a few of those turbulences and troubled waters in the initial briefing report on 27 May 2026, where, notably, some Whanganui hapū, uri, and members sought to pause the passage of this bill to address their concerns relating to a perceived lack of hapū representation and, in the main, a contested and disputed mandating process. However, the Treaty settlement process is far from perfect, and the determination from the Ministers was to agree that there was sufficient support—support from the claimant community to sign the deed and approve the post-settlement governance entities for establishment. However, it is now a matter for Whanganui to resolve their internal differences amongst themselves once a full and final settlement is reached with the Crown as a result of the passage of this bill.

It’s worthy to mention that of particular note is that, this being a Treaty settlement today, prominent Whanganui rangatira siblings Te Ānaua, Te Māwae, and Rere-ō-maki, mother of prominent Māori leader and chief Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui, and Kāwana Paipai all signed the Treaty of Waitangi at Putiki at the mouth of the Whanganui River on 23 May 1840, Rere-ō-maki being one of five or so women rangatira to do so.

Erected at Moutoa Gardens, Pākaitore, one of the 27 significant cultural sites to be vested from this settlement, are two prominent statues depicting, recalling, and memorials to Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui, Rere-ō-maki’s son, and his service to both the Crown and his Whanganui Māori people; and also the weeping woman statue, in the form of an angel, a personification of grief commemorating the 15 Māori fighting in defence of all people—Māori and settlers of Whanganui—who were killed at Moutoa Island on 14 May 1864 and described as kūpapa.

These two statues have withstood the test of time and weathered the seasons as a reminder and testimony to the history and an enduring commitment and relationship sought between those prominent Māori leaders of the day with the Crown. History, though, cannot be undone, and often a concrete reminder of the past is the best depiction of how to best move forward and leave standing that which is a significant part of history which has shaped our future.

This settlement, and the passage of a bill that will soon become law, will become evidence of the Crown’s commitment to acknowledge, in apology and other forms as outlined in the deed and legislation, those past grievances and wrongs with what is soon to become a full and final settlement negotiated to honour the Crown’s and Whanganui’s commitment in so doing.

This settlement is a critical step toward healing, reconciliation, and the official recognition of historical Treaty claims. It unlocks vibrant cultural, social, environmental, and economic pathways for hapū, marae, rangatahi, kaumātua, and future generations. It honours and aligns with the broader Whanganui settlement journey laid down by Te Awa Tupua settlement Act. This bill reflects years of dedication, dialogue, and resilience. It marks a momentous path forward for Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui and the wider community.

As I conclude, I return to an earlier comment. This bill is the weaving together of the many strands of grievance, resilience, and hope that has brought us to this moment. It is hope that must now be the focus—hope to carry the people forward. Let go the grievance of the past. Let hope guide and inspire a new generation as they navigate calmer waters. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono):

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Last night, at Pipitea, it was beautiful to see our whānau whakaeke on to the marae and to see our mokopuna alongside, because, far too often, our mokopuna don’t get a chance to be exposed to these opportunities. To bring them into the marae and into te Whare Pāremata to see this historic moment

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I want to reflect on what Matua Ken shared quietly in our pōwhiri last night. He gave a little bit of a kauwhau, and in his kauwhau, I wrote it down because it’s challenging

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And if you watch Whakaata Māori, you see the show The Negotiators, and so Matua Ken shared, “If you’re going to bring change, you’d better be committed to see it through.” It requires a total commitment and to be courageous, but he also noted, with this, compassion—that we need to be compassionate—because, in its most difficult times, that is when we need to be most compassionate. Treaty settlements—

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—and diverse voices and challenges within ourselves as we work through the Crown-driven process

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the red book that they use on us is not something that is agreed to. It is their rautaki, it is their kaupapa here, and we are merely the people who have to respond to it. I acknowledge the raru, because how do we protect our whanaungatanga when there is so much at stake? So, to get here to this point where we are in the final reading is a tribute to compassion, to yourselves, to your uri, but also

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and that is the tribute to you as people, but also the grace once again you have given to the dishonourable Kāwanatanga. May I remind this House: when we sign these agreements and these settlements, don’t breach them the next day—don’t breach them the next day.

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Tēnā koe e te Māngai, kia ora.

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I always feel very privileged to be able to speak at these readings for Treaty settlements, because it’s a part of history, and although we heard last night that this has been a long journey, and I think approximately 40 years was mentioned by Ken Mair, I know that this has been far longer than that. I look at Treaty settlements through the eyes of the historical account, and we’re now approaching about 100 settlements that the Crown has enacted with iwi across the motu, and I say that you are not an educated New Zealander until you actually read the historical accounts of each and every one of those Treaty settlements, because that there truly tells us not just of our history but of our recent history. The people that were of those times are close to today.

I read of this particular settlement. The Treaty was signed in, I think it was, May of 1840, one of the many signatory documents that went around at that time for the Treaty settlement, and quickly after that, as Hūhana has just said, the wrongdoings began. Unfortunately, this is repeated across the motu for iwi katoa all over our country, and it’s not proud for me to stand here and to recognise that that was the case.

I look through the historical account and there’s chapter after chapter of wrongdoings. It is a repetitiveness that happened decade after decade, and unfortunately, this is just one of many across the motu. That is what we’re trying to move forward from. Appropriately, we’ve had the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Hon Paul Goldsmith, stand and apologise today for what has happened well in the past, and that is appropriate because we do need to have a new beginning. That’s what this process is about.

These processes are quite long and drawn out. I’ve been fortunate to be part of the Māori Affairs Committee to play our small part in it when we received the bill after the first reading. One of the great opportunities we have as a select committee is to come out on to the whenua. We came to you, to your marae at Pipitea, and it was wonderful for us to be able to do that, to be on your whenua, to hear from you, and to gain even greater understanding of what this arduous journey has been for you.

We’ve got a lot of the members here from my, should I say, Māori Affairs Committee: we’ve got Oriini Kaipara, we’ve got Steve Abel, we have Georgie Dansey, we’ve got the Hon Willie Jackson, Greg Fleming here, and we’ve also got Rima Nakhle, a Lebanese member, and we’ve also got Paulo Garcia, a Filipino member, as well. We’re having our work at the select committee looked at through all sorts of lenses, and the lenses of those who have come to our country to make this their home are similarly extremely disappointed at what this journey has been.

It’s appropriate to thank all those that have actually been a part of the recent journey of this year. We’ve mentioned you, Ken, and your mahi. We’ve got Rick Kingi, we’ve got Rawiri Tinirau, and there’s many others. There’s lots. Also, on the Crown side, the Hon Rick Barker, who’s here seated before us, and all the mahi that you’ve put into this, Rick, and also accompanied by others such as Tracy Waitokia and Amy Simon. These are the people that are the beginning of, I hope, what is the new relationship. They have represented the Crown with regards to negotiation, but every new beginning starts somewhere. I believe it’s those people that have started this journey.

This occasion here is just but a milestone, of us apologising, conveying to the world what this settlement includes, and the Crown is gracious in the fact that you, the many iwi that have settled and the iwi that are too settle, accept what these settlements are, understanding it is but a pittance of what has been lost. We understand that, but it is my true, humble wish that this is the opportunity for the new relationship that is so important between the Crown and iwi moving forward, but also the wish that I have for you as a people to use what this is as a new beginning as well.

Throughout all of the select committee processes I’ve been involved with, with regards to the submissions, there is always opposition that comes forward. There’s usually opposition to mandating, there’s sometimes opposition to what the bill includes, doesn’t include, and all that sort of stuff, and we never move forward without a strong mandate from those that are negotiating, and you have achieved that, obviously, to get it to this point. I wish you well with this new beginning. This is, as has been spoken to by many others, something that we the Crown—and by the way, we in this House are here for but a moment in time. We’re kaitiaki of what we’re doing here at the moment. We’re not going to be here for ever; in fact, not for long.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Yes, we will.

DAVID MacLEOD:—is the way that it actually is. Oh, Goldie might say that we will, but my point is that it is the Crown, the entity, that needs to be sure that we’re actually meeting what we’re saying in the new beginning of what this is.

Without further delay—and, Ken Mair, I know that you’re wanting to have this done this term; we’re achieving that for you, and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to have consensus. Every party around the House on the committee was absolutely in agreement with achieving that goal. Nō reira, Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

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I think one of the few things I agree with Willie Jackson about in this House is the fact great people come from Whanganui. When I spoke at the first reading of this bill, I reflected on standing at Kaiwhaiki Marae and witnessing the signing of He Rau Tukutuku. I spoke about the generations represented in that moment and about the people whose hard work over the decades helped bring the settlement to this House today.

Since then, I’ve had another opportunity to listen. Along with members of this House, I participated in the select committee hearings in Whanganui in the new Aotea Wharekai at Pūtiki. It was fantastic that we were all welcomed there, because that is the Whanganui way. People are welcomed, heard, and treated with respect, even when different views are expressed.

What struck me most was the depth of feeling not only about the history that has brought us here but about what comes next. During those hearings, Whanganui councillorGeoff Hipango—I can see him there in the gallery—offered a perspective that stayed with me. He said that Parliament should not be consumed by relitigating the settlement but should focus on its execution and its implementation. Geoff reminded us that a low turnout in a ratification process is not a vote against a settlement. He said that Parliament should respect the decision reached through that process that has transpired, and that after the settlement, there must be accountability. I think that is an important challenge for all of us, because settlements such as this are not simply about acknowledging the past; they are also about keeping our word in the future.

This bill records significant breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the impact that those breaches have had on generations of Whanganui iwi. It establishes a foundation for cultural revitalisation, economic development, and a renewed relationship between Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui and the Crown.

Legislation alone, however, does not deliver outcomes. Outcomes come from implementation. Outcomes come from working together. Outcomes come from commitments being honoured. That idea is captured in one of the values that sits at the heart of the settlement: toitū te kupu, toitū te mana, toitū te whenua—let the word endure, let mana endure, let the whenua endure. Those words are a reminder that this House has obligations that extend beyond today.

Just before the last election, as National’s candidate for the Whanganui electorate, I hosted the then Leader of the Opposition, Christopher Luxon, in Whanganui. During that visit, we met with local iwi and heard directly about your aspirations, your concerns, and the desire to see this long-running settlement matter brought to a conclusion in this House.

At the end those discussions, Ken Mair wanted to pop around the corner and show Christopher the Te Puna Hapori project. Christopher got the Diplomatic Protection Squad a little bit worried when they saw him hop in Ken’s car and drive off. They thought he was running away with the Leader of the Opposition. But I digress.

Three years later—a drop in the timeline of this process for you—the settlement has been delivered. It did not happen by accident. It happened because generations of iwi leaders, negotiators, kaumātua, trustees, and whānau remained committed to the kaupapa. It happened because people were willing to sit around tables, work through differences, and keep moving forward. I acknowledge all of those who have contributed to that effort today—the negotiators and the representatives, those with us today and those who are no longer here to witness this moment.

Finally, one observation I took away from the hearings at Pūtiki is that few people see this settlement as an end point; instead, they see it as the beginning of a new chapter. That is why I shared Geoff’s words in this House today and see them as so important. The debate now shifts from settlement to responsibility, from negotiation to delivery, from historical grievance to future opportunity.

Today, Parliament completes its role in this process. Tomorrow, the focus turns to ensuring that the promises contained in the settlement are honoured, that relationships continue to strengthen, and that future generations are able to build upon the foundations that we lay here today.

To Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui, I acknowledge your perseverance, your leadership, and your commitment to your people. May the words endure, may mana endure, may the whenua endure. Toitū te kupu, toitū te mana, toitū te whenua. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. I commend this bill to the House.

Kia ora, Mr Speaker. As I rise in support and look around the gallery, I think of a love story. As much as, obviously, history shows the pain, the hurt, the loss from my ancestors, I also consider the love story.

I am from Taranaki, and we know the story of the great fight of Taranaki and Tongariro, and the forging of the Whanganui River as Taranaki, I guess, abandoned and moved out, with a broken heart. But it’s a love story. It’s also a story of connection not only of the land but of whakapapa, of history, and of whānau.

As I’ve been listening to some of the contributions this morning and reflecting on your Treaty settlement, I think of bell hooks, who was a First Nations woman. She has passed away now. There is a quote that sits with me and reminds me of what is going on here today, and what has gone on not only for the past decade to get us here but for more than a century in terms of the fight to reclaim land, to reclaim resources, and to reclaim mana. That is, as bell hooks said, “Love is profoundly political, and our deepest revolution will come when we understand this truth.” I think of the activists who are in the gallery. I think of those who have gone before you, who have fought the fight, who have stood up and been activists, and they have fought against the colonial Government, the Government of the day. It’s from a place of love that we come back to the story of Taranaki and Tongariro and their love for Pīhanga.

We stand in this debating chamber today in support of working to slightly reconcile the past, but, actually, it’s about forging a future, as that Whanganui River was formed and Taranaki moved away.

We look at what we can forge from here in terms of the future for your mokopuna, for your ancestors to come—that they’ll look back on this day and see this as a moment in time. This isn’t the great fix—this isn’t magically making everything better—but this is a moment in time where there is that stake in the ground that says we’re forging a path to prosperity, to the revitalisation of all things that are mana enhancing in terms of your iwi, your people, but also for myself and for the children in my life and for my children who are to come—that we can walk and forge this path in true partnership, that we can show radical love and stand up for what is right so that we can move forward together, as was the vague hope of the 19th century.

May I say today that I acknowledge again the nation in New Zealand and my Pākehā ancestors that built schools, who built hospitals, who built roads, and many of those resources came from your whenua, to not benefit you but to benefit others. But today we say we are forging a path forward as we acknowledge the past. This is only another step, but hopefully this is a step in showing that love is great—it is painful, it forges retreat, but it can also forge a way forward—that love is profoundly political, and I thank you for being political, standing up for love, for your ancestors, but also for those who are to come.

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Tēnā koe e te Māngai o te Whare. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Nau mai, haere mai ki Pāremata.

I rise to speak in support of the Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui Claims Settlement Bill. I want to start by just acknowledging the iwi, hapū, and whānau who have made the journey to the House today for our mihi whakatau yesterday and the third reading in the House today, and want to commend you on your mahi in getting the settlement to this point. I’d like to acknowledge all the negotiators and the kaimahi who have worked on these bills over many years. I wish you all the very best for your future once the settlement is concluded, and I hope that your whānau and your hapū will flourish and that this settlement gives real opportunity to your iwi to move forward.

I am lucky enough to sit on the Māori Affairs Committee. It’s been a real honour and a privilege to see this process through, to visit your whenua and stand and speak to the third reading in the House today. I’d like to acknowledge our chairperson, David MacLeod, and also the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, because I know that there were extensive conversations and kōrero around ensuring that we were able to pass the settlement before the House rises. I know that David MacLeod did a lot of work in this space, while you were doing your mahi outside of this space, to ensure that we could have this read today.

It’s really a big mihi to the mahi that’s been done to get here today. It’s a busy time, but this is important, and during my time in Pāremata, being able to follow the process and contribute in a very small way to iwi settlements has been the most rewarding kaupapa that I have had the privilege of being involved in. Every settlement that passes through this House is significant and a significant milestone in Aotearoa’s journey in recognising Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and we do here in this House just a very, very small part in that journey. It is the iwi, the hapū, and the whānau who do the real mahi, working with the Crown to get this bill into legislation, accepting a settlement and then working to ensure that the settlement provides opportunity for your whānau while protecting your whenua for generations to come.

I know that this has been a very long process. The Crown formally recognised the mandate to negotiate these claims in 2017, an agreement in principle was reached in 2019, and the deed of settlement was signed on 2 May this year. Nine years of negotiation is a very long time, but, of course, these claims are not just nine years old. In fact, they go back for generations and from decisions that the Crown made that had significant consequences for Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui that have continued across generations. I think it’s really important that we spell out what those harms were, because there’s something significant about having that written into our legislation, around the harm—acknowledging that having the harms written into legislation is nowhere near the full story and nowhere near compensates the harm caused. But it does one small thing, which I think is significant: to have it in the legislation, spelled out, exactly the wrongs that the Crown did against your iwi.

I’m going to skip forward a bit because I’ve got a bit more to go, but let’s jump to visiting your whenua, which was a huge highlight for me at Pūtiki Marae. I want to tautoko to all of you and the manaakitanga that you shared with us on the day that we were able to visit you next to the beautiful awa. The kai, the kōrero—it was lovely. It was a particularly special experience for me, because I got to see my friend the Rt Hon Adrian Rurawhe. Some of you in the Chamber may remember how he spoke about settlements. He brings such a unique perspective because he has that perspective of being part of the iwi in the settlement but also of sitting in this House, sitting on the Māori Affairs Committee previous to retiring—so really seeing a number of different sides. I think his kōrero was really powerful because he spoke to the importance of the settlement, the celebration that a settlement should bring for iwi, but also the fact that it’s not a done deal, there is so much more mahi to do, and it is just such a small part of the journey.

It was also an honour to attend the mihi whakatau yesterday. I want to reflect a little bit on the kōrero of Ken Mair, who’s been mentioned many times in contributions today—so mihi to Ken. Ken acknowledged all of those on the journey and reflected that it was a surreal moment to get to this point, after 35 to 40 years working in this space. He spoke to the dynamic amongst the community, and often—and this settlement is no different—there are differing opinions, and a robust kōrero and a robust negotiation is an important part of the mahi that we do here. He spoke to a sense of conclusion of this part of the journey, and particularly the commitment, courage, and compassion at the most challenging times. I think those three words—commitment, courage, and compassion—are words that we should hold tightly with us in every aspect of life. What I’ve seen from the iwi, from your whānau, through this process is that those three words—commitment, courage, and compassion—have shone through in your commitment to this.

Ken spoke about how, if you’re going to bring change, you’d better be committed to it. Isn’t that the truth? After so many years working on this, you, to me, show an iwi who was completely committed. And, of course—of course—you are. He spoke to a committed team, a courageous team. If you don’t have the ability to remain strong, you won’t get there. I tautoko to your strength through this process. We know that the journey continues for your iwi beyond this point, and the development and journey to enhance your tikanga, your reo, and the mātauranga of your mokopuna and rangatahi moving forward. I hope that this settlement brings some of that as we move forward.

I want to talk a little bit about the historical accounts, because I think that’s a really important aspect. The Crown cannot undo what has happened in the past, it cannot undo the economic opportunities that were lost, and it cannot erase the impact that the Crown’s actions had on families and communities. This settlement acknowledges what occurred and it can put that acknowledgment into law.

It’s really, as I mentioned, an honour to stand in support of this bill. I’ll finish by congratulating you again for getting this point and wishing you all the best for the future. Nō reira, nei rā te mihi ki a koutou katoa. Kia ū, kia māia, kia manawanui. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Haere mai ki te Whare Pāremata. It’s an honour and a privilege to speak to the third reading of the Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui Claims Settlement Bill—He Rau Tukutuku.

When I say it’s an honour and a privilege, I truly mean that. My first foray into Treaty settlements was when Rich , Sam, Ruby, and I were invited down Turakina Beach Road, a few hundred metres from our house, and we stood, as tangata whenua at the Tini Waitara Marae, and welcomed the Crown on for the signing of the Deed of Settlement in 2007. It was a truly special day for us and our family. To be honest, when I became the MP for Rangitīkei, I didn’t really think much more about the Treaty settlement process, but I knew that one of our core values in the National Party was that the Treaty of Waitangi was the founding document of New Zealand. I knew that we had a proud history with people like Doug Graham and, today, Paul Goldsmith and Tama Potaka. It was Rick Barker who was with us at Tini Waitara that day.

I must say that the opportunity to speak on these bills, meeting the people, learning the history, understanding the Crown apology, and taking it upon myself to make sure that I share that with others who sometimes question this process—that has been, truly, one of the most humbling, enlightening, rewarding, and enriching experiences of being a member of Parliament. It’s meeting people like Aiden and Elijah during the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua process; Graham “Tinka” Bell, Louise, Lois, Kuru and Aiden from Ngāti Hāua. And today, being here with familiar faces: Nicole and Kemp Dryden, Uncle John, Ken Mair, chair of the Whanganui Land Settlement Trust, and Moana—it seems like yesterday that we were sidelined on the hockey field cheering the girls on; and Ngāti Tau—so good to see you here today and to talk to you last night. You are the generation that Ken spoke of at the pōwhiri at Pipitea Marae last night—you and baby Whetu Marama in her mother’s arms, the young women who were in their school uniforms. He said: your tūpuna, those gone before, those here today, have played their part; they’ve opened the door for you.

This is a foundation. It’s a platform from which Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui can continue to grow on your terms, in line with your aspirations, and grounded in your tikanga. May you go forward with the mantra your hapū and iwi have embraced through this process; the mantra that Ken so clearly articulated last night. Your words stayed with me long after you spoke last night, Ken, and, clearly, with my colleagues Hūhana Lyndon and Georgie Dansey too: if you’re going to bring change, you’d better be committed to it; you’ve got to be courageous; if you don’t show courage, you won’t get there; remember to show compassion even at the most difficult times, the most challenging times; and remember your values—they are critical. In the negotiations, they were always at the heart, and they will remain at the heart.

To Ngā Hapū o te Iwi o Whanganui, the mana you have shown through this process is a reflection of your people past, present, and future, and the values at the heart of He Rau Tukutuku. My final words are yours, too, Ken. From us as members of this House, Te Whare Pāremata—today, your House. To our tūpuna, we remember you. To our people, we honour you. To our mokopuna, we commit ourselves to you.

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—tomorrow is a new day, and a new day will bring clarity. Our legacy, our aspirations, our future. It is a privilege to speak for you today. Go well. Haere rā ngā hoa. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): Ko te pātai kia whakaaetia te mōtini.

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

Motion agreed to.

Bill read a third time.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono):

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Waiata

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono):

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We are now going to transition out; our whanau from Ngāti Ruapani are going to make their way into the gallery.

ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): Kia ora. I just wanted to check upstairs that we have everyone, if not almost everyone, in the gallery? OK, ka pai.

Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana Claims Settlement Bill

Legislative Statement