Te Pire Whakahoki i a Kororipo Pā/Kororipo Pā Vesting Bill

I move, That the Te Pire Whakahoki i a Kororipo Pā/Kororipo Pā Vesting Bill be now read a third time.

E te taumata manukura o Ngāti Rēhia, o Ngāpuhi whānui hoki, e ngā kaitiaki o Kororipo Pā, tēnā koutou. Ko tēnei taku mihi atu ki a koutou katoa i tēnei rā mana nui o Kororipo Pā kia whakahokia a Kororipo Pā. Kia ora, tihei mauri ora ki a tātou.

[To the leadership panel of Ngāti Rēhia, and of wider Ngāpuhi, the custodians of Kororipo Pā, greetings to you. This is my acknowledgment of you all on this powerful day of Kororipo Pā, when Kororipo Pā is returned. Thank you; the breath of life to us all.]

In August, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust and the Crown signed the Tuhinga Whakaae o Te Tuku Tōmua o Kororipo Pā Deed of On-account Vesting of Kororipo Pā. The deed provides for the Crown vesting Kororipo Pā in Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust and acknowledges that Ngāti Rēhia will hold the site as kaitiaki on behalf of all Ngāpuhi. To the members of Ngāti Rēhia and your Ngāpuhi whānui who have travelled to witness the second and third readings in person, and to those watching it online, I extend a warm welcome. We had a very good time together over breakfast this morning. Thank you for coming all this way. This is a special day.

Ngāti Rēhia have long been kaitiaki of Kororipo Pā and have had the mandate from Ngāpuhi to seek the return of the pā site since the 1970s. Since 2002, the Crown and Ngāti Rēhia have been working closely to return the pā site to Ngāpuhi ownership. It has required an immense amount of work and commitment by many, and it is fitting that we take a moment to recognise their contribution, especially the contribution of those who are no longer with us to witness this significant occasion. As with all negotiations, there are compromises required on both sides, and I acknowledge the commitment, integrity, and generosity of the representatives from Ngāti Rēhia, who worked with officials throughout this process. I particularly want to acknowledge Kipa Munro and Whaea Nora for their leadership of this kaupapa. It’s my hope that the return of Kororipo Pā is a clear expression of the Crown’s commitment to addressing your historical grievances and our earnest desire to walk towards a future shaped by partnership, respect, and reconciliation. I also want to thank those from the Crown side who contributed towards the return, starting off with the Hon Andrew Little, who began the negotiations, and Crown negotiators Brian Dickey, Sir Brian Roche, and Belinda Clark for their roles as chief negotiators.

Kororipo Pā is located on the banks of Kerikeri River in what is now the Kerikeri Basin historic precinct, an area that’s rich with history for Ngāti Rēhia and their Ngāpuhi whānau. Because of its location, it was a military stronghold where ngā hapū o Ngāpuhi would assemble before going to war. It’s also where war parties would return and bring the remains of fallen heroes. It’s a place where the rangatira of Ngāpuhi hapū would meet to deliberate on issues of political importance, and it was where rangatira met to discuss the matter of Hongi Hika and Waikato sailing to England. It was from Kororipo Pā that they subsequently departed to England. It’s where Ngāpuhi rangatira met in 1831 to compose a letter to King William IV seeking to build on a relationship developed during Hongi Hika and Waikato’s visit to King George IV. It’s where Europeans came to these shores, and it was a place of learning and trade between Ngāpuhi, missionaries, and settlers.

The early interactions between Māori and Europeans progressed there were often land transactions conducted between people with very different ideas around landholding. This led to misunderstandings and disputes. Before the signing of Te Tiriti, Governor Hobson promised Māori that the Crown would inquire into these pre-Treaty land transactions and return lands unjustly held. The missionary James Kemp claimed he purchased Kororipo Pā as part of a larger land purchase in 1838. The Crown investigated the claim in a process that drew criticism and was challenged both at the time and since. The Crown ultimately granted title to Kemp for the Kororipo Pā in 1859. Ngāpuhi consistently challenged that decision, rejecting the sale ever since, and they’ve challenged successive land transfers, including the transfer to the Crown on 24 May 1957.

The House first read this bill in September this year. Since then, the Māori Affairs Committee have heard submissions in Kerikeri and visited the pā site to see and feel for themselves the significance of the whenua, and I acknowledge members of the committee for their work. This bill will vest Kororipo Pā in Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust, the governance entity for Ngāti Rēhia. The pā will have historic reserve status, and public access will be maintained. It will remain on New Zealand’s tentative UNESCO World Heritage List, reflecting its international importance.

This is the first redress to be provided to Ngāpuhi as part of a potential Treaty settlement process. Providing redress on account of a future comprehensive Treaty settlement is not the usual approach taken by the Crown; however, in 2022, the Crown agreed to progress this negotiation on an exceptional basis as a gesture of good faith. Ngāpuhi hapū groupings are moving and coming together for settlement purposes, and I look forward to the day that we begin the wider Treaty settlement negotiations as partners committed to redressing the wrongs of the past.

Once this bill is passed, Kororipo Pā will transfer to Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust on 23 January 2026, following Royal assent. I very much look forward to celebrating the return of the pā with Ngāti Rēhia on the whenua next year. Manaaki whenua, manaaki tangata, haere whakamua. [Care for the land, care for people, and advance.] I commend this bill to the House.

Tēnā koe e te Māngai o te Whare. Ko te mihi tuatahi ki te Atua nāna nei ngā mea katoa. Ko te mihi tuarua ki te Whare e tū nei, tēnā koe.

Āpiti hono, tātai hono, te hunga mate ki te hunga mate. Āpiti hono, tātai hono, te hunga ora ki te hunga ora. He mihi mahana ki a koutou, Ngāti Rēhia. He mihi mahana ki a koutou i tēnei rā whakahirahira. Nō reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, huihui mai tātou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. The first acknowledgment is to God, to whom all things belong. The second acknowledgment is to the House that stands here; greetings.

That which is joined remains an unbroken line, the deceased with the deceased. That which is joined remains an unbroken line, the living with the living. Warm regards to you, Ngāti Rēhia. Warm regards to you on this auspicious day.

And so, greetings and thanks to you, to all of us assembled here.]

Labour supports the bill before us today because it reflects the values of fairness, partnership, respect for people, and respect for the whenua. It recognises that, when the Crown has taken land unjustly, the response cannot be delay or denial; it must be restoration and restoration that is taken in good faith.

This bill is about doing the right thing even when it has taken far too long. Kororipo Pā, as we know, overlooks the Kerikeri Basin. I remember visiting there when I was much younger. My mother and my father were school teachers at Ngataki and we would visit that area. I remember being taken up and admiring the great outlook and having explained to me the strategic location of Kororipo Pā. I will always remember the explanation of the meaning of Kororipo being swirling waters and watching those waters below. It is a beautiful place which has real significance.

We know that it was strategically significant because it controlled key inland routes in those times when rivers were roads. It served as a place where decisions of great consequence were made, and it also functioned as a defensive stronghold. During Hongi Hika’s residence from 1819 to 1826, the pā was associated with the launching of significant taua and the protection of the region.

Also I’ve just recently learnt that back in 1831, this is the place where 13 rangatira composed a letter to King William at the time, one of the first recorded formal engagements between Māori and Pākehā. This is Ngāti Rēhia history, but it is also New Zealand’s history.

This bill gives effect to the matters contained within the Tuhinga Whakaae o te Tuku Tōmua o Kororipo Pā, that deed that was entered into between the Crown and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust. It was signed, as mentioned by the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, and also this morning in our celebrations and commemorations, on 1 August. It provides for the vesting of Kororipo Pā Historic Reserve into Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust on account of a future comprehensive Ngāpuhi Treaty settlement.

Labour supports this approach because justice should not be put on hold while larger negotiations continue. Where the case is clear, where mandate exists, and where cultural harm is long standing, we believe that action should be taken, and this bill does exactly that. The Crown’s decision to return Kororipo Pā did not emerge overnight, and we heard that this morning. As Ngāti Rēhia chair Kipa Munro said, while this moment is welcome, it must be acknowledged that many of the kaumātua and the kuia who began the fight for the return are no longer here with us to see that. We recognise that justice delayed compounds that harm, and every year of inaction has come at a cost not only to iwi and hapū but to our Treaty partnership. This bill acknowledges that history and responds with action.

It is my view that this bill is a practical example of the Treaty of Waitangi in action, not as rhetoric but as a responsibility. Treaty negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith and conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced the initialling of the deed at Waitangi, noting that it represents the first redress provided to Ngāpuhi and an important step towards settlement. We support this direction, but we also want to say that Treaty redress should be progressed with care, with good faith, and regardless of whichever party is in Government.

The Crown’s obligation under Te Tiriti o Waitangi does not change with political cycles. We know that since 2022, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia has formally engaged with the Crown on early vesting. Importantly, before the deed was signed, the trust sought support from its hapū members, reflecting a tikanga-based governance and collective decision-making. Durable settlements are those that are mandated, inclusive, and grounded in community authority. The trust has been clear that it will hold Kororipo Pā as kaitiaki on behalf of Ngāpuhi and for the benefit of the people. The site will remain a historic reserve, protected under existing heritage and conservation frameworks. This bill does not take any of that away. It restores the guardianship and those whose whakapapa is inseparable from that land.

We believe that making sure that this goes ahead is important. We believe that when tangata whenua are empowered as kaitiaki, our heritage is better protected, better interpreted, and better cared for. We hope this bill goes towards doing that. We believe that reconciliation is not just achieved through denial or delay but through honest acknowledgment and tangible action such as this bill and the return of this piece of land. By returning Kororipo Pā, Parliament affirms that historical wrongs can be addressed in ways that unite rather than fracture our society. This bill is straightforward, it is fair, it is principled, and it respects Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It acknowledges those who have never relinquished their responsibility and their connection to this place. Kororipo Pā should never have been taken out of Ngāti Rēhia hands. This bill moves closer to putting that right. For those reasons, we support Te Pire Whakahoki i a Kororipo Pā/Kororipo Pā Vesting Bill. I commend it to the House.

He mihi mahana ki a koutou. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Warm regards to you. Greetings and thanks to you all.]

Kia ora, Mr Speaker. I stand today representing Te Pāti Kākāriki to speak in support of the bill Te Pire Whakahoki i a Kororipo Pā/Kororipo Pā Vesting Bill. Kia ora, Ngāti Rēhia in the gallery today.

This bill provides for Kororipo Pā to be vested to Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust, who intend to hold the site as kaitiaki on behalf of all Ngāpuhi. We were very generously hosted as the Māori Affairs Committee on that striking, iconic peninsula in the North, Kororipo. Thank you very much Kipa and all of the Rēhia people who so generously took us out to the pā on that beautiful day.

I want to acknowledge the decades of effort to activate this vesting of the land. Really, when you read the history, it is a century and more in the making, this day. I particularly recall that, at the first reading, the descendants of those whose fathers brokered this most recent process were present, and I acknowledge those here today who were part of that process for its long time in the making.

At the hearings, we got a very clear message that the land should ideally be vested unencumbered, but I want to acknowledge the generosity, once again, of Rēhia and Ngāpuhi in agreeing to those encumbrances remaining, and maintaining public access. Furthermore, it was very clear to us that this vesting is not to be seen as a certain precursor to a broader Ngāpuhi settlement. It stands alone as a vesting, and if Ngāpuhi decide to settle further, that will be decided through other processes.

Hongi Hika is a profound figure in New Zealand history, and when you recognise the context of Kororipo in that history, it is a powerful mark of what we are achieving today, in rightfully returning that land. I want to remember Turikatuku, who was Hongi Hika’s beloved first wife. She was blind, and he could never travel anywhere without her. It was one of the observances of the early missionaries, the mutual devotion between the two of them. Hika formed relationships with the missionaries and protected them, and it was observed by Thomas Kendall, the gentleness of his manner and his charm and his mild disposition. Because the Bay of Islands is located in the North, where most of the Europeans first arrived, it is formative in our history, and Hika had the vision to recognise the mutual benefit in that relationship. In a sense, through his visits both to the United Kingdom and to see the King, he was one of the crucial pathways that allowed that founding agreement—after his death, albeit—that is the basis of our nationhood today.

On this last day of the Parliament sitting, it would be somewhat remiss to not reflect on the actions of this Parliament over the course of the year as they relate to te iwi Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Whilst we tend to avoid general controversy in these settlement speeches, I feel it must be said that many of us on this side of the House feel the Government has passed divisive legislation in regard to te iwi Māori that has done harm to the Crown/Māori relationship. But, despite this, the House has maintained that mutuality in keeping the settlements going. The settlements have, over more than a generation, been agreed to by all of the parties in the Parliament, and we support that principle: the core principle of settling and making an apology for and recompense for return of land. Though this is a vesting today, it is in that tradition of those broader settlements.

For Te Pāti Kākāriki, the concept of full and final settlement is inconsistent with the principle of a living and dynamic relationship between the Crown and iwi Māori. What nation regards its constitutional foundation as finished, particularly when that foundation is a bond of relationship which has become, in many senses, a bond of love? Our health as a nation must be predicated on living and fulfilling the meaning of that agreement. Hongi Hika had the vision to know the potential of mutual benefit in a healthy, respectful relationship, and the wiser Europeans in our founding knew that too.

I believe the overwhelming majority of the members of this Parliament, in their better instincts, know that the greatest good can only come for our nation in the cohesion that is embodied in the principle of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is, after all, the cynicism of later Crown actions after the signing of the Treaty that is the uncontested betrayal of that relationship that we know as breaches of the Treaty. This Kororipo site being kept out of Māori hands for so long is one example of that.

Today, we as parliamentarians make some small but vital amends for that breach, in the vesting of Kororipo Pā back to Ngāti Rēhia and to Ngāpuhi. When we centre ourselves in good faith and the deep bond of mutual respect, we can generate the potential for powerful good in our country and our nationhood. So, in this return of this land and of this site, we mark a very important principle of what we as a country must do to be the best that we can be, in the vision embodied in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is good that we do this on this last day of the Parliament sitting—it is great that we do this, I would say. So we, as Te Pāti Kākāriki, commend this bill to the House.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise on the third reading to speak on Te Pire Whakahoki i a Kororipo Pā/Kororipo Pā Vesting Bill. I was fortunate to be able to speak on the first reading in support of this bill. In that reading, I laid out some of my understanding of the history that Kororipo Pā has had in the North, but also coming down to Te Moana-a-Toi into the Bay of Plenty.

I feel like I’ve said what I want to say on that, so I’m going to hold my comments on that and not reiterate that. But what I do want to talk about is some of what happened with the Māori Affairs Committee that examined this bill. I’m not fortunate enough to be a member of that committee, and I hear about the wonderful trips and visits that are both emotionally deep but also enriching and wonderful experiences for the committee members on that. Following on from Steve Abel’s comments—I actually ran into Steve in the Auckland Airport on his way up to Kororipo Pā. I was heading back to the bay, and I remember thinking, “Jeez, now I wish I’d got on that trip. That would have been quite an interesting one.” Reflecting on that now, I think, “Jeez, that would have really helped with the third reading speech”—going up and having that that experience. Because as I said in my first reading, I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Kororipo—the area, the stone house—except for being a kid and seeing it across the river while driving past once.

The select committee that examined this bill heard submitters talking about worry about this early redress in vesting Kororipo Pā in Ngāti Rēhia forming some kind of obligation on behalf of Ngāpuhi to settle. I think we all want to see Ngāpuhi settle, but it was clear from the select committee’s process that that won’t be an encumbrance, an obligation that’s being increased because of the settlement. This is a gesture from the Crown that, if and when that settlement comes, will be part of it, but it is not forming any kind of obligation thereof.

There were also worries about the encumbrance as a historic reserve nature of Kororipo Pā and what will be there. But I think it’s clear from what was heard at the committee, what has been heard since, and what members visiting experienced, Ngāti Rēhia is intending to hold this on behalf of the wider Ngāpuhi—and holding the mana for the area but holding it for the wider Ngāpuhi—but also having it as a historic account, a place where New Zealanders can go and be immersed in their history and understand more of what they should know, which is the New Zealand history. Going to a place, being there and looking around is an important part. Studying it is important and making sure that we don’t just rely—I’m going to say, Mr Speaker—on institutions to pass on that knowledge. It’s important that every Kiwi takes it upon themselves to understand the history, because there’s only that way you can truly understand it.

With that, I thank Ngāti Rēhia for taking on this responsibility. I thank the Crown and the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations for making this gesture and being received so well, and I look forward to visiting that place in the future with my whānau. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Reo Māori i te tuatahi. Tēnā tātou katoa kua oti te whakarauika ki roto i tō tātou Whare Pāremata i tēnei pito whakamutunga o te tau. Me mihi ahau i te tuatahi ki te hunga nā rātou tēnei kaupapa i mau mai hei whakatutuki mā mātou e mau nei i te kara me te korowai, te poka o te Karauna. Nā reira Ngāti Rēhia, tēnā koutou.

Tō tātou tupuna ko Te Māhia Poake. He mokopuna nā Rāhiri, he tupuna ki a Auhā, he matua ki a Te Wairua. Nā reira tēnā koutou i a Rewa, tēnā koutou i a Tāreha, tēnā koutou i a Moka, tēnā koutou i a Te Wharerahi, tēnā koutou i a Hongi Hika, kāore he hautupua o te ao Māori i tua atu i a ia. Māku, mā Ngāpuhi e kōrero.

Tēnei kāinga, tēnei pā i tīmata mai i te pakanga i te wā i mua noa atu i a Tau Hēnare I. Ka whiriwhiria tēnei take i raro i te whakahaere a Judge Acheson i roto i te Kōti Whenua Māori. Ka pakangatia i mua noa atu me pēhea rānei tēnā pā e whakapūmautia ai tā te mea ka wehe atu a Ngāpuhi i wāna whanonga ki te tonga, ko te wāhi i huihui ai, ko te wāhi i wehe ai a Ngāpuhi ko te pā e kōrero nei tātou.

Ahakoa te whakapono, ahakoa tae mai te hia noa atu tāngata o rāwāhi, kei te mau tonu wērā kōrero i roto i a tātou, me manawaroa tātou kia ākona tonutia ēnei kōrero ki ā tātou tamariki kia whakahokia mai te pā ki roto i te ringa kaitiaki o Ngāti Rēhia.

Nā reira tēnā koutou. Tēnā tātou i tō tātou kahurangi, i a Nora. I a Nora, ka kite au i a koe, ka kite au i ngā mātua i tautoko i a koe. Kua riro ko koe tō rātou kanohi i tēnei rā. Nā reira tēnā tātou katoa.

[Māori language initially. Greetings to all of us who have managed to assemble within our House of Parliament at this end of the year. It is appropriate for me to first acknowledge the people who brought this matter here to be resolved by us that wear the colours and the cloak, the mantle of the Crown. Therefore, Ngāti Rēhia, greetings to you.

Our ancestor is Te Māhia Poake. A grandchild of Rāhiri, an ancestor to Auhā, an uncle to Te Wairua. Therefore, greetings to you with respect to Rewa; greetings to you with respect to Tāreha; greetings to you with respect to Moka; greetings to you with respect to Te Wharerahi; greetings to you with respect to Hongi Hika—there is no more talented a figure of Māori society than him. Let me, let Ngāpuhi, tell you.

This settlement, this pā, began in the war at a time long before Tau Hēnare I. This issue was considered under the administration of Judge Acheson in the Māori Land Court. A long time before, the debate raged over how that pā would be made permanent, because Ngāpuhi departed due to their morals for the South—the place that they assembled, the place that Ngāpuhi left from, was the pā that we are discussing.

Despite your faith, despite the vast number of people from abroad that arrived, those narratives are retained among us, and we should be determined so that these narratives continue to be taught to our children so that the pā may be returned into the custodians’ hands of Ngāti Rēhia.

And so greetings to you. Greetings to all of us with respect to our matriarch, Nora. Nora, when I see you, I see the elders that supported you. You have become their representative today. Therefore, greetings to us all.]

This pā site reminds us that there is a rich history prior to the Treaty of Waitangi. It is a history that reflects the melding together of the original missionaries and various other traders, and the people who represented the tribes of the North at that time.

So it is a pleasure and a privilege to speak on behalf of New Zealand First, with my leader, Winston Peters, and my other colleagues, because this particular pā site has undergone at least 130 years of to-ing and fro-ing between the native lands department, the Māori Land Court, and multiple commissions of inquiry. Indeed, a cursory study of the history of this pā site brings to life names of people long since gone, not the least of which was the original Tau Henare, who served in this House in the days of Sir Apirana Ngata, and the trust was bestowed upon him to ensure that what became known as the “Pā Committee” of his time would do the right thing for the entirety of the Ngāpuhi tribe. The fact is that we are witnessing today the fulfilment of something that multiple generations before those of us who occupy the House today travailed away with.

In many respects, it is a feature of New Zealand history—the Stone Store, reflective of the early period of colonisation, the pā of the Chief Rewa, whose daughter was betrothed to the younger brother of the first Māori king to make the peace between the Waikato and the Ngāpuhi after the devastating Musket Wars. Those descendants are buried at the little Anglican church at Māngere, and they are the kaitiaki of Te Puea Marae in South Auckland. The other side of the Kerikeri River is Kororipo Pā, and, as I’ve said in Māori, it is a site not only of significance to the local hapū but to the entirety of the northern Māori, and it’s said that when Hongi Hika went with Waikato to meet the King in his trip, and to contribute to the development of the Māori alphabet, they left from Kororipo Pā. That is the tradition that we were reared in, and a great debate and discussion happened, because to undertake such a risky trip in those days was not for the faint-hearted but it reflected the adventurous spirit of the Ngāpuhi ariki Hongi Hika in terms of martial prowess.

So it is a site of significance. It should feature as a key obligation for the current generations to teach the children. We don’t expect Wellington to solve all of our education problems; we can take responsibility, those of us, who have grown up in the culture. But I do want to remind the House that, yes, we are vesting this pā back into the hands of the rūnanga, who will hold it in a type of guardianship.

But not far from this pā site is a well-known marae, and it’s known as a Māori Battalion marae, and it’s near Whangārei, in a place called Pehiāweri. That marae, over 40 years ago, was handed back in a novel, unheard way via a private member’s bill, sponsored by the Rt Hon Winston Peters. That marae is regarded not only for its connection to the signatories of the Treaty, more recently the Māori Battalion, but also the Anglican Church. So we should put today’s event, Minister Goldsmith, in a lineage of important events. But never forget, without necessary fanfare or, indeed, media coverage, there have been steps taken in the North to restore important pieces of land.

I need look no further than Ngāti Rēhia’s cousins across the Bay of Islands to a block of land called Hauai. Hauai was a grievous case of mischief where the owners were to be given some land in a township called Hikurangi, only to find they could never use it, never build upon it, because it was sitting on top of a latticework of old coalmines. They came to the Rt Hon Winston Peters many years ago, and that land was restored back to that small part of the broader Ngāpuhi community, the uri of Moka, Rewa, and Te Wharerahi.

So, yes, this is an important step, and New Zealand First most certainly will support it, but it’s incumbent that we see it as only one step on the journey for the settlement of the Ngāpuhi claim. And on that vexed matter, I will have much to say during the next election campaign. We support the bill.

He kauhau weherua ka whai nei.

[This is a split call coming up.]

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.

Tēnā koe. Tēnā tātou katoa e te Whare. Mr Speaker, tēnā koe, tēnā tātou katoa, e te Whare. Meri Kororipo, tētahi kōrero ka puta mai i te Pīka i te ata nei, ka noho tahi mātou i te whare rā.

[Mr Speaker, thank you, and to the House, greetings to all of us. “Merry Kororipo”—one of the comments made by the Speaker this morning, as we sat together in that building.]

That was a nice thing to hear. Meri Kororipo, tātou mā. [Merry Kororipo, everyone.]

In my previous speech on this matter, I referred to Nora as a tsunami-type water when people were describing her as the kororipo. This morning, she is not in tsunami state; in fact, she’s quite relaxed and loving and all of those good things that Ngāti Rēhia can be. To Kipa, I want to name some things from the current day, following the kōrero from my cousin Shane Jones, because those things are captured in a very particular way of a certain time. Today, I want to think and talk about today, and today going forward. So to Kipa, to be respected and feared at times as well—appropriately so—I’d just like to acknowledge him. Alana, as well, is to be admired and to be watched with interest as she grows and develops.

I’ve listened to the previous speakers and the speeches this morning, and you can hear all the sad tale and the mechanics of all of it, so I’m not going to repeat that. What I am going to bring to this discussion is something less romantic maybe and probably more plain and more pragmatic. What I do recognise in moments when we have these types of discussions is it gets all very—I mean, it’s kind of not unreasonable. It does get soft and it does get nice, and sometimes it can dismiss or nearly disguise some very real and raw feelings that are still very, very current and should not be ignored.

In the description te “whakahokia”, which might plainly be used in English as “to return”, what I understand about that is that is actually not, on a very plain and pragmatic level, what’s happening, because Ngāti Rēhia never left. They never left their post; they never went away. They maintained their space there, and they have managed and loved and looked after this particular place forever, so I’m just wondering who’s returning what. I understand, in a mechanical way, this is what the House is doing, but what the House is doing is not actually what Ngāti Rēhia are doing. They have always, always been there, and they will never ever leave. We’re just satisfying our process.

I’m not saying that it isn’t a bad thing, but I do want to recognise that, in amongst this, this has been a fight to get this back into place. This has been a fight. It’s not like, “Yes, let’s just do this because we’re nice and reasonable people.” This is occurring because there’s been a constant fight, and even my whanaunga Shane Jones referred to this. This fight has been endured for so long, right? What Ngāti Rēhia have had to do really is to tolerate this process, is to endure this process, and to hold the line to this point. I want to acknowledge their efforts and their work, because we should do this. It’s about time. I recognise, in some of the earlier kōrero, that there have been previous efforts in other places, in other spots around the Bay of Islands.

This, today, is particular recognition of the work and the effort and the fight that is endured by Ngāti Rēhia for Ngāti Rēhia, for their pā. I want to make those points, and I want to just acknowledge that, as we move forward with the names that I’ve already read out and others that I can see up in the gallery today, it is an important day, and it is important, on this day, that we get our business done. In fact, what we need to do is get out of their way—we get out of their way so that Ngāti Rēhia can progress and do all the things that they should and must do so that they can grow and flourish and they can get on with the Ngāti Rēhia life that they’re entitled to. I certainly love and support this as the MP for Te Tai Tokerau. Well done, Ngāti Rēhia. Kia ora tātou.

Tēnā koe e te Pīka i tēnei wā o te Kirīhimete, me te mihi nui ki ngā whanaunga o Ngāti Rēhia e kanohi mai nei i te mana o ngā hapū o Ngāpuhi mō tēnei take. Kua roa te hīkoi, i tēnei wā mā te Whare Pāremata e mana ai te whakahokinga o tēnei whenua taurikura, o tēnei wāhi whakahirahira mō ngā hapū o Ngāpuhi ki roto i ngā ringaringa o te hapū o Ngāti Rēhia hei kaitiaki mā tātou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker, at this time of Christmas, and many greetings to the relatives from Ngāti Rēhia that are here representing the authority of the hapū of Ngāpuhi regarding this issue. It has been a long march, and now it is for Parliament House to enact the return of this abundant land, of this important place for the hapū of Ngāpuhi into the hands of the hapū of Ngāti Rēhia as a custodian on behalf of all of us.]

I wish to tāpiri, whai i te kōrero a waku hoa i tēnei ata [add, to follow on from the speeches of my colleagues] and acknowledging the long history, the prehistory, before the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the important role that the pā of Kororipo held within the bosom of Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu. I reflect on tūpuna such as Te Wairua and Auha and Whakaaria, down to Te Hotete and Hongi Hika. As an uri of a few of Hongi’s children, it is a beautiful day to see, finally, the return of these lands that have been hotly contested for 187 years, to return to the hands of Ngāti Rēhia to administer and be kaitiaki on behalf of the descendants of this whenua.

Because Kororipo Pā was a tāhei. Kororipo Pā was taken in old land claims by Kemp. Hapū have maintained and continued to reject the fact that this whenua, through Kemp, was then handed over to the Crown. As mana e te whenua, hapū have had to endure the footprint of the Crown to whakahaere this whenua, to finally getting a bit of a co-management agreement and getting a few trustees on there and finally we get the land back. But it’s full of encumbrances. It’s full of fishhooks.

I query, where is the honourable Kāwanatanga when we return Department of Conservation lands to the people of the land, as to when we get to finally hold the pen, have full mana whakahaere, and the ability to lock it up or whakahaere it on our terms, and to have full administration alongside our whanaunga hapū. That is not the case here. I pay tribute to the graciousness, again, of iwi Māori who accept this land back and have to administer it after being bystanders watching the Crown sit on it and letting us mow the lawns, me kī [I should say].

It’s good that it’s finally here. It’s finally here after years of hui of our own people. I want to reflect on the 1990s—I think 1994—coming into the 2000s, there were hui. Then Ngāti Rēhia rūnanga’s carried it on since 2022 as kaitiaki to continue the battle for the return. This return is merely the start, because to receive it back in full would be the best way to see a full recognition of tino rangatiratanga, and that we as Kāwanatanga can finally be honourable fully in that space.

It was great to hear Matua Shane talk about Matire Toha, who married Kati, and the people of Te Puea Marae, the kaitiaki, because they just had a whakahounga of Te Puea Marae just two weeks ago. So, you know, the weaving of connections and whakapapa to place continue on through the generations. As myself, a mokopuna of Wharerahi, and as of Patuone I think of the 1831 letter that the tūpuna assembled at Kororipo that framed up, and it was good to get a little mihi from Minister Potaka about He Whakaputanga, because those tūpuna, again, Kororipo at the centre, the bosom of Ngāpuhi, met and they sent the letter to King William IV at the time and said, “Hey, haere mai ki te whakatikatika, haere mai ki te whakatikatika i ō tāngata [come and sort it out, come and sort out your people], and come and protect us from those that are coming on to our shores.”

Kororipo will be beautiful, as it is today and it will be tomorrow, but it is better now that it is back within the hands of hapū. We look forward to the full closure of it at Waitangi coming up where we can stand and be honourable Kāwanatanga, because it has been far too long in the journey thus far.

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e rau rangatira mā, tēnei te mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa. I whānau mai au ki Kaipara. Ko Maungatūroto tōku wāhi kāinga. Ko Ngāpuke te pāmu e noho ana ahau. Ko Grant McCallum ahau. Tino hūmārie ko ahau te mana Pāremata mō Tai Tokerau. Nō reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[To those with authority, the representatives, warm regards to all of you. I was born in Kaipara. Maungaturoto is the place I call home. Ngāpuke is that farm where I live. I am Grant McCallum. I am very humbled to be the member of Parliament for Northland. Therefore, greetings and thanks to you all.]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Today is a moment of deep significance for Te Tai Tokerau, for Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rēhia, and for New Zealand. Te Pire Whakahoki i a Kororipo Pā/Kororipo Pā Vesting Bill is not just a piece of legislation; it’s a milestone in our shared history and a step towards reconciliation. It marks the first tangible redress in Ngāpuhi’s Treaty settlement journey. That alone makes this day historic.

As the local MP for Northland, I’m proud to support this bill. Earlier this year, on 3 February, I attended the initialling of the deed of on-account vesting at Kerikeri Basin. It was a day that reminded us all of the significance of the site and the promise of partnership. In fact, it’s a day I’ll never forget, because it was one of those perfect Northland days. We were standing there overlooking the basin across towards Kororipo, and lined up there to initial the vesting was the Hon Tama Potaka, the Hon Paul Goldsmith, and, of course, we had Nora and Kipa, and it was just really special to be there and to see that. It’s something that I will always treasure as one of the real highlights of my time in this term of Parliament.

Kororipo Pā is no ordinary place. Strategically located at the junction of the Kerikeri and Wairoa rivers, it was once a stronghold of Hongi Hika and other great rangatira. From here, Hongi Hika launched campaigns that shaped the destiny of iwi across the motu. It was a hub of trade, diplomacy, and strategy, a place where decisions of immense consequence were made. The name “Kororipo”, as has already been mentioned, means “swirling waters”, which reflects really well both its geography and its role as a meeting place where currents of history converged.

For Ngāti Rēhia and Ngāpuhi, Kororipo Pā is a wāhi tapu, a sacred place that embodies mana, whakapapa, and resilience. It is where rangatira gathered to deliberate, where alliances were forged, and when the first encounters between Māori and Pākehā unfolded—some of the earliest. Overlooking Kerikeri Basin, it stands as a silent witness to the meetings of two worlds, the Pā gazing down on Kemp House and the Stone Store, some of the oldest European buildings in our land.

This bill gives effect to the deed signed between the Crown and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust on 1 August 2025, as was mentioned this morning by the Minister. It vests Kororipo Pā Historic Reserve, which is 1.8 hectares—not a lot in size, but huge in consequence and importance. It was managed by the Department of Conservation, but it re-vests it now in the Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust as kaitiaki on behalf of all Ngāpuhi. Public access will remain unchanged, and the site will retain its historic reserve status to protect its heritage and conservation values.

Importantly, this is an on-account vesting, paving the way for a comprehensive Ngāpuhi settlement, when Ngāpuhi is ready. That approach is rare but deliberate—a gesture of good faith that signals the Crown’s commitment to progress. But this is more than a legal transfer; it is an opportunity. With this vesting, we open doors to cultural revitalisation and economic growth. Plans are already under way for Te Ahurea, a living cultural centre at the Kerikeri Basin, and the launch of Waka Hinepārapara, which will be a major attraction. I look forward to this progressing under your great leadership. These initiatives will create jobs, strengthen tourism, and provide a platform for education about Ngāpuhi history and Treaty relationships.

I want to acknowledge Ngāti Rēhia for their unwavering commitment to this kaupapa. Their role as kaitiaki has been affirmed time and again at hui in 1993, 2008, and, most recently, in 2022. This return honours the vision of kaumātua and kuia who began this journey a long time ago.

Kororipo Pā is more than historic reserve; it is a symbol of reconciliation, a foundation for future prosperity, and a reminder that when we work together—Crown and iwi, Māori and Pākehā—we can achieve something enduring and good. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Tēnā koe e te Māngai o te Whare, otirā ka tuku mihi atu anō hoki ki a koutou o Ngāti Rēhia, o Ngāpuhi. Nō reira tēnā koutou, nau mai, haere mai.

[Thank you to the Speaker; indeed, I also offer greetings to you of Ngāti Rēhia and Ngāpuhi. Therefore, greetings to you, welcome, welcome.]

I join together with colleagues around the House to welcome Ngāti Rēhia and Ngāpuhi on this special occasion. Normally, I’d be speaking on a second reading—of course, we just had the third reading motion, so I am going to say a few things that I would normally say at a second reading, and that is a couple of things. One is to acknowledge all of those who submitted to the Māori Affairs Committee and participated in that. It’s very valuable. I want to acknowledge my colleagues on the committee, in particular the chair, David MacLeod, for managing a shortened report-back time. There was a lot of pressure on the committee to get that work done, and we collaborated really well, and here we are today, before Christmas, with a bill.

We made a couple of minor changes. One of them was to change the commencement date so that we had an actual date rather than 20 days after being signed by the Governor-General. We made a specific date so that we ensured that the transfer could happen early in February. So that’s what the committee did.

I want to acknowledge the Hon Shane Jones for his deep knowledge and understanding of the history of—well, it seems to me that when he makes contributions to this House, it’s the history of the whole of Aotearoa but in particular on this piece of land. I found it fascinating. As uri of Ngāpuhi myself, I’m very proud to stand and contribute to this debate.

I take on board what other members have said—Hūhana Lyndon. There is a real truth to what Hūhana has said about settlements in general. This, like many others, is actually an act of generosity by those who are receiving this land back. It’s an act of generosity for all the reasons that Hūhana spoke about. It’s an on-account settlement for Ngāpuhi and will be looked after by Ngāti Rēhia. So you’ve got many layers of generous actions that help the Crown to satisfy its own processes.

I remember when these settlements started and people suggesting that iwi should be a lot more grateful for what they’re getting back. One of the responses—I won’t name the person, but it was a National Party MP—defended their right to be not so grateful, and he said, “It’s like when someone steals your car and you get a tyre back and you’re told to be thankful you got that tyre back.” That is what it kind of feels like for the people sitting in the gallery when we pass these pieces of legislation.

Of course, if it was an actual Treaty settlement, there’d be a lot more in it. There would also be an apology. There’d be an historical account. I mention the apology because of what my colleague Steve Abel spoke about, because that apology would say, “We won’t do this anymore. We’ve done all these things to you, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rēhia, and we’ll never do that again.” Go and ask anyone who settled before 2023 if they feel like the apology in their settlement has been upheld. I challenge any member of the House to do that—because the actions that have taken place in the last two years, such things as removing a book with five Māori words, which is an act against te reo Māori. Something as small as that should have been covered by the apology to all of those who have been settled since their settlement, but it does not stop the Government from continuing down those sorts of tracks, and, yes, we’re not going to stop talking about it. Tēnā koe e te Māngai o te Whare.

Tēnā koe e te Māngai. E ngā tāngata o Ngāti Rāhiri, o Ngāpuhi nui tonu, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. To the people of Ngāti Rāhiri, of Ngāpuhi the Great, greetings and thanks to you all.]

I’m very pleased to speak, as many of us always are, on the third reading of such a bill, with this one being the Kororipo Pā Vesting Bill. Although it’s not a settlement bill itself, as the Rt Hon Adrian Rurawhe has talked to, nevertheless it’s a very, very important bill, and it’s a special occasion for it to finally get to this stage.

I say “finally” because if one looks back in the history, which is clearly articulated within the bill, this all started way back in 1838, some 187 years ago. That’s when it started, and that’s two years prior to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and so just think about that. It’s also an area that has huge historical context, and I particularly enjoyed reading that history and learning about some of the history of Ngāpuhi, of Ngāti Rēhia, and also of particular rangatira, such as Hongi Hika and others. They’re names that many New Zealanders know of, but, potentially, they don’t know, particularly, what they did. It is indeed a very colourful history.

The timeline of this bill, as I’ve said, started in 1838, when James Kemp claimed to have purchased the land. Now, this whole tyranny from that date forward to when the title was contested by Ngāti Rēhia—and also the Crown ended up granting the title to Kemp in 1859—is littered with anguish for Ngāti Rēhia. The Crown actually ended up taking on the ownership of it in 1957, with, most recently, the Department of Conservation (DOC) managing it. I note that from the actual deed itself that the one thing that didn’t transfer across to the bill, because it didn’t need to, was the relationship agreement that’s asked upon within the deed between the Department of Conservation and Ngāti Rēhia.

With regard to the select committee process itself, as Adrian Rurawhe has briefly talked to, we had the first reading on 10 September of this year. It did have a very quick report-back date, all for very good reasons—that was agreed upon with the trust—and we did receive 101 submissions. Notably, a good percentage—84 percent, in fact—of those submissions supported the bill, with the others talking to just a couple of particular points that the Māori Affairs Committee had heard of in the hearings that we had at Kerikeri, and we took that into account in our deliberations.

When we reported back to the House, as Adrian Rurawhe has said, there were two amendments, with one being the change to the definition of “vesting date”. Usually, it is 20 working days after the Act enters into force, but that did have some risk for Ngāti Rēhia and we wanted to make sure that this did indeed come into law and was concluded in all matters, and so we have put the particular date of 23 January 2026 as the vesting date.

The second amendment was a very minor one—in fact, it’s the type of amendment that is made on just about every, if not all, settlement bills—and that was the legal description of Kororipo Pā. The legal description is always put in there after the absolute survey has been conducted for itself.

Kororipo Pā was registered as a wāhi tapu on the New Zealand Historic Places Trust register in 2005, and having such status protects public access to the particular piece of land. That continues within this bill, and I think that we should be thankful that at the conclusion of the negotiations, Ngāti Rēhia allowed that, because I think there was some discussion over whether this should come back to them totally unencumbered. I think that there was recognition by Ngāti Rēhia of that important point, and I acknowledge that.

There was large, Ngāpuhi-wide support—and when I say “Ngāpuhi”, Ngāpuhi nui tonu—of Ngāti Rēhia actually being the kaitiaki of Kororipo Pā. It is a pā site that has a deep interest and a deep connection for many hapū of Ngāpuhi, and I acknowledge all of the hapū but I also acknowledge the fact that they’ve put their trust and their weight behind Ngāti Rēhia as kaitiaki of this particular place.

In 2015, the trust and DOC held the negotiations, and that’s when it started its serious journey, in my opinion, with regard to getting to this point of the bill being before us today. I’d like to thank many people, including the trust and the current day’s trust of Aroha Herewini; Justin Parangi; Kipa Munro, the chair; Nora Rameka, who has been spoken of on a number of occasions—and I acknowledge you, Nora—Rachael Monks; Rachael Te Toko; and Whati Rameka. Thank you to all of those and to those who came before you for all the work that you did in this mahi itself.

I’d also like to acknowledge and thank the Ministers, plural—clearly, this has had some time frame here—but particularly the current Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Minister Paul Goldsmith, for bringing this to fruition in a timely fashion in order to allow our people of Ngāti Rēhia to get on and do what they want to. Next, I understand, we have a little bit of an occasion coming up in March. I think that perhaps people might hear of that, although I won’t pre-empt anything there, but that sounds pretty exciting. With that, I commend this bill to the House.

Tēnā koe, e te Māngai o te Whare. He hōnore tēnei mōku, te tū ki te kōrero ki te panuitanga tuatoru o tēnei pire i roto i te Whare i tēnei ata.

Tuatahi māku e mihi kau atu ki ngā whanaunga o Ngāti Rēhia kua tae mai ki te Whare Pāremata i tēnei ata ki te whakarongo ki te pānuitanga tuatoru me te whakataunga o tēnei kaupapa.

Nō reira e te whaea, e Whaea Nora, e te pāpā, Matua Kepa, te kaiwhakawā, Alana, me ngā whanaunga katoa, e mihi kau ana ki a koutou.

I kōrero ahau i mua i te tono atu i tēnei pire ki te komiti, me te whakamōhio atu ki te Whare ētahi o ngā kōrero, ētahi o ngā hītori o tēnei pā rongonui i roto i a Ngāpuhi. I kōrero ahau, i whakamōhio atu hoki i tērā taha o te Whare, tētahi mea nui i te tau 1831 i tonoa atu tētahi reta ki te Kīngi i Ingarangi e pā ana ki ngā Pākehā noho ture-kore i roto i Tai Tokerau e tutu ana, e haututū ana, e mahi tūkino ana.

Nō reira i tonoa atu tētahi reta kia whakatikatika i ō rātou tāngata i roto i Aotearoa. He reta rongonui tērā, he mea nui hoki nā te mea ko tērā he reta i mua tata i te hainatanga o te Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Niu Tīreni, arā ko te Declaration of Independence, me te Tiriti o Waitangi hoki.

Nā, he mea tika ka oti tēnei kaupapa i roto i te Whare i mua i te Rā o Waitangi ā tērā tau, me te whakanui i te kaupapa mō tēnei ā tērā tau. Ahakoa tēnā, e takatakahi tonu ana te Kāwanatanga i te Tiriti o Waitangi. He rongo pai tēnei mō tēnei kaupapa engari e kite tonu ana mātou i tērā takahitanga. Kātahi anō ka tango i te Tiriti o Waitangi i ngā poari o ngā kura i roto i te ture mō te mātauranga. Engari ka hoki mai anō ki tēnei kaupapa, me te mihi ki a Ngāti Rēhia.

Kua rongo tēnei Whare kua roa ngā hapū o Ngāpuhi e pakanga atu ana, e whawhai ana kia hoki mai te mana o tēnei pā, te mana whakahaere, me kī, i roto i te ture, ki ngā hapū o Ngāpuhi. Nō reira e mihi ana ki a Ngāti Rēhia. Ko koutou ngā kaitiaki o tēnei pā mā ngā hapū maha o Tai Tokerau e whai pānga ana ki tēnei pā.

Kua kite ahau i ētahi o ngā tono me ngā kōrero i roto, me te kōrero kua puta mai i te Whare i tēnei ata, e pā ana ki te whakahokinga here-kore. Tēnei rā, kahore. E here tonu ana ki te Kāwanatanga, ki ngā ture, nō reira e mihi ana ki a Ngāti Rēhia me ngā hapū o Ngāpuhi i whakaae ki ēnei here tonu i runga i tēnei pā, nā te mea e whakaaro nui ana rātou ehara mō Ngāti Rēhia, mō ngā hapū o Ngāpuhi anake, engari mō Aotearoa whānui. Nō reira me mihi ka tika ki ngā hapū, ki te iwi Māori mō tērā momo whakaaro nui mō te katoa.

E hiahia ana ahau ki te mihi hoki ki ngā kaitono. Kua rongo, neke atu i te 100 ngā tono e pā ana ki tēnei pire, te nuinga i tautoko i tēnei pire. Nō reira e mihi ana ki ngā kaitono katoa, me te mihi hoki ki te komiti i haere mai ki roto i tōku kāinga ki te whakarongo ki ngā tono e pā ana ki tēnei pire. He mahi nui mō te komiti ki te whiriwhiri i ēnei take, te āta whakarongo ki ngā kōrero, me te whakatau tika i te ripoata. Nō reira e mihi ana ki a koutou, ngā mema o tērā komiti.

E te Māngai o te Whare, hei whakakapi ake i taku kōrero, he hari te tae atu ki tēra pā, ki Te Awa-o-ngā-rangatira ki te noho me waku kōtiro, ki te pā i ngā āhuatanga katoa o te hītori, te mana o tērā wāhi. Nō reira e Ngāti Rēhia, e mihi kau ana ki a koutou.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is an honour for me to stand to speak on the third reading of this bill in the House this morning.

First, I would like to acknowledge the relatives from Ngāti Rēhia who have arrived at Parliament House this morning to listen to the third reading and the settlement of this matter.

Therefore, ma’am, Ms Nora, and sir, Uncle Kepa, the judge, Alana, and all of the relatives, I acknowledge you.

I spoke prior to this bill being sent to committee and informed the House of some of the narratives, some of the histories, of this famous pā within Ngāpuhi. I spoke, and I informed that side of the House that one of the significant events in 1831 was that a letter was sent to the King in England regarding the Pākehā who were living lawlessly in Northland, making mischief, being troublesome, and being abusive.

Therefore, a letter was sent so that they might discipline their people in Aotearoa. That is a famous letter, and an important one also, because it was a letter prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the Treaty of Waitangi also.

Now, it is appropriate that this issue is resolved in this House prior to Waitangi Day next year, and to celebrate the matter regarding this next year. Despite that, the Government continues to trample on the Treaty of Waitangi. This is good news for this matter, but we continue to see the offence. The Treaty of Waitangi has just now been removed from school boards within the education legislation. However, I will come back to this matter and acknowledge Ngāti Rēhia.

This House has heard that Ngāpuhi has been battling and fighting for a long time for the return of the authority over this pā—the authority of management, I should say—to the hapū of Ngāpuhi. Therefore, I congratulate Ngāti Rēhia. You are the custodians of this pā on behalf of the many hapū of Northland that have interest in this pā.

I have seen some of the submissions and the statements within them, and the comment that has been made in the House this morning regarding an unconditional return. Today, not at all. Conditions still exist to the Government, in legislation; therefore, I acknowledge Ngāti Rēhia and the hapū of Ngāpuhi who agreed to these conditions on this pā, because they have consideration, not for Ngāti Rēhia or for the hapū of Ngāpuhi alone, but for wider Aotearoa. Therefore, it is appropriate to acknowledge the hapū and the Māori people for that type of consideration of everyone.

I would like to also acknowledge the submitters. We have heard that over 100 submissions were made regarding this bill, the majority of which were in support of this bill. Therefore, I thank all of the submitters and also acknowledge the committee that went to my home to listen to the submissions about this bill. It is a big job for the committee to consider these issues, to carefully listen to the comments, and appropriately prepare a report. Therefore, I thank you, the members of that committee.

To conclude my speech, it was a happy arrival that that pā, at Te Awa-o-ngā-rangatira, to sit with my girls, to touch on all of the features of the history and the power of that place. Therefore, Ngāti Rēhia, I congratulate you all.]

Tuatahi ki te mema o mua, te mutunga kē mai o te reka o te reo ka rere i te Whare nei. Ka huri te wairua i tēnei Whare i ngā wā katoa. Tēnā koe e hoa.

Ki a Ngāti Rēhia, tēnei te wā—tēnei te wā. Nōku te maringanui, nōku te hōnore, nōku te whiwhi ki te tū ki konei ki te kōrero e pā ana ki tēnei pire, te whakahokinga o tō pā ki tō koutou tiakanga mā ngā hapū katoa o Ngāpuhi.

Ki te tīmatanga o te mihi whakatau i tēnei ata, kua kōrero a Papa Kepa, ka kino tō moe inapō i mua i tēnei kōrero.

[First, to the previous member, how amazing was the beauty of the language that flowed in this House. It always changes the spirit of this House. Thank you, my friend.

To Ngāti Rēhia, this is the time—this is the time. It is my good fortune, it is my honour, and it is my good luck to stand here and speak about this bill, about the return of your pā to your care on behalf of all of the hapū of Ngāpuhi.

At the commencement of the formal welcome this morning, Papa Kepa spoke: your sleep last night before this discussion was very bad.]

Hon Paul Goldsmith: He had a good sleep.

GREG FLEMING: No, he had a troubled sleep.

I huri ōu whakaaro e pā ana ki tēnei kōrero, e pā ana ki tēnei taupatupatu i tēnei ata. And pēnei tāku moe hoki. Ia ata ka tīmata te rangi mā te pānui i te Paipera Tapu i te reo taketake. I tēnei ata, ko te whiti o te rā nō te reta mā te Āpotoro Pāora ki te hāhi Epiha nō te upoko tuawhā. “Kia pāpaku rawa te ngākau, kia māhaki, kia manawanui, kia āta hanga tētahi ki tētahi i runga i te aroha.” E whakawhiti i te kōrero Pākehā.

[Your thoughts about this discussion were swirling, regarding this debate this morning. My sleep was much the same. Every morning, the day starts with reading the Holy Bible in the indigenous language. This morning, the sun shone on the epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesian congregation from the fourth chapter. “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another with love.” I will switch over to the English text.]

“With all humility and with gentleness”. This was the verse of the day in the reading of Te Paipera Tapu this morning—“with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,” Or I like this translation: “With tender humility and quiet patience, always demonstrate gentleness and generous love towards one another, especially towards those who may try your patience.”

Hon Paul Goldsmith: Who are you thinking of?

GREG FLEMING: Ha, ha! Ko te kupu o te rā, ākene pea.

Tēnā koutou Ngāti Rēhia, mō te whānui, mō te roa o tō manawanui i tēnei tukanga. Ahakoa te roa, ahakoa te mamae, ahakoa te tāiro o Kupe, ākene pea, kua kōrerotia. Tēnei te wā kua whakahokia te tiakitanga me te tino mana o tēnei whenua ki a koutou.

[The word of the day, perhaps.

Greetings, Ngāti Rēhia, for the scale and duration of your persistence in this process. Despite the length, despite the anguish, despite the intense challenge, perhaps, it has been discussed. This is the time that the protection and true authority off this land has been returned to you.]

I know that a lot has been said, both this morning and in the process, around the fact that this is a stand-alone event, but can I, just for a moment, acknowledge the incredible significance of what this is and what this might, potentially, signal. My favourite quote in the hearing that we had tērā atu marama i Te Kerikeri mō te [last month in Kerikeri for the] select committee hearings was this one here. It said, “This bill shows the Crown is listening and taking action. This builds trust, and it reminds me of a line from a podcast,” said the submitter, “that ‘moments build momentum’. This is a moment.”

This time, last week, almost exactly right now, I was speaking in Dharamshala. I had just met His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and I was given five minutes to speak to the human rights conference that was adjacent next door—there were hundreds of people there. In that moment, I turned to the words of Apirana Ngata, and I said, to the persecuted people of Tibet, the exiles from their land: “Kia mau ki tō reo, kia mau ki tō tikanga, kia mau ki tō whakapono, ahakoa whakangaro i tō koutou whenua i tēnei wā.” [Hold on to your language, hold on to your traditional practices, hold on to your faith, despite being exiled from your land at this time.]—for although they are exiled from their land at the moment, they could hold on to those things, and I used the example of our land. Despite the mamae, despite the breaches of the Treaty, we have made good progress these last 50 years. It is a hope to us, and it is a hope to those people on the other sides of the world. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā rā tātou katoa.

Kia ora, Mr Speaker. Tuatahi e mihi ana ki a koutou, Ngāti Rēhia, kua tae mai nei i tēnei wā. Rawe ki te kite i a koutou, Kepa, Nora, judge, ngā mihi ki a koe i whakarangatira i a mātou i tēnei wā. Kāre au e mōhio kei hea tō whanaunga, a Seymour, kei te huna pea, engari ko te mea nui kei konei mātou ki te mihi, ki te kōrero e pā ana ki tēnei kaupapa tino whakahirahira i tēnei wā.

Nō reira tēnā koutou, tēnā anō tātou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. First, I would like acknowledge you, Ngāti Rēhia, who have come here at this time. Awesome to see you, Kepa, Nora, judge; greetings to you for honouring us at this time. I don’t know where your relative is, Seymour—maybe he’s hiding—but the important thing is that we are here to greet you and to speak about this very important topic at this time. Therefore, greetings to you, greetings to us all.]

This is the last bill and last kaupapa Māori initiative in the House for this year, so before I talk about a few things that I need to talk about, which are incredibly important for te ao Māori, I want to acknowledge our team who’ve come in here, our crew from Ngāti Rēhia, in particular the chair, Kipa Munro, who has done a terrific job in terms of soldiering this through. Mihi nui ki a koe, e te rangatira i kōkiri i tēnei kaupapa, mihi nui ki a koe.

[Many greetings to you, the noble leader that progressed this work; many thanks to you.]

My old friend Nora Rameka, who was a very staunch unionist in years gone by till she became a clear activist with her iwi—we never forget those union days in terms of what her whānau has done; and our judge, who I appointed, who joins us here today—good to have her here. So good to have you here, Judge Alana, who is here for this kaupapa.

I was listening to some of the kōrero—and some excellent kōrero today. The good thing about this is that we as a Parliament can move together on this kaupapa. That’s one thing that we can move together on. But a kaupapa—it’s ironic, as Adrian Rurawhe said, that we go for years and years and years and we don’t even get an apology and we don’t even get pūtea. What are you doing, judge? We need some sort of recognition here of the trials and tribulations that some of the people go through at so much cost, and that’s why I mihi to these individuals who have done so much.

I’ll say to the Minister, Minister Goldsmith, over there—who we regularly debate every week, and he thinks he outpoints me—well done in terms of continuing the work that Andrew Little did, in terms of continuing the work that Chris Finlayson has done. It’s great that we move to this position, but for our people, as I’ve said before and I’ll say again, in terms of Treaty bills and these types of kaupapa, we move these bills and we move these initiatives off the back of a Government that is continually attacking Māori rights, and that’s a problem.

I talked about Mr Seymour, the Ngāti Rēhia whanaunga today, and I cannot leave the House this year without talking about some of their attacks on Māori in terms of the last bill of the year. I know it seems a bit out for some people, but—well, no, it’s appropriate because you’re talking about a party that’s brought in the Treaty principles bill, that set up the biggest hīkoi and protests we’ve seen at Parliament in history. We bring this bill under the shadow of a decision from the United Nations, Mr Goldsmith—the United Nations, who have said that racial equality in Aotearoa New Zealand is getting worse and worse. That decision just came out last week.

I bring this off the back of the bill where—you know, Kipa Munro has welcomed this bill. He says the pā site has significance to the whole of Ngāpuhi, and particularly Ngāti Rēhia. The hapū is looking forward to getting the site back, but I’m sure Mr Munro and others are feeling the pressures of this constant attack from the Government. We’re talking about the Ngāpuhi settlement today. That’s the hope. I don’t even know when Ngāpuhi is going—well, Willow-Jean Prime might know, but we’ll never know when Ngāpuhi is going to settle.

This is an initial move, but it’s very hard to settle when you have a Government constantly attacking. We’ve had the Treaty principles bill, we’ve had the Regulatory Standards Bill, we’ve had the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) (Customary Marine Title) Amendment Bill, and we’ve had the Fast-track Approvals Bill. It is constant.

So when you have the pressures hovering over you all the time, it’s a tribute to this Parliament that we’re able to get this type of bill through. It’s a tribute to this Parliament. It’s good to see Winston Peters and Shane Jones coming in here—and particularly Shane, of course, who can give us a terrific dialogue in terms of whakapapa. There’s no one better in the House, no doubt about that—no doubt about that. But I have to remind my old friend that we need support in terms of fast track. We need acknowledgment in terms of tikanga Māori with regards to fast track. That has been factored out. Willow-Jean Prime needs acknowledgment and support in terms of te reo Māori, which has been factored out in terms of the boards of trustees.

I ask today, “When will this stop?” When will this stop? On the last day of our term when we rightfully put forward a beautiful settlement in terms of Kororipo Pā and the return, the question has to be: will the Government wake up during election year or will this continue? I put that on the table today and say I will not apologise for bringing it to the attention of the House. I will not apologise for reminding our friends from Ngāti Rēhia that one of the big debates in this House was the use of the very word “Aotearoa”—Aotearoa. We had one of our most respected leaders questioning the relevance of the name of this country. I put that on the House today.

But I congratulate everyone for moving this bill through, for moving this kaupapa through—a kaupapa that reminds New Zealanders that we can work together, that we can work together with Ministers of different backgrounds and where injustice is, we will recognise it, we will support it. But the fight in terms of Māori, in terms of kaupapa Māori, is a fight and is a challenge that this Parliament must embrace over the next 12 months; otherwise, we might see another hīkoi of the proportions that we had last year.

To Ngāti Rēhia, ki a tātou katoa, Meri Kirīhimete, me ngā mihi o te Tau Hou ki a tātou katoa.

[To all of us, merry Christmas, and greetings of the new year to all of us.]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I left my office probably around 12.37 a.m. this morning because I was in the office, reflecting on how momentous this day is. As much as I’d like to respond to some of the comments made just before me, I won’t because I want to focus on this important, colossal kaupapa that is such an important and beautiful day in our history, that I’m privileged to be standing up and adding some thoughts amongst the thoughts that were conveyed today.

I want to welcome Ngāti Rēhia and Ngāpuhi into the House. I want to say thank you. Thank you for your genuine, authentic, beautiful manaakitanga that you showed us when we were up there in your rohe. Like many of my colleagues have said, it’s indeed unforgettable. What’s that song? [Sings] Unforgettable. But it really was. So thank you very much.

This bill, Te Pire Whakahoki i a Kororipo Pā/Kororipo Pā Vesting Bill, essentially does one thing quite clearly and quite deliberately: it vests Kororipo Pā in the trust that’s going to be a guardian of the land of the pā site for the greater people of Ngāpuhi. What we’re doing here today is one of those technical things where we’re giving legal effect to an agreement that’s already been entered into by the Crown. But it’s important that this legal effect takes place so that then the party that you guys up there in the gallery are organising can also take place, and the real guardianship—well, it has been; you’ve been taking care of it for so long, but on paper, it can take effect.

This is land that’s been disputed for a very long time in history. That dispute was consistent and unresolved for generations. I’m really quietly pleased that, today, this bill resolves finally the status of the land, not in a way that it rewrites history but in a way that it responds and corrects to history.

We’ve heard a lot about what the details of this bill are, but what I’d like to do fast forward a bit to the last couple of months. As we heard, we on the Māori Affairs Committee tried—successfully—very hard to make sure that this bill would pass this year. It was very important to our Minister, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Goldsmith, it was very important to Minister Potaka, and, indeed, it was very important to our Prime Minister—from the conversations that I was blessed to be privy to—that we pass this this year.

Hon Paul Goldsmith: [Sneezes]

RIMA NAKHLE: Bless you.

I want to say that when I learnt that one of the meanings “kororipo” is swirling waters, I remembered a conversation I had with the Hon Marama Davidson when we were on another trip. She explained the word “mokopuna” and how, essentially, broken up, it means blueprint and a spring of water, and how our children are the blueprints of their tūpuna and it continues. I thought about how beautiful it is that swirling waters and mokopuna come into play today, because I know that with our Māori brothers and sisters, your mokopuna are, essentially, the reason, the drive, and the end which justifies your means, over and over, with a lot of your mahi, including this kaupapa today. I found that quite beautiful.

I want to acknowledge our kuia that’s sitting up there today. Nora, thank you very much, again, for your beautiful gentility, but also your strength, your perseverance, and your endurance. I want to also thank you, Kipa Munro, a rangatira in your own right, for what you shared with us that day when we were in your rohe. They say that the kūmara does not speak of its own sweetness, but I hope the Ngāpuhi tūpuna can make an exception today because you deserve recognition for the role that you’ve played in getting us to where we are today. Others painted a picture when we were on a piece of land, but Kipa Munro constructed the picture for us so that those of us that were there, my colleagues and I, could truly imagine, envisage, feel, and understand the magnitude of the Kororipo Pā site, with the terraces and the plethora of homes that once existed there.

There was a lot of conversation, back and forth, about what this vesting bill means in terms of a settlement for Ngāpuhi. All I’d like to say is this: I hope that this bill is a seed for a tree that grows into that long-awaited settlement for Ngāpuhi. The seed could either grow into a rimu, slow growing, with medicinal qualities for the heart, or it could be a mānuka that’s fast growing, but the medicinal qualities are astounding. I hope the seed is a mānuka. I commend this bill to the House.

Motion agreed to.

Bill read a third time.

Now, I understand we will have a waiata.

Karanga