Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) : I move, That the Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time.

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā iwi o Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, he rā nui, he rā tino whakahirahira tēnei. Kei te mihi atu ki a koutou i runga i te aroha me te harikoa, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[To the authorities, languages, and people of Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, this is a great and magnificent day. I greet you with affection and happiness; greetings, greetings, and greetings to you all.]

I acknowledge those iwi who form Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika: Te Ātiawa, Taranaki, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Tama, and other iwi from the Taranaki region. I welcome those who have travelled from Taranaki and throughout the Wellington region and are here in the gallery today to listen to this third reading.

This bill is the final settlement of all the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims of those represented by the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust. They are claims that relate to the Port Nicholson Block, which lies within the Wellington and Hutt Valley areas. The bill gives effect to certain provisions of the deed of settlement that settles the historical claims of Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika in the Port Nicholson Block.

The claim commenced in 1987 with the lodging of Wai 145 with the tribunal. Those claims and the claims of the other Wai claims that are settled with the passing of this legislation were reported on by the tribunal in its Wellington district inquiry in 2003. The Port Nicholson Block Claims Team was then appointed to negotiate the historical claims in this area. The passing of the bill concludes a long journey for Taranaki Whānui, and I acknowledge all those who are part of the collective and who have worked so hard for many years to make this day possible.

I acknowledge the many kuia and kaumātua who are no longer with us and who provided leadership and inspiration to all negotiators. I am sure the whānau of those kuia and kaumātua are immensely proud of their actions and that their descendants will benefit from this settlement. I am pleased that many of them are here today to witness their Treaty settlement now passing into law.

As I have previously stated in the second reading, the sad reality is that as a result of the actions or inactions of the Crown and its agents, Taranaki Whānui have been deprived of almost all their lands in the Port Nicholson Block. Although the initial purchase was negotiated by the New Zealand Company, the Crown instigated a commission of inquiry into the company’s purchase, and despite reservations about that company’s process it none the less completed the transaction. The Crown did not ensure that the interests of the Māori owners were protected; the Crown acknowledges this. Taranaki Whānui suffered prejudice when their valuable urban tenths reserves were taken as endowments for public purposes; the Crown acknowledges this.

In short, the Crown failed to ensure that the agreements reached in 1839 by the New Zealand Company—and, later, the Crown—and those iwi who now make up Taranaki Whānui were, in fact, honoured. Those iwi also suffered a loss of their connection to Wellington Harbour, their forests, their waters, and their natural resources in the Port Nicholson Block. The deprivation caused by those losses cannot be measured. These losses have inflicted profound suffering. This bill enables the Crown both to recognise its past wrongs and to provide some atonement for its actions and inaction.

The Crown is providing cultural redress over a number of areas to Taranaki Whānui. This includes the vesting of the Wellington Harbour islands in the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust, with all current reservation classifications in place. The trust and the Department of Conservation will jointly manage the islands. The Pencarrow Lakes will also be returned as cultural redress, as will the Korokoro Gateway site and the Point Dorset Recreation Reserve.

Another site of great significance to the iwi is Pipitea Marae. The marae land and the improvements will be vested in the new Pipitea Marae Charitable Trust, in which the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust and the Ngati Poneke Maori Association will have equal representation. This arrangement allows the Ngati Poneke Maori Association to continue its role in promoting Māori culture while providing for the iwi of Taranaki Whānui to re-establish their connection with what was formerly their kāinga.

The bill also provides for the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust to purchase, and in some cases lease back, a number of commercial properties in the Wellington and Lower Hutt areas. This will enable Taranaki Whānui to enhance the economic capacity of their members, and to regain their position as a key player in the local economy.

In its apology the Crown says it is deeply sorry it has not always lived up to its Treaty of Waitangi obligations and that it has breached the Treaty in its dealings with Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. The Crown apology states that through this settlement the Crown is seeking to atone for its past wrongs, restore its honour, which has been tarnished by its actions, and begin the process of healing.

Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika has provided a statement of forgiveness to the Crown in response to the Crown apology. This enables both the iwi collective and the people of New Zealand to close the circle on this Treaty grievance and move on. This is a unique and special event that humbles me as Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. The willingness of Taranaki Whānui to draw a line under the past signals a strong desire to place a firm emphasis on the future.

I particularly want to acknowledge the leadership and generosity of spirit that Sir Paul Reeves has shown, both in initiating and indeed in penning the statement of forgiveness. The full account of the Crown’s apology will be delivered by the Prime Minister in the Beehive theatrette immediately following the enactment of the bill. Sir Paul will respond by formally delivering the statement of forgiveness to the Crown.

Another initiative in this settlement is the formation of a whole-of-Government relationship between the Crown and the Taranaki Whānui community. The focus of the relationship is on supporting the desire of the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust to provide for the enhanced well-being, revitalisation, and protection of its members. This will include an annual hui involving relevant Ministers of the Crown and the trust. Hopefully, this will provide the basis for a solid foundation for further iwi-Crown relations.

In conclusion, I acknowledge the role of the trust in drawing together a range of iwi with interests in the Port Nicholson Block. This is a testament to the efforts of Professor Ngātata Love in working across iwi for a collective benefit. I recognise the roles of others within Taranaki Whānui in negotiating the deed of settlement as trustees of the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust. For the Crown, I want to acknowledge my predecessor the Hon Michael Cullen for his work. I also acknowledge the work of former Associate Ministers the Hon Shane Jones and the Hon Mita Ririnui for their work. I acknowledge with pleasure the presence in the House of the Hon Mahara Okeroa, and I thank him for his good work and for what he is now doing for me.

I commend the work of the Office of Treaty Settlements in negotiating this settlement on behalf of the Crown. I acknowledge the work of Mr Brian Roche in negotiating the settlement. The bill signifies an important achievement for Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, the Crown, and the people of Wellington. I have moved that the Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time.

Hon MITA RIRINUI (Labour) : Otirā hei te Whare, me pēhea rā te kōrero māku. He tamaiti tēnei nā te Moana-a-Toi, mai Ngā Kurī a Whāre ki Tihirau, mai Maketū ki te tonga, kua tū nei i runga i te papa tapu o Pipitea hei aha, hei māngai kōrero mō te hau kāinga kua tatū mai ki raro i te tuanui o tēnei Whare.

Nō reira, kei ngā rangatira aroha mai, aroha mai. Ehara tēnei te tū te takahia tō koutou mana i whakarere iho nei ō koutou mātua tūpuna i te wā i a rātou. E tika ana kia mihi ake nā ki a koutou ka roa koutou hīkoi mai ana i runga i tēnei huarahi kia tutuki pai ai te kerēme i whakatakotohia koutou i mua i te Karauna, te aroaro o te Karauna. Koinā anō ka roa koutou hīkoi mai ana, i tēnei wā tata tonu te mutunga o tēnei hīkoi. Otirā, nā runga i tēnei mōhio mihi kau ana ki a koutou, wā koutou tīpuna kīhai te haere ā-tinana mai, otirā, te wairua hihiko o rātou kei runga i ō koutou pokohiwi i tēnei rā, kia rongo mai te katoa o ngā tūkinotanga a te Karauna ki a koutou anō i ngā rā taha ake nei. Nō reira, e tika ana kia mau tonu ki tēnei o wā tātau reo rangatira tae noa atu ki te mutunga o taku kōrero. E mihi ana ki a koutou te hūmārietanga kei roto i te ngākau, o tēnā, o tēnā, o tēnā o koutou. Anei nā te Minita kua whakatauhia kua tāpaehia rā ngā hara o te Karauna ki ō koutou aroaro, ā, kua murua. Kua murua i ōna hē, ōna hara ki a koutou, me te maumahara anō i te kaupapa o tērā o ngā matakite o ngā poropiti i te wā i a ia e ārahi atu ana i a koutou i te huarahi o te tika, o te pono, o te rangimārie, ko taua tupuna, ā, ko Te Whiti, ko taua tipuna anā ko Tohu. I tēnei wā kua puāwai kua whai hua hoki āna kōrero ki a koutou anō.

Nō reira kei ngā kaumātua, kei ngā kuia, kei ngā kaiārahi kei waenganui i a koutou, tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou, me te mihi anō ki te moana e tere mai rā, ki ngā awa, ki ngā maunga tae noa atu ki tērā maunga tipuna. Me te maumahara anō ki tērā kōrero, ahakoa rā he maunga tītōhea, rere ngā manu ki reira inu ai. E kore, e kore e mimiti. Ko te wairua o te kōrero kei te koropupū tonu, koropupū, koropupū kei waenganui i a koutou. Nō reira, kua tae mai a koutou hei tauira mō ā koutou uri whakatipu kia mārama ai a rātou i te āhuatanga o te huarahi i whai nei i a koutou i te hūmārietanga i hāpai nei i a koutou i waenganui, i roto i ngā whakawhitiwhiti kōrero, i roto i ngā tautohetohe ki te Karauna, i roto i ngā āhuatanga katoa kei runga tonu rā kei a koutou.

Nō reira kai te Kaihautū o te Whare nei aroha mai, tēnei te kī ki te iwi kua tatū mai, tatū iho nei ki a koe kei taku hoa rangatira te Minita o ngā rā ki muri, e Mahara, nāu tonu te tono ki a mātou ngā mema Māori kia kamakama rā ki te whakatutuki i tēnei kerēme a tō iwi a Taranaki ki Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara. Nō reira hari koa ana te ngākau kua tatū mai, nā runga anō i ngā kupu tawhito ngā kōrero poropiti a tō tipuna a Whiti, a tō tipuna a Tohu, i whakatauhia mai i whakamāramahia mai i au te wā i a tāua e mahi ana i wētahi atu mahi.

Kua whakamāramahia te Minita mō Ngā Take Kerēme i ngā āhuatanga e pā nei ki tēnei pire. E tika ana hoki kia mihi ake ki a ia mō tana tautoko. Kīhai hoki te wareware te tīmatanga mai o ngā whakawhitiwhiti kōrero i waenganui i te Karauna me te Kāwanantanga Reipa; tērā wahine Minita a Mākerete Te Wirihana, nāna ngā kōrero i ārahi i tōna wā, ahakoa te taumaha o te kōrero, ka haere tonu. Pērā anō rā i te Minita mai i a Ngāti Tūwharetoa, a Maaka Burton, ka tau te mana ki runga a ia kia ārahi nei i ngā whakawhiti korero mō te kerēme nā, tae noa mai ki tēnā rangatira a Tākuta Michael Cullen; nāna te tono ki āna minita katoa, kaua e pōuri haere kaua e pōturi haere, otirā, kia kamakama rā, ka roa a Te Āti Awa mai Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara e tatari mai ana kia puāwai, kia whai hua ngā kōrero o tua whakarere.

E tika ana kia mihi ake ki a rātou ngā Minita kua puta ki waho rā i te anga o ngā raiona, ā, me te mihi anō ki te Komiti Motuhake Māori, i whiriwhirihia i ngā āhuatanga e pā ana ki te pire; ki te heamana a Tau Henare, te tino hōnore me ōna āpiha katoa, mai rā i te tīmatanga mai o tēnei Kāwanantanga tae noa ki tēnei wā. Kore kau he raruraru ki waenganui i a mātou nā runga i tēnā komiti, ahakoa ngā kupu taumaha kua karawhiua nei mai i tēnā, mai i tēnā, mai i tēnā, kaha hoki te heamana ki te ārahi nei i ngā kōrero kua tutuki pai ai.

Me pēhea rā te kōrero māku i roto i te pire nei, aroha ana au ki te iwi kua tatū mai, i te mea rā tae noa mai rātou i te marae, i te whenua o Pipitea kua tae mai nei hei manuhiri, ehara hei iwi kāinga. Toku nei wero nā ki te Kāwanatanga, nō wai, nō hea kē tērā kaupapa? Tae katoa mātou ngā mema o te Whare nei, mai ngā tōpito e whā o te motu, hei kaikanohi hei kaitautoko hei kaiwhakamārama mō a rātou kei roto i ngā marae kāinga, ehara hei rangatira mō te iwi kua tatū mai. Nō reira kai te Kaihautū me tika te whakaaro, tēnei nā te whenua a Pipitea, nei nā tōna iwi kua tatū mai, ko rātou kua tatū mai ki roto i te Whare nei kua tatū ā-manuhiri mai, nō reira nā runga i tēnā e mihi kau ana ki a rātou nā rātou i noho wahangū, i noho mārie, i runga i te whakahē o te Kāwanantanga o te Whare Pāremata.

Kāore e tino roa atu ēnei kōrero, kua tutuki rā ngā mahi whakahirahira e pā nei ki tēnei pire o tēnei kerēme o te iwi whānui ki Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara, kīhai i te wareware Te Āti Awa mai i te maunga tītōhea, nā kua tae katoa mai rātou. Nō reira kai te Whare nei, mihi kau ana ki a tātau otirā ki te kaupapa kua whārikihia waenganui i a tātau. Nō reira kei te Kaihautū kei te Whare katoa, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Mr Deputy Speaker, hei aha noa te whakamārama, he kōrero ā-wairua kē tāku ki te iwi nei.

[Greetings to the House, whilst seeking the words befitting the occasion. I stand here asa child of Te Moana-a-Toi, the lands from Bowentown in the west to Whangaparāoa in the east; and of the region from Maketū to the south. I stand here on the sacred ground of Pipitea, offering words to the home people who have come to this House.

To the home people, I greet you in humility and ask for your forbearance. I do not stand here to trample upon the mana bequeathed to you by your ancestors. It is right to acknowledge the long path you have travelled to reach the settlement of your claims here in the presence of the Crown. Journey’s end is at hand. So I acknowledge and commend you. Although your ancestors are not here, their spirit and energy are upon you this day, that all may hear of the ill-treatment by the Crown of you in the past. So it is right that my contribution today be entirely in our noble language. There is much to be admired in the acts of grace you have displayed. Today, in your presence, the Minister has settled and acknowledged the wrongs of the Crown. In an act of grace, you have forgiven the Crown for its wrongs against the people. This calls to mind the prophets Te Whiti and Tohu, who led the people on the path of righteousness, truth, and goodwill. Today in your presence, those principles have borne fruit. Acknowledgments must be given to the elders and leaders.

I also want to acknowledge the surging seas yonder, the rivers that flow from the mountains, and the ancestral mountain [Taranaki]. I recall the saying that, although it is a barren mountain, birds fly there to drink from the wellspring that never runs dry. Similarly, the spirit and the words of the prophets shine on in you, their descendants. They are here for the children and the grandchildren, so that they may know the path taken, and so that the negotiations and discussions with the Crown were conducted by the home people in a spirit of goodwill.

So, Mr Deputy Speaker, I ask you to bear with me. I acknowledge the people who have come here, including my friend, and former Minister, Mahara; it was you who exhorted the Māori members of this House to work energetically to settle the claims of your people of Taranaki ki Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara. So the heart is glad that you have come to witness the realisation of the words and prophesies of your ancestors Te Whiti and Tohu. You enlightened me about these things when we worked together here.

The Minister for Treaty Settlements has explained the details of this bill, and I thank him. Lest we forget, the negotiations between the iwi and the Crown were instigated by the previous Labour Government, led by the then Minister, the Hon Margaret Wilson. Despite difficulties, the work continued and progressed under Minister Mark Burton, who hails from the domain of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. He was succeeded by Dr Michael Cullen, who urged all ministers to eliminate unnecessary delays and maintain the focus and impetus of discussions, for Te Āti Awa of Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara had waited for so long to realise the aspirations of the people. I thought it proper to acknowledge the work of former Ministers who are no longer in this House.

Acknowledgment must also be given to the work of the Māori Affairs Committee from the day this Government took office to this day, to the chairperson, the Hon Tau Henare, and to the staff. Although discussions between committee members were at times heated, the chairperson’s leadership ensured the focus remained on the outcome.

I search for words befitting the stature of this bill. Great is my regard for the people present here, for they have come to the marae and land of Pipitea as guests, not as the home people. I turn to the Government and ask, whose idea was this? Members come here to this House from all parts of the country to represent the interests of their people. It is not right that this iwi should be here as our guests. We must get it right. The name of this piece of land we stand on is Pipitea, and the people of Pipitea have come to this House, but as guests. Despite this, and the opposing view of the Government on this matter, this iwi has displayed nothing but restraint and grace.

I will not take much longer. The significant work on this bill that addresses the claims of these people in Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara has been accomplished. Let us not forget to acknowledge the presence here today of those Te Āti Awa still living under the shelter of Taranaki mountain. On this matter that has been presented before us, I say to the members of the House “Well done!”.Mr Deputy Speaker, fellow members, and the people present in the House, I acknowledge you all. And, Mr Deputy Speaker, I ask that my words not be interpreted, as they were from the heart .]

Hon TAU HENARE (National) : Te mea tuatahi, tēnei mihi ki Te Rangatira o te Whare nei, a Lockwood Smith, me tana kaha, me tana mita o tō tātou reo i roto i te Wiki o te Reo Māori. Ka huri au ki te mihi nui atu ki a koutou ngā mōrehu o ngā aituā. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[The first part of this acknowledgment is to the Speaker of this House, the Hon Lockwood Smith, for his ability to use and pronounce our language faultlessly in Māori Language Week. I turn now to extend a huge greeting to you, the survivors of misfortunes. So greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to you all.]

It is a pleasure, an honour, and a privilege to stand in the House today after so many years. First of all, I congratulate the team. The team is very big, both on the Government’s side and also on the hau kāinga side. I suppose this is an opportunity for people to speak in platitudes about the hard work and how good we are feeling. I suppose that is good in one way. I do not want to go off the beaten track a wee bit, like I normally do; I want to take the opportunity to remind the nation that until we get to a place where every settlement has been done, we cannot truly be on the road to being a unified nation. I mean that sincerely, to both sides.

When one looks at the history as far back as 1839—170 years ago—coincidentally to September 1839, it is a date that rings throughout the nation, because that is really the start of what I would suggest were some clandestine operations by the then colonial Government that were intended to diddle iwi Māori out of what was rightfully theirs. When we get to today and, as my colleague said, reflect on the hard work of the select committee, the Minister, the former Minister, and all those members who worked on the deal over those long, long periods even before we were here, it is incumbent on us to think about what the country can be, and not, I hope, drown ourselves in the platitudes and the good feelings of today. Sure, it is a good day for Taranaki Whānui, but in my humble opinion it could have been even better.

My grandfather came to Wellington in the 1920s after taking off with a woman from Wellsford, and ended up in Karori. My father was a born and bred Wellingtonian.

Te Ururoa Flavell: Too much information.

Hon TAU HENARE: The member says that is too much information. My uncle was in the same class as one of the esteemed gentlemen in the gallery. The affinity that my grandfather had with the local people was such that I feel very, very sorry today. I am not filled with joy. I am not filled with happiness. I am actually filled with a lot of sadness that we have come to a point in our history where all we can give is a few buildings, a few dollars, and an apology. I am not suggesting for one minute that we open the Bank of New Zealand—or the Bank of England, or whoever owns it these days—but I suggest that we take the opportunity today, with those good feelings, to look into the future and say “Our nation is unique.” I believe our nation is the best in the world, and it is about time we started recognising the unique difference that we have, as opposed to what Australia, England, America, or wherever has. We need to leverage off the good work, the uniqueness, and the hard work that has been put in by the people in the gallery, the people in this House, and the people of this nation.

Taranaki Whānui people were part of the First Echelon contingent of soldiers who crossed our waters back in 1939, which was, coincidentally, 100 years after this all started. Iwi Māori have paid their dues once, twice, and three times over. So it is incumbent on us as a nation not only to recognise that contribution but also to use it to our benefit, and to the nation’s benefit. By that I mean that we need to leverage off our uniqueness and take it around the world. In times of recession, who better than us to lead the way? But I suppose we have to get to the end of the line, in terms of Treaty settlements.

I do not want to speak for too long, but I must, at this point, make some comments about Ngāti Tama. I ask members to forgive me if I upset a few people; I am not usually like that.

Hon Ruth Dyson: It’s not about you.

Hon TAU HENARE: No, it is not about me, and thankfully it is not about that member either. While the select committee was involved in its tiny part—and I do mean very tiny, in terms of the whole issue—the issue of Ngāti Tama came up in terms of whether we should agree with an opt-out clause. The select committee was quite strong in its recommendation that it hoped the opt-out clause in the Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill would not be used as a precedent for other settlements. I have to absolutely agree.

It is all right to start at a point and start negotiating as a team, but when we get closer to that final hurdle I do not think it is right for groups to pull out because they are not happy with it. The right time to pull out is at the beginning, not at the end. If we are part of the team, then it is incumbent on us to see it through. If there are issues, they should be sorted out in a manner that is more appropriate than in a select committee.

My final words are that the Government should never be put in the position of choosing whom to deal with. That is not its job. That responsibility lies with iwi Māori. I put out this warning not only to Māori but also to the Crown: never ever get into the position of thinking that the Crown will be the arbiter of where the issues are and where the raruraru is. That decision is for iwi Māori to make, not for the Crown to make. Yes, I am a wee bit happy because they do get the deal, and from here on it is all up to them. I thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to speak in this debate.

Me mihi au ki a koutou ngā mōrehu o ngā aituā, ngā mōrehu o Taranaki Whānui.

[I must acknowledge you, the survivors of misfortunes, and Taranaki Whānui.]

Hon MARYAN STREET (Labour) : Tēnā koe, Te Kaihautū. E ngā mema o tēnei Whare Pāremata, tēnā koutou. E Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, ngā mātua, ngā kuia, ngā rangatira mā, tēnei te mihi ki a koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Greetings to you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and to members of Parliament. To Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, to the elderly men and womenfolk, to the leaders, I extend this greeting to you, greetings, greetings, and greetings to you all.]

This is a day of relief and it is a day of celebration. I want to take just a few minutes—not many, probably not the whole time that I could—to talk a little about both the facts and the feelings around the Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill. I want to recognise, and pay tribute to, people who have gone before, from both parties. I want to pay tribute to the leaders who have persisted with this claim on the part of Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and who are no longer with us. I want to pay tribute also to colleagues of mine who, although still living, are no longer in this House. I pay tribute especially to Michael Cullen, and I wish to pay tribute to my friend the Hon Mahara Okeroa, who is with us in the Chamber today. I acknowledge the work of the current Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations in bringing this settlement to its conclusion. But I acknowledge all the work that has gone on before between the parties to bring this to fulfilment.

I want to draw, for a moment, on the deed of settlement of historical claims relating to the bill that is before us in its third reading today. The historical account refers to the tension that existed between settlers and the Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. It is said that settlers believed that the land had been purchased and that that entitled them to possession. The sections allocated to the settlers by the London lottery in 1839 included Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika pā, cultivation, and urupā sites. When settlers began to arrive in Wellington the allocation of the land was the source of considerable tension. Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika did not believe that they had alienated their pā, cultivation, or urupā sites.

There was then a long history that was traversed. The process of getting to the administration of any arrangement took an inordinately long time. As a result of some of the exchanges, however, it is very clear that the process of colonisation impacted very severely on Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. As the new town of Wellington developed, there were altercations as Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika tried to maintain their culture, traditions, and resources as best they could, according to tikanga, in the new developing settlement. But, as a result of some of the exchanges that occurred, it was very clear that much of the new land that Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika were pressured to move to, away from their traditional lands, proved inadequate to sustain their way of life. The Port Nicholson deed had provided that one-tenth of the total area of the Port Nicholson Block would be held in trust for the future benefit of the chiefs, their families, and heirs for ever. This became known as the Wellington tenths arrangement. The grievances to which this settlement relate stem largely, but not solely, from the Crown’s role in the sale of land within the Port Nicholson Block, and that is traversed in the Waitangi Tribunal report, and, in fact, in my earlier speech on this bill I referred to that and to the historical accounts in it. I recommend that people read the report at some point, in order to grasp the enormity of the alienation, and, hence, the root of the grievance.

Those are some of the facts pertaining to this day and our arrival at this moment, but I will also talk about some of the feelings around it. They will be strong, they will be deeply felt, and they will be very mixed. There will be sadness that those who had initiated some of this are no longer with us and unable to see this moment of fruition. There will be sadness, also, that it has taken this long to get to this point. However, there will be some joy that we have arrived here. Human interactions are complicated. When I became a trustee of the Crown Forestry Rental Trust in 2000, I thought I was pretty aware of the vicissitudes and complexities of politics; then I encountered Māori politics and I learnt another layer again of complexity and difficulty. But I also learnt a great deal of respect for people who engage, and who have engaged over time, without losing faith with their tūpuna, to seek justice and to seek an enduring settlement. I pay tribute to all of those who are gathered in the gallery today for their contribution to that effort.

It is a moving moment. There should be joy and there should also be anticipation and great excitement, because I know of some of the plans that Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika have for their people. They are exciting plans: investment in education; investment in training; investment in jobs; and partnerships with industries that will provide exciting, quality, skilled, and long-term possibilities for their people. I look forward to that. I have my own attachment to this settlement, as well. Given that, if I may use the language, my whakapapa is Ngāti Pākehā o Taranaki, I have a deal of satisfaction in seeing some of the things I was never taught about at New Plymouth Girls’ High School be resolved, be addressed, and be visited in this settlement. The complexity of the emotions cannot be overestimated, but I hope that, in amongst it all, there is hope for the future, because what this settlement represents is yet another hugely significant milestone in the development of Aotearoa New Zealand. I commend all parties who are part of it, and I commend this bill for its third reading.

METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) : Tēnā koutou katoa e te iwi, e ngā iwi. Tēnā koutou katoa. I am pleased to be able to stand to speak on the third reading of the Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill. It is important for us in this House to recognise and to congratulate iwi who have pursued settlements through the settlement process. It is a long and laborious, difficult and expensive task. Those who undertake it deserve enormous congratulations on the work that they do. Settlements, though, do not give me much pleasure, and they certainly are not legislation that I enjoy speaking about in this House. I have expressed, and the Green Party has expressed in the past, a great deal of concern about the way that settlements are dealt with by the Crown. This settlement, like all other settlements, highlights the flaws of the process that the Crown has established, and it clearly shows how those flaws impact on the iwi first and foremost. But, none the less, the flaws never seem to encourage the Crown to truly look at the process to deal with those flaws, so that subsequent iwi are not subject to those same problems.

I am aware that there has been discussion in the Chamber about the concept of forgiveness that is included in this legislation, and it truly is a remarkable step for iwi to include that concept in their settlement. Personally, I confess I find it difficult; the Crown does not deserve forgiveness. It will never deserve forgiveness for what occurred. But it does deserve—“instructions” is not the right word—a clear indication from Māori as to what needs to change, such that the Crown can make good the harm that the Crown committed in the past. Although I fully acknowledge the right of the iwi to include the concept in the legislation—I congratulate them on taking such a significant step, and the Green Party is deeply humbled by that choice—we none the less believe that the Crown’s obligation is such that, firstly, it cannot be forgiven, and, secondly, that that obligation can be met only by what it does as opposed to what it says.

I guess that it is here where the settlement process, in our view, is so significantly flawed. The flaws in the settlement process are, of course, structural flaws. They include the process by which the Crown picks winners in settlement processes, partly by the use of the large natural groupings process, but by other processes as well. Also, negotiations often begin by the Crown putting its view on the table. That view then very rarely ever changes, such that iwi are often not given any real room for negotiation as to the restitution. Further, the negotiating power and resources lie with the Crown—with the perpetrator in these cases—as opposed to those who have suffered the harm. And the resources and the negotiating power are so completely out of proportion in favour of the Crown. The minuscule proportion of the losses that are returned to iwi is never discussed in the public domain and it is not made clear by the Crown. The Crown never clearly identifies just how little of what was taken and lost is actually returned. Because of that failure by the Crown in the settlement process, the community never gets the full picture of what the claim is really about, what was really lost, and that what is returned in the public’s name to iwi is just a tiny, tiny percentage of what was taken. It is a percentage that under any other kind or form of law where one would expect restitution or some kind of compensation, would not be accepted by any other community. No other community would accept that minuscule proportion of return. But the community does not know that. All they hear about is millions of dollars. All they hear about is claims. And the Crown makes no effort to inform and educate the community about the nature of the claims, especially in local areas, such that there is awareness and willingness to undertake this process by the public as a whole.

I said that the impact of the flaws in the process is then borne by the iwi—and it is. The Crown takes no hits, if you like, for the flaws in the process. It is the iwi who suffer the criticism of a community that does not understand what the story is, why those resources are being returned, and why a few million dollars simply cannot truly reflect the fiscal value of what was lost or the need of the iwi at that time to use those resources to provide for ongoing support for the iwi over a long period of time. It is the iwi who suffer the division within their hapū and their iwi from the process by which winners are picked by the Crown. We have seen that reflected here in the settlement, and we know that not all iwi, not all hapū, and not all members within this settlement are happy with the process, and some have split away. The harm of that division is borne by the whānau themselves. I am not talking about the Crown—the Crown does not need to take any responsibility for that, and indeed the Crown often says it refuses to take responsibility for that. It tells iwi that if they have a problem internally they should sort it out. But the problem is caused by the process that forces iwi into this—and it is force; it is duress. This is the only process on the table. Iwi have no choice but to engage with the Crown on the settlement process, because the duress of poverty is real for the collective that needs to care for its own. Indeed, such care by iwi for their own is demanded by this Parliament and by the community, but with very few resources and within a structural settlement process that is geared against them.

I know that there are members here in the gallery who have worked so hard on this settlement, and my words are not words of congratulation or celebration for it. But it is my role in this Parliament to hold the Crown to account for the process by which this legislation came about, and to speak where I can on behalf of those for whom the settlement process has caused harm. There are some of those people within the iwi to whom this settlement bill relates. So I make no apologies for setting out our concerns here in this Chamber today on the third reading of this bill.

The Green Party has a very clear policy on these issues. It is our view that there is a need to develop a process of models of restitution, of nationally sustainable compensation over time, but a process that is worked and developed by Māori, by iwi, and by hapū for the losses they have sustained. I guess it is part of the process of restorative justice that those who have lost must be at the heart of the process and must have control over the process and be decision makers within that process, and that is certainly not the case with the settlements. We have had settlements in this country for a very long period of time, and a lot of work has gone into trying to make the process better, particularly by iwi, by Māori. The Crown has tended to resist that, because the process works so well for it. Perhaps we may see over more time, as more settlements are completed, a shift, but until the process is one where Māori are at the heart of it and are decision makers over how the process is structured, we will not have a truly comprehensive and durable settlement process for these issues.

Finally, I reiterate the Green Party’s support for this legislation; we always support settlement legislation. I reiterate our support for the iwi, the whānau, and the hapū who have worked so hard on this legislation to make sure that it came to fruition, and who have borne the cost of it, and who will now have the responsibility of seeing it through and making it effective. I wish them all the very best, most sincerely, all the very best for doing that work, and I hope that now there is some more information in the community about the settlement. I hope that the community understands it better and that the Crown might start to make these steps towards creating a truly durable process by Māori, for Māori. Kia ora koutou.

TE URUROA FLAVELL (Māori Party—Waiariki) : Kia ora huihui tātou katoa e te iwi. E te raukura haramai, e te raukura haramai. Me pēnei rawa te kōrero. Tēnei te ara kai runga, ko te aro o tēnei tipua, ko te aro o tēnei ariki, ko te aro o tēnei matua iwi, ko te aro o Ranginui e tū nei o Papatūānuku e takoto nei. Kia rarau iho rā ngā tapuwae o Tāne. Tēnei te pō nau mai te ao. Tēnei te pōuri o te ngākau pēnei ana tā koutou haramai ki te rongo i ngā kōrero a te Karauna e kī ana, āe, āe, i mahi au i taku mahi. Tēnei te ao e kōrerohia ake nei, ko koutou tēnei kua tatū mai ngā uri o rātou mā e te iwi, e te raukura tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

E pai tonu te kōrero a te mema a Mita Ririnui i te ahiahi nei, e te tuakana tēnā koe, i whakarite nei kia kōrero Māori anake i te ahiahi nei. Ko te mate o te Whare Pāremata kei aku rangatira, ko te tikanga o te Whare Pāremata, ka kōrero Māori mō te wā poto kātahi ka whakapākehāhia. Kua āhua noho tapepe te kōrero. Arā, nā Mita tērā i whakatika i te ahiahi nei, kia reo Māori mai te tīmatanga ki te mutunga, ā, ko au tēnei te uri o te waka a Te Arawa ka whai i tana tauira.

He pai tonu taku tū atu ki mua i a koutou i te mea, ko au tēnei he taokete nō roto i a koutou. Ko taku hoa rangatira nō roto o Taranaki tūturu ake, nō Te Pūniho, nō Parihaka, nō Ngāti Ruanui, anā, ko te toto o aku tamariki he wāhanga ki a Te Arawa, he wāhanga anō rā ki a Taranaki. Nō reira me pēnei ake pea te kōrero, ka waiho ake tēnei hei tāhuhu kōrero mō te āhuatanga o wāku kauhau, taku kauhau ki a koutou i te ahiahi nei.

E kī ana te kōrero a te waiata: “titiro titiro ki te maunga tītōhea runga o Parihaka, Wai-te-toroa, Ngāti Moeahu, Ngāti Haupoto ko te tākiritanga i te kahu o Wikitōria, kaitoa, kaitoa. Ko Tohu ko Te Whiti ngā manu e rua i patu te hoariri ki te rangimārie, kss auē, kss auē. Ahakoa te pahūtanga o Parihaka uē, uē, uē, hā!” Ko te tūmanako i oti pai tērā momo karakia, tērā momo waiata, tērā momo kōrero i te mea, arā noa atu ngā kōrero o roto i tērā ngeri me kī, tērā waiata.

Kei mua koutou i te kahu o Wikitōria, kei mua koutou i te kahu o Wikitōria. Ko tae mai te āhuatanga o te raukura ko Te Whiti tērā, ko Tohu Kākahi tērā. E kare mā he wiki nui tēnei. Āe, ko te Wiki o te Reo Māori; āe i tēnei wiki i kōrerohia te āhuatanga o te pire mō Matariki, kia noho a Matariki hei rā whakanui mō te motu, ko ētahi kei te whakaae, ko ētahi kāore anō kia areare mai ngā taringa ki te kōrero. I te tīmatanga o te wiki nei i whakanuia te āhuatanga o Kāterina Heikōkō Mataira mō te āhuatanga o tana matatau ki te āhuatanga o tō tātou reo; i te ahiahi nei i runga i ngā pikinga ki te Whare Pāremata i tae mai ngā tamariki nohinohi nei, ki te kī ki te motu me mutu i te āhuatanga patu tamariki. He aha te āhuatanga ki runga o Parihaka? Patua te hoariri ki te rangimārie. Nō reira ko koutou tēnei kua tatū mai, e whai tonu nei i te wairua o tērā waihotanga mai. Koinei te aroha atu ki tā koutou haerenga mai. Ko te nuinga o ngā whakataunga kerēme, ē, ka riro mā te Karauna e muru i āna hara, e kī atu āe, engari nā runga i tā koutou whakaaetanga ko koutou tēnei e kī ana kāti, kua are mai ngā taringa ki wā koutou kōrero, kei te pai, kei te pai, kei te pai. Me waiho mā te rangimārie tāua e tūhonohono, ko koutou tēnei e whai nei i tēnā tauira, koinei te aroha atu ki a koutou katoa. Tēnā koutou, haramai.

Kua kōrerohia te āhuatanga o ngā mate mō te rua tekau mā rua aha rānei ngā tau kua roa koutou e tatari ana. E hia kē nei te hunga kua ngaro atu i roto i te āhuatanga o te raukura. Kawea mai te āhuatanga o ngā mate huhua o te wā kei aku rangatira, kia arare mai ngā taringa o ngā mema o te Whare Pāremata i te wairua o tēnei rangi. I te wā i noho au i waenganui i a koutou o roto o Taranaki i raro i te maunga tītōhea, i pātai au i te pātai ki au anō. Me pēhea e taea ai e wai rānei te rongo i te mamae o te muru me te raupatu mēnā karekau ō whenua, mēnā kua murua tērā whenua i raro i ō waewae? Pēhea e taea ai te rongo i te mamae i ngā taumahatanga? Ko au tētahi i haere ki Parihaka i te tekau mā waru, tekau mā whitu ia marama, ia marama, ia marama. Ko ngā tamariki, ko ngā mokopuna i kōrero mō te āhuatanga o te muru me te raupatu. I rongo ngā taringa i te āhuatanga o te tangi o te roimata, ngā kōrero mō te ekenga o te Karauna ki runga o Parihaka, ā, pērā anō hoki, arā, ki te motu koinei te raruraru kua kite mai ai i roto i ngā kerēme. Nō reira, he mea pai tā koutou haramai, ahakoa te pōuri o te ngākau i te mea, ka pānuitia ā ngā rā kei mua i te aroaro ko ngā kōrero kua puta i te Whare Pāremata i te rangi nei. Ka mutu ka rongo tātou, ka rongo ngā tamariki ngā mokopuna ā te wā ko ngā kōrero i puta i te rangi nei.

Engari he paku pātai tāku; he whare tāku kei roto o Korokoro; āe, kua rongo ngā kōrero a te Minita ko tana kī mai, ē, ko te wāhanga whenua o Korokoro nō koutou, nō reira me pēnei rawa taku kōrero, mēnā e pai ana kia whai wāhi pakupaku nei a Te Ururoa i waenganui i a Korokoro mō te wā poto i au e noho ana i te Whare Pāremata, hei wāhi noho mō māua ko taku tamaiti, i a ia i te whare wānanga, i au i konei, he wāhanga whenua pakupaku noa iho e hoa mā, nā runga i te āhuatanga o te hononga ā-toto nei waku tamariki tāku e kōrero nei, waku tamariki tēnei e kōrerohia, nei kia whai wāhi o roto i ngā whiriwhiringa. Ehara he kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero.

Ā, me kōrero au mō te wā poto nei mō te āhuatanga ki tā koutou whakaaro nui ki te āhuatanga o tērā kōrero ki te Karauna ā kō ake nei, ā kō ake nei ka kōrerohia tērā take i raro nei. Hei aku rangatira, ki taku mōhio koinei te wā tuatahi kua tū ake tētahi iwi ki te kī ki te Karauna, kei te pai kua rongo, kua mārama, kua hokia mai te whenua, me haere tāua ki te paerangi. Me haere tāua tahi ki te paerangi. Ko te tūmanako ia ka rongo ngā nūpepa i tērā kōrero me ngā pouaka whakaata, kia rongo te motu ehara a te iwi Māori i te iwi matapiko. He ngākau nui o roto i te iwi Māori, anā, ko koutou te tauira, whakaatu nei i te aroha a tētahi ki tētahi, i kōrerohia e rātou i te wā i a rātou.

Nō reira, kāti ake. Te tūmanako ia ka tere pau wā tātou kōrero, ka tere mutu wā tātou kōrero kia eke ki raro kia hainatia te pepa, kia noho kōhatu ngā kōrero i runga pepa mō ake nei. Hoi anō ko tāku hei kupu whakamutunga, ki a koe Tā Paora tēnā koe, haramai rā ki tō Whare. Ki a koutou ngā kaikōrero mō te iwi, Ngātata ko koutou tēnā, arā anō wētahi i ārahi i tēnei kaupapa ki tōna mutunga, me mihi rā ki a koutou me tā koutou whakaaro nui. E tika ana tā te mema nā, tā te mema o te Nāhinara, arā anō wētahi raruraru engari, waiho tērā mā te iwi Māori e whakatika. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Greetings to the people. Welcome to the raukura plume, welcome to the raukura plume. Let me state thus: this, the high path in the presence of this demigod, of this god, of this principal people, of Rangi, who stands above, and Papatūānuku, who lies here; may the paths of Tāne converge this night before the dawn. My heart darkens at the treatment you have endured in coming here today to listen to the Crown admit its wrongs. I acknowledge you, the people.

The member Mita Ririnui made a very good point in his speech—acknowledgments, my kin—declaring that his entire speech would be delivered in our Māori language. The rules of this House direct that all speeches delivered in our language be rendered piecemeal to allow for an English interpretation. This type of interpreting makes it hard for Māori speakers, because it interrupts the natural flow. Today, Mita has challenged this shabby treatment of the Māori language; he has shown how Māori should be spoken here: one delivery from start to end, uninterrupted. This descendant of the ancestral canoe Te Arawa will follow his lead.

I stand here proud to say I married into your iwi. My partner is Taranaki Tūturu, Te Pūniho of Parihaka and Ngāti Ruanui. Therefore, the blood of my children, part Te Arawa, part Taranaki, will form the basis of my speech this afternoon.

To recite part of a waiata: “set your gaze upon the barren mountain that looms over Parihaka, over Wai-te-toroa, and in the presence of Ngāti Moeahu and Ngāti Haupoto, throwing off the garments from Queen Victoria. Good job! Good job! Tohu and Te Whiti, the two birds who triumphed over their foes, with love as their weapon. Heedless to the thunder that reverberates over Parihaka, uē, uē, uē ha.” I trust that my rendition was not too poor, because that change has many layers of meanings and understandings.

O people of Te Whiti, of Tohu, the people of the raukura feather, you are here present in the sanctum of Queen Victoria. This has been a momentous week, being Māori Language Week. Further, the bill seeking statutory recognition for Matariki was debated in the House; some agree, some do not. Kāterina Heikōkō Mataira was honoured for her efforts to preserve the language; and this afternoon on the steps of Parliament there gathered many young children to promote non-violence. I recall the guiding principles of Parihaka: through goodwill you will overcome your foe. You, the iwi, have kept true to that legacy; that makes the occasion more poignant. In most claims settlements, the Crown admits the wrongfulness of its actions. However, in this instance, you, the people, have said: enough; let peace weave us in unity. You have followed this path, so I extend love to you all. Greetings, and welcome to you all.

Members before me have spoken of the people of the iwi who have passed on in the 22 years since the claim was lodged. You have lost many who were involved in the claims from the start; but they are here now, upon your shoulders, symbolised by the raukura plume. People, let our lamentations resound in this House so that members hear the deeper meanings of this day. When living amongst you in Taranaki under the shelter of the mountain, I would ponder the following question: how can you truly understand the pain and trauma of confiscation if you yourself have not had your lands taken from beneath your feet? Each month, on the 17th and 18th days, I would join with others at Parihaka. There, the young people would speak about the confiscations and the plundering, and when the discussions inevitably turned to the invasion of Parihaka by the Crown, the tears flowed freely. It is a good thing that you have come, although I have misgivings that the matters stated today in the House of Parliament will remain on the public record. The children and the grandchildren will be able to read the words uttered today.

But I have a small request. I have a house at Korokoro. The Minister has stated that Korokoro now belongs to the iwi. Might I be able to retain my residence at Korokoro for a short period, while I serve my time in this House and my son attends university? My friends, a small piece of land for Te Ururoa, and let us not forget the blood ties of my children! But I jest—an attempt at humour!

Let me talk now of the signing that will follow the proceedings of the House, and your magnanimous gesture to the Crown. In my knowledge, this is the first time that an iwi has said to the Crown: it is good, all have heard and all understand; the land has been returned, so let us walk as one into the future. It is my real hope that the media highlights this settlement, so that the country knows that Māori are not a mean people; rather, they have goodwill in abundance. You are the shining example of this legacy spoken of by your forebears.

But enough—it would be a good thing if our debate ended soon, so that the document can be signed and the words therein stand for ever. In conclusion, greetings, Sir Paul, welcome back to the House. To the representatives of the people, to you Ngātata and the others who brought the claims to their conclusion, I congratulate you on your vision and sense of purpose. The National member who stood up before me is quite right, there are problems amongst Māori; however, leave those for Māori to address. Greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to you all. Thank you .]

PAUL QUINN (National) : E Te Mana Whakawā o te Whare, tēnā koe. Tēnā koe e te Whare me ōku hoa mema Pāremata. Aku mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, ngā rangatira, ngā kaumātua e kui mā, e koro mā tēnā koutou. Hoki mai rā ki te Pāremata. Aku mihi ki te Kāwanatanga a Nāhinara, E tautoko ana ahau i te pire. Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.

[Greetings to you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and to you, the House, as well as my fellow parliamentarians. Huge acknowledgments to you all. Greetings to you, Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, leaders, elderly men and womenfolk, greetings.]

This third and final reading of the Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill represents the final step in this process. Firstly, it acknowledges the injustices that have occurred to Taranaki Whānui since the time of the New Zealand Company’s transactions, commencing in 1839, and the role the Crown has played in perpetuating those same injustices. Secondly, the Crown unreservedly recognises and acknowledges that it has not lived up to its Treaty of Waitangi obligations. Thirdly, it acknowledges the Crown’s seeking of atonement. In achieving those three steps, both parties and this nation can move forward in a lasting relationship, whereby Taranaki Whānui and the Crown can stand together as first amongst equals in the same way that other iwi who have settled stand as equals with the Crown and future iwi will also stand.

Getting to this step has not been an easy task for the parties involved. For Taranaki Whānui, who, since 1987, the date when they filed their claim with the tribunal, have been seeking redress to address their grievances, and for the Crown, which has had to confront its own ghosts, both the deed and the bill have raised issues that have required reflection and debate as both documents have worked their way along the validation path. But today that is all behind us. In this House, the people’s House, we join as one to acknowledge and salute Taranaki Whānui. From today Taranaki Whānui will be the masters of their own destiny. They will have the tools to stand tall and live out the challenge that is theirs. That challenge is to receive this settlement as their rightful inheritance, born from the sweat of those who have gone before them, and leave it evermore strongly founded for those who follow.

I know that the Taranaki Whānui are already well on the way under their current leadership. We have visible signs of that in the Athletic Park development, the development of Pipitea Street, and proposed developments throughout the region. That reflects the influence that these settlements have, once they are agreed to, on the regional economies throughout New Zealand. Taranaki Whānui will be no different in the impact that they will have economically, within the conservation estate in the area, and culturally in being able to progress and promote, as a full partner, the development of their people and their region.

There will be challenges, there will be pitfalls, and there will be stumbles, but the key issue is that we learn and take strength from those pitfalls and stumbles, and that we move forward as one. I am proud to stand here in this House today to acknowledge and congratulate Taranaki Whānui’s leadership and its people on reaching this outstanding milestone.

Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti) : Ki a koutou o Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o Te Ika e mihi kau ana. Ki a koe Tā Paora, Haami, Ngātata, koutou katoa, ngā whāea whai atu a tēnei tino take. E tika tonu te mihi atu ki a rātou e kore e konei i a rātou i tīmata atu i tēnei, ngā tūpuna ō koutou, ō matua, rātou mā. Nō reira mihi kau ana ki a koutou. I te kī atu te mahana hoki te kīkī a te whare te tū toa hoki atu a te rere o te raukura, nō reira ki a koutou tēnā koutou. Nau mai haramai. Haramai ki te whare nei o koutou, tātou.

Nā te mea e mōhio atu tātou mai rā anō, mai i te tīmatanga te pakopako o te pū o te Kāwana i reira mai te natia o te whenua, ngā āhuatanga katoa te taumahatanga o tēnei take, nā te pai hoki kua tae atu tēnei rā kua ea, kua tae atu te tīmata o te pai ahakoa ngā piki ngā heke, kei a koutou tērā kei a tātou tērā. Nā te mea mō ngā tino kōrero a Whiti rāua ko Tohu mō tō rātou whakaaro i te mau kaha atu te āhua o te humārie, ahakoa te taumahatanga te pakopako o te pū ngā āhua pērā tonu e puta kaha atu tērā o roto i a koutou o Taranaki Whānui. Nō reira, mō tērā e mihi kau ana.

Kua rongo atu koutou ki ngā kōrero o ngā kanohi Māori i konei e mihi atu i a koutou mō tō kaha. I a koe te tuakana e Mahara tēnā koe, tēnā koe mō tō hoki tata atu ki ngā tūru nei. E mihi kau ana mō tō kaha e hoki pai atu koe ki te wāhi nei e Mahara e tino mihi atu i a koe mō tō kaha pērā i a Mita, a Shane mā, a rātou mā. No reira tēnā koe. E tika tonu te mihi atu ki a koutou o te Rōpū Māori mō to whakaaro Ururoa i a koe. E Paora tēnā koe. Mōhio atu koe te taumahatanga o te āhua nei; te whanaunga e Hekia ki a tērā atu tātou o te kāinga e tae pēnei tonu ki a rātou. Nā te tika mihi atu ki a Margaret Wilson rāua ko Mark Burton me tērā tino tangata o tātou a Michael Cullen. E tuku atu taku mihi ki te Minita nei a Christopher Finlayson mō tōna kaha, mō tōna pono, e pono atu i tae atu i konei.

E rongo atu i te patapatai o te korokē rā o te Nota mō tōna pīrangi hei whakahaere tonu atu i te hoki o te pūtea ki a Taranaki. Pai ana tērā ki te Rōpū o Reipa; i te pirangi koutou ki te whakapiti atu te hoki, pai ana engari nā te mea e mōhio atu tātou he rā tino pai atu tēnei. E rua tekau mā rua ngā tau a muri rā e tae atu i te tīmata te tukunga o te kerēme nei, he roa rawa atu i te tae atu i konei. Kua rongo atu tātou ki ngā kōrero katoa mō te take, mō te mahi taurekareka a te Kāwana mō te mahi taurekareka a wētahi ki wēnei. E wero rātou i waho rā a te whānau whānui a Taranaki ki a rātou. E wero atu ai rātou i roto i a rātou kāre he kōrero mō tērā, engari nā te mea e pai ana to rātou mahi. Ahakoa ko tēnei anō te wiki o te reo Māori, nā te mea e mamae atu i roto i aku e noho wahangū te nui o rātou Ngāi Pākehā e noho atu rātou e rongo atu ki te rekareka o te wiki nei o te reo Māori engari, kāre i mōhio atu i te haere mō te kiko o te take nei. Nō reira tēnā tātou.

[To the people of Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o Te Ika, greetings. Sir Paul, Haami, Ngātata, and the grande dames and all of the iwi who worked on this claim, greetings. It is only right to reflect on your ancestors and your elders, the people who started this journey, yet are not here on this day. So I salute you. It warms my heart to see the galleries full, resplendent with the raukura plume. Welcome, welcome. Welcome to your place, to our place.

We heard of the past relationship with the Crown, the invasion of your lands, and the confiscations and oppression, so it is a good thing we have come to this day with a new beginning, and the challenges the future will bring to you and to all of us. We give due acknowledgment to Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o Te Ika, because despite the oppression and violence perpetrated in the past, the people have kept true to the principles of peaceful resistance set forth by Te Whiti and Tohu.

We have listened to the speeches of the Māori members extolling the resolve of the people. Greetings, Mahara, you have returned to this place where you once occupied a seat; you return to the House on a positive note—like Mita, Shane, and others, I commend and thank you for your work on this important matter. Allow me to congratulate the Māori Affairs Committee on its work; Te Ururoa, Paul, you know the enormity of the work here; to my kin Hekia, when the time comes for our people, let us take the example of this iwi on how to conduct ourselves in such matters. It is right to acknowledge the work of previous Ministers Margaret Wilson, Mark Burton, and of course Michael Cullen. Minister Christopher Finlayson has been tireless in his approach and consistent in his focus.

I heard the member from the north say the settlement funds should go directly to the people of Taranaki. If there are moves to enhance the settlement, Labour will support them. It has been 22 years since this claim was lodged, and that is far too long to wait, especially after the wrongful actions committed by the Crown and others against these people. Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o Te Ika have challenged these actions here in the House and out in the community, and I applaud them for that. This is Māori Language Week; notwithstanding that, it pains me that Pākehā give support to the Māori language, yet are ignorant of these important matters. Thank you .]

Quite seriously, I say this is a wonderful day to celebrate. One can sit here and listen to the platitudes about the tenacity of the Government, of the agents of the Crown, and of the local authorities in taking action to put right what was put asunder a long, long time ago. The fact that it has taken 22 years to get to this point is a shameful reflection on some of us. There is only one lot of people to thank today for the celebration, and it is the Taranaki people. We need to express that point clearly, because it takes a strong people, no matter what nation one is in, to accept an apology that should have been given a long time ago. I am unapologetic about recognising the strength of the Taranaki people in doing that. It is an amazing thing to do.

It was an incredible thing to do that the Crown forces towed their cannons to Parihaka and shot down on the Taranaki people because they were progressing economically. Their businesses were starting to show fettle and rising up to be examples for those around them. That is what the Crown did. What Te Whiti and Tohu recognised amongst their people was that they were a people of peace. Today the raukura signifies that as it flies; it recognises that tenacity and humility. So I certainly recognise the Taranaki people and all the people up there. It is incredible that their ancestors were shot at, and that their land was dished out in a lottery in London before the settlers even came here. That is simply what happened: a lottery was run in relation to the lands of the Taranaki people before the Pākehā got here.

I find it incredible that the Taranaki people have the decency to accept the apology today. I respect that. It makes me very proud, as a Māori, that Māori are strong enough to do that. The Crown has struggled for a long, long time to etch, scribe, or develop an apology to those people. Today that apology has happened. I saw you winking at me, Mr Speaker, and I was not sure whether that was to tell me to hurry up, slow down, or wait. But whatever that friendly wink may have been for, this bill is about more than that.

When Māori walk by each other, no matter where one is in the country, they have a habit. They look at each other across the street, and if they are not too sure which iwi the other person belongs to, they will nod their head. That is a signal of recognition, and today is certainly that. This is a signal of recognition, but let it be more than that. Let it be about more than the few buildings that we are giving back. One of the people in the gallery told me that they used to follow their grandmother up the street collecting the rents, up that main street there—I do not want to name it, because they have a lot of names there; it was not in Pito-one; it was there—and they did well. The grandmother used to go to each shop to collect the rent. Once the people modernised themselves and changed that process, other properties disappeared. I think it is a great thing today that the descendants of those great leaders are here to ensure that this settlement is carried through.

This is a proud day and the local authorities should be thankful. I say to the whole nation, given that there is this nonsense of scaremongering about what Māori may or may not do, thank goodness we have the Taranaki Māori in Wellington! If we are serious about being united, and if we are serious about common goals, then thank goodness we have these Māori here! This town is lucky, this Parliament is lucky, the Pākehā are lucky, and the Asians are lucky that the tangata whenua are still here—today shows us that.

I will not be here tonight to witness the apology, because I have to go to Gisborne and help some Māori up there who have lost something, too. But I want to tell members that if we are serious about unifying as a nation, and if we are serious about nationhood, we must remember the part that Māori play. Today is a great example of that in this country’s history, and I certainly commend the actions of the Taranaki people to this House.

Nō reira, e mutu ana pēnei tonu. I a koutou mō te kaha rawa i roto i a koutou mai rānomō tēnei take. E tino mihi atu tēnei ki a koutou. Kia kaha, kia māia. Hei tae pai atu ngā mokopuna i a rātou mā e mau ana i te raukura mō koutou katoa. Tēnā tātou.

[So I conclude by reiterating that you have worked really hard from the outset over this matter. I admire you greatly for this. Be strong and bold. All in good time, the grandchildren will bear the plume for you all. Greetings to you.]

HEKIA PARATA (National) : E Te Mana Whakawā, ngā mema Pāremata, e te tungāne Mahara, tēnā koutou huri noa i tēnei Whare. Ki a Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, tēnei au e tū ana i te whakaiti, i te hōnore, i te whakahīhī, i te oranga ngākau i runga anō i ēnei kaupapa katoa, ki te mihi ki a koutou ngā kanohi ō rātou kua hipa atu i te tatau o Hine-Nui-te-Pō, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa kua tō mai nei ki tēnei Whare, i runga i tēnei kaupapa ātaahua i tēnei ahiahi. E tautoko ana ahau i ngā mihi kua mihia ki a koutou, e tangi hoki ahau mō rātou kāre e taea te noho ki waenganui i a koutou, me te maumahara kei konei katoa rātou i runga i te wairua pai ki te tautoko i tēnei rā whakahirahira, tēnei rā whakahōnore, ā, ehara i te mea i a koutou anake engari, me kī i a tātou katoa ngā iwi o Aotearoa whānui. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Greetings to you, Mr Assistant Speaker, members of Parliament, brother Mahara, and to you throughout this House, greetings. To you, Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, I stand before you in humility with honour, pride, and absolutely happy inside about all these matters. As I acknowledge you, faces of those who have passed through the doorway of the Great Maiden of the Night, greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to you all who have arrived in this House this afternoon for this admirable matter. I endorse the acknowledgments bestowed upon you, and mourn those not able to be in your midst, but remembering that they are all here spiritually to support this great and honourable day, not just for you but, let us say, for all of us, the tribes of New Zealand at large. So greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to you all.]

I rise to support the third reading of the Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill. My colleagues have spoken before me about much of the content of the bill; I rise simply to endorse all the sentiments that have been expressed here today. The bill represents a culmination of a history and herstory of which many parts are shameful, but the fact that it has culminated in this agreement allows honour to be restored not only to Taranaki Whānui but also to the Crown. That is one of the key features of the Treaty settlements. They allow us to put back together the relationship that was originally envisaged by the Treaty of Waitangi, or to at least begin again that process.

Treaty settlements do not mark the end of a relationship, they simply signal a milestone that has been achieved in a relationship that has stuttered and faltered and now must begin again, stronger for all those challenges, wiser for all those challenges, and with some small support, because we all know that Treaty settlements can never recompense people for all that was taken from them and for the lost opportunity of the things that were taken from them. But it is a beginning, a new beginning.

This Treaty settlement is not about restoring Taranaki Whānui’s rangatiratanga, because no one can take that away from them, or from us. We all carry with us our everyday rangatiratanga, but what Treaty settlements allow us to do is to get on and execute tino rangatiratanga practically, rather than talking about it, singing about it, and waving flags about it—actually practising it.

The responsibility of leading falls hard upon the shoulders of those who take that responsibility. Negotiating claims is not an easy matter. People are making judgment calls all the way, and all through that process they must try to keep together the collective, no matter how difficult and how turbulent the path.

It is a tribute to all of Taranaki Whānui that they are at this stage today. I look forward to seeing the revival of the narratives and the stories of all the history and herstory of Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara that Taranaki Whānui’s tīpuna endowed on the place names and landmarks of the geography and topography of this area. They and their descendants will go on not only to build new stories of achievements and contributions to the citizenship of this city and this country but also to contribute to our position in the global set of villages that we now occupy.

I thank all Taranaki Whānui very much for having the patience and tolerance to commit to the process. I celebrate with them, having achieved this stage, and I look forward to working with them and supporting them in whatever way I can in the pathways they carve ahead of them. This is a day, yes, of sadness for those who have not been able to be here, but it is also a great day of celebration that Taranaki Whānui allow us to share with them. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.

GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) : Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Tēnā tātou e te Whare. Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika nau mai, haere mai. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. It gives me great pleasure to stand here today as the member of Parliament for Wellington Central to welcome the final stage of a very, very long journey. It is a great day for Wellington, it is a great day for the Taranaki Whānui, and it is a great day for everybody in this House to be able to witness one of the final steps in this journey.

Twenty-one years ago Ralph Heberley Ngātata Love and Mākere Rangiātea Ralph Love submitted a claim to the Waitangi Tribunal. To stand here today 21 years on, and respect that effort, that bravery, that leadership, that wisdom, and that vision is a fine thing. To all of those gathered here in the gallery today and to those who have passed, this is my respect and the respect of this House for all the work that they have done. To all of the officials, to all of those who have worked hard on this on both sides, I pay my respect.

Also I pay respect to the Ministers who have worked on this claim on both sides of this House, and I particularly want to mention Margaret Wilson, Mark Burton, and especially the Hon Dr Michael Cullen. When I was at the Pipitea Marae last year to see the deed of settlement signing, it was a tremendous occasion. I know that Dr Cullen felt very personally and very deeply that he wanted to see this settlement pass through into legislation as quickly as possible. I acknowledge the Māori Affairs Committee for the excellent work it did on ensuring that this bill comes to us today.

The 21-year delay since the tribunal claim, however, pales in comparison with the years of hurt, alienation, loss of mana, and access to resources that Taranaki Whānui have felt here in Wellington. This bill gives effect to the deed of settlement that will finally deal to those injustices. I give a commitment today, as the MP for Wellington Central, that I will be sending this deed of settlement to every school in this city. This is the kind of thing that every person growing up in the city of Wellington, Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara, needs to understand and know. If we do not learn from our history, we are destined to repeat further injustices on other people throughout our lives. I hope this deed of settlement will be seen and understood for its historical account—which is a moving account—of the injustice that was visited upon the Taranaki Whānui. But also I hope it is seen and understood for what else it contains, for the apology from the Crown, and, moreover, for the statement of forgiveness—the remarkable and unique statement of forgiveness that is being given today by the Taranaki Whānui.

This deed of settlement also includes the redress. It will help a lot of people in Wellington to understand the fact that this is a positive, forward-looking settlement. It is a settlement that acknowledges the injustices of the past. But it ensures that in the lands, the sea, and the islands that are returned to Taranaki Whānui today, there is an ongoing partnership in their management, and an ongoing role for Taranaki Whānui and for all the people of Wellington to ensure that those assets, those incredibly important islands, lands, and seas, continue to be enjoyed by all people in Wellington. I particularly want to support the importance of Pipitea Marae, its place in this city, its place as an important cultural icon for Taranaki Whānui, but also as a place for all Wellingtonians, where we come together on special occasions. I am glad that has been given a special role in the settlement.

In the short time remaining to me, I reflect again that this is a day that is a cause for celebration. It is also a day to reflect on the injustices of the past and ensure that we, the people of Wellington, work together in the future to continue our harmonious and great city. Thank you.

Hon SHANE JONES (Labour) : Ā, tēnā tātou katoa. Te tuatahi he tuku mihi atu ki ngā kaihautū o te waka kua ū mai ki roto i te Whare Pāremata i tēnei rā, Taranaki Whānui, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Kei roto tonu tātou i te wā o Matariki, roto nōki i te wā o te reo Māori. He haringa, he koanga ngākau ka tatū tēnei kaupapa mō te hia rānei tau e tārewa ana i raro i te tiahotanga a Matariki, i roto nōki i te whakanuinga o te reo Māori. Nā reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Greetings to us all. In the first instance, I acknowledge the helmsmen of the canoe that berthed here in the House of Parliament today, Taranaki Whānui, I extend greetings to you, greetings, greetings, and greetings to you all. We are still in the time of Matariki, and also the time of the Māori language. There is a sense of gladness and rejoicing that this matter that has been suspended for so many years is settled at last, as Matariki beam down and while the Māori language is being celebrated at the same time. So greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to you all.]

I make a small contribution, along with my fellow parliamentarians, to the debate on the Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika). As I have said in Māori, we are drawing to the end of the Matariki portion of the maramataka. It is great to know that this piece of history is being completed—in terms of the bill’s journey through the House of Representatives—under the eyes of Matariki, and at a time when we are celebrating the renaissance of the Māori language.

The Taranaki people have a saying, amongst a host of others: “E kore a Taranaki e ngaro he harakeke tōngāinui waiwiri.” It refers to the fact that waiwiri is a type of flax, and that although the leaves die and perish at the base, it nourishes and regenerates a new generation, a relevant saying when one thinks of the large number of people have sought to keep the kaupapa of the Wellington Tenths claim alive over many generations; it has passed from one generation to another, to another. This settlement, hopefully, marks a time when a new phase and a new set of deliberations and challenges begin: how to take the endowment and the legacy arrived at through an apology and a transfer of wealth to the tangata whenua so that it might be husbanded and a new quality of both leadership and stewardship can be shown to the fellow citizens of Wellington by the tangata whenua.

Before I complete this speech a few names ought to be mentioned. I recall driving my uncle the Rev. Māori Marsden down to Motunui in the 1980s, at the time when former Prime Minister Mr Muldoon had a synthetic fuels plant agenda. We were greeted by Aila Taylor, and that bunch of stalwarts, Marge, Ina, Ivy, and a variety of others. In many respects, when we stand here today as Māori, joining with our kin and our fellow parliamentarians, it is important to bear witness and offer testimony to the people who carried this torch with no money, very little recognition, and against open hostility. We should remember those people and pay homage to them.

Of course, I cannot claim to have married into the Taranaki people. But I give Sir Paul Reeves notice: I have seven children, and I am working on it. I am sure I speak on behalf of all of us—the Māori in the House, along with our Pākehā colleagues—when I tell the Taranaki Whānui to take this waka forward into uncharted territory and create something that will last as long as the legacy of grievance that has held them together. They should let the spellbinding nature of success bind them even closer and closer into the future. Kia ora tātou katoa.

SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga) : Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Tēnā koutou e te Whare. This will be a very short call, and as someone who has had nothing to do with this settlement and no affiliations to the iwi concerned, I hope it will be a speech of some humility.

However, I do appreciate the history, the grievance, and, perhaps at times, the bitterness that has gone with all of this. I acknowledge more recently the blood, sweat, tears, and all of that, as I said, to get to today. Having mentioned the path, I also touch on a future that I hope is filled with potential and is ripe for the plucking. I hope for a much brighter future that will include some money, some ownership, and an apology. But, more than that, I hope there is an ability to move on to a new chapter.

Finally, I agree with what the Hon Tau Henare said: this is but one chapter in a book of settlements that this country needs to write before we hopefully can move on to better, more enjoyable books. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

• Bill read a third time.

• Waiata