Hon TARIANA TURIA (Minister for Whānau Ora) on behalf of the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: I move, That the Ngāti Mākino Claims Settlement Bill be now read a second time. This Chamber is a long way from t he maunga of Matawhāura, the beautiful moana of Rotoehu, the w’enua that runs from lakes Rotoiti and Rotomā to the coast. Helping to bring the Bay of Plenty into the Beehive has been an outstanding team of negotiators within Ngāti Mākino, and this legislation brings to an end their years of struggle to have their claims negotiated by the Crown. The leadership demonstrated over the years has been impressive, and I want to stand today to acknowledge and mihi to the efforts and investment that have been made by Āwhi Awhimate, Te Ariki Mōrehu, Morris Meha, Neville Nēpia, Hoani Atutahi, and Te Ngaru Awhimate, who have helped pave the way forward to this day. Ngāti Mākino are a proud iwi and their negotiations team has worked tirelessly with great vision to achieve a settlement that acknowledges the spiritual and cultural associations with their land and also achieves a sustainable future for their descendants.

The Treaty settlement process for Ngāti Mākino has been, at the least, a long one. Kāwana Te Kirikau first initiated their claim in 1992, and in time claims were filed on behalf of Ngāti Makino, and known in shorthand as Wai 275, Wai 334, Wai 1071, and Wai 1372. A committee was formed to oversee the claim, with the support of administrative staff, legal advisers, and researchers. In 1997 the Ngāti Mākino claimant community mandated the Ngāti Mākino Heritage Trust to negotiate a settlement. The hard work and dedication of this team saw it sign terms of a negotiation with the former Treaty Minister Sir Douglas Graham in 1998. Following the signing of these terms of negotiations, all negotiations ceased, despite Ngāti Mākino’s efforts to engage with the Crown. In 2004, and again in 2005, the Waitangi Tribunal acknowledged that Ngāti Mākino had suffered prejudice as a result of the Crown’s delay in negotiating with them, recommending that their unique circumstances required that they be prioritised in any central North Island negotiation. Finally, on 21 February 2008 Ngāti Mākino Heritage Trust and Waitaha entered into joint terms of negotiations with the Crown. On 7 April 2008 the Crown reconfirmed the mandate of Ngāti Mākino Heritage Trust to negotiate on behalf of their iwi.

Today brings that journey into focus, but of course the journey that we are debating today dates even further back, following the dire impact of the 1866 Eastern Bay of Plenty raupatu at Ngāti Mākino. Their claims relate to the Crown’s failure to provide Ngāti Mākino with a form of collective title in the native land laws until 1894, the improper land purchase techniques used by the Crown, and the Crown’s failure to ensure that Ngāti Mākino were left with sufficient land for their present and future needs. Through these acts and omissions the Crown, its Ministers, and Government departments have dishonoured the Treaty of Waitangi, its principles, and its spirit, denigrating te mana motuhake o Ngati Mākino.

The acknowledgment today from the Crown is a first step in restoring honour and doing what is right to rectify the previous harm that has been endured by this proud iwi. The bill gives effect to the undertakings by the Crown in the Ngāti Mākino deed of settlement, and includes an agreed historical account and Crown acknowledgments, and cultural redress including the vesting of eight sites of special significance, including transferring of three sites within the Rotoehu Conservation Forest: Te Kōhanga, Ngā Porotai-o-Waitaha-a-Hei, and a 3-hectare site for a wānanga. The redress also includes Rāukau o Kauwae Hapa; the maunga tupuna Matawhāura, jointly with Ngāti Pikiao through the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapū settlement; and the balance of Matawhāura. It includes overlay classifications, statutory acknowledgments, and deeds of recognition over sites of significance, and relationship redress including protocols with Government departments and letters of introduction to local government authorities.

The deed of settlement also includes within its framework of redress financial measures, including $6.7 million quantum, including interest; the purchase of 3,450 hectares of the Rotoehu West Forest Crown licensed land out of the settlement funds; a right of first refusal over five parcels of public conservation land, and the opportunity to enter a sale and leaseback agreement over the Ōtamarākau School site.

The extent of the offence incurred, the injury experienced, and the trauma endured will not be easily, if ever, forgotten, and we must as a nation shift our thinking that we can repair the harm that has been done by an act of legislation alone, because the greatest challenge ahead of us all is about our ongoing relationships and how we actually move forward together in Aotearoa New Zealand.

I want for one minute to reflect back to the original tupuna Mākino, born in the middle of the 16th century. Mākino was known as a woman of great repute, a woman schooled in the houses of higher learning of the Te Arawa people. She followed in the footsteps of her father, the renowned warrior Kāwiti. Mākino worked to build up the strength of her people, and this is evidenced by the many cultivations around the Rotoehu and Rotomā areas stretching forth to the coastal settlements. Because of her outstanding leadership qualities and noble birth, Mākino was able to forge alliances with tribes beyond the Te Arawa confederation. Today we think of that proud history and the perseverance and resilience of the people to continue to advance progress onwards.

The Ngāti Mākino Claims Settlement Bill was referred to the Māori Affairs Committee on 16 February 2012. The Māori Affairs Committee reported back to the House on 14 June 2012, recommending that the bill be passed with four minor technical amendments. I want to acknowledge the dedication of my parliamentary colleagues on the Māori Affairs Committee, who have led this bill expeditiously through the select committee process, so that Ngāti Mākino can receive their redress as soon as possible. I support the second reading of the Ngāti Mākino Claims Settlement Bill, and look forward to it progressing to its third reading. I want to take the opportunity to mihi to my colleague the Hon Minister Christopher Finlayson for the huge work that he puts in to our Treaty settlements process. Nā reira, tēnā koutou.

Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti) : In beginning, I want to reiterate what the Hon Tariana Turia said and recognise the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, presently Chris Finlayson, for the effort he has put in, and also the Māori Affairs Committee, which I am lucky enough to be part of, led ably—most of the time—by Tau Henare. I also want to recognise people like Michael Cullen, who are not here, and the officials. It is also important to give congratulations and thanks to Āwhi Awhimate and Te Ariki Mōrehu—Te Ariki has been a long proponent of getting towards a finishing date, and I know that he would look forward to this—and Morris Meha, Neville Nēpia, and the Ngāti Mākino Heritage Trust. The journey for Ngāti Mākino has been particularly long. The terms of negotiation were originally signed in 1998, and then the Crown withdrew from negotiations with Ngāti Mākino and did not re-engage with Ngāti Mākino until 2008. I commend all officials and Ministers involved over a period of time for getting to that point. It is also appropriate to recognise the contribution of those people outside of the core group who have worked hard to get this Ngāti Mākino Claims Settlement Bill to where it is today.

This bill spells out one of the tortuous journeys that a people—iwi Māori—have had to suffer, right from 1863. The war between the Crown and the Kīngitanga was something that brought tension to the region, and certainly the Kīngitanga was strong in its views, and why it was holding to its beliefs. It did create a bit of a split in Ngāti Mākino, where some sided with the Kīngitanga and some with the Crown. But through the years there was conflict, and in 1865 when the Crown sought those responsible for some of the killings in the war, Ngāti Mākino certainly suffered. The Crown deemed that certain tribes had been in rebellion, and confiscated approximately 448,000 acres of land in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. From that point on, Ngāti Mākino certainly suffered severe disadvantage.

They went through other stages, when they preferred to lease the land that the Crown finally gave them, and they got into sales, but there were also huge debts placed on them in relation to survey costs. The accruing charges became so enormous that they sold land on to wipe the bills. Those sorts of actions were unnecessary and unfair, and now we get to this stage of putting right that past wrong, and certainly the Minister needs to be commended for his effort. By 1900 Ngāti Mākino was virtually landless. Nevertheless, the Crown compulsorily acquired further Ngāti Mākino lands, and the public lands that forestry was put on to, and it encouraged those members from the 1920s to work on those public lands. So a lot of the Ngāti Mākino people then moved in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s to be involved in a lot of the labouring that was made available on these big Crown estates. It is certainly exciting and encouraging to see parts of the settlement trying to put some of that right.

The bill records the settlement package, which comprises a historical account, an apology, and cultural and commercial redress, including the transfer of eight sites of significance to the Ngāti Mākino Heritage Trust, and a whenua rāhui classification over 256 hectares of the Lake Rotomā Scenic Reserve, which provides for the Crown to acknowledge Ngāti Mākino values in relation to the area. It includes relationship redress, including protocols with the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage and the Minister of Energy and Resources. Again, in most of the journeys of these bills and discussions I encourage the Minister to take an active role in ensuring that those Government agencies and those Ministers live true to the word in the settlement, because at times I think it has let slip, for a host of reasons. Minister, I would again encourage you to make sure of that, because it is important to them. There is the $1 million already paid for the Ngāti Mākino marae restoration and revitalisation, the half a million dollars already paid to assist with identification in remedy of the social services needs, and the $9.8 million plus interest accruing from the date of the agreement in principle, and the purchase of the balance of the Rotoehu West Forest licensed lands.

The Māori Affairs Committee has examined the bill and heard from submitters. Although some submitters opposed the settlement, it was recommended strongly that it be passed with amendments, including that, first, it provides for the New Zealand Conservation Authority or a conservation board to have particular regard to Ngāti Mākino’s values and protection principles.

This is one of the settlements that has been long overdue, not just because of the period of time and history, but also because of the way that the Government at certain periods has tried to sidestep putting right the wrong. Today we certainly join in supporting this bill from our side of the House, and look forward to the finality next Thursday.

Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) : I too acknowledge those who have represented Ngāti Mākino over a period of many years to achieve this settlement. I was really pleased on behalf of the Crown to sign the deed of settlement with Ngāti Mākino on 2 April 2011. Other speakers have spoken about the components of the redress, which has numerous aspects, but today I want to particularly mention the preamble and the historical account. I think it was Louisa Wall who said, a few minutes ago, that one of the fascinating things about being involved in this work is that you learn about the history of your country. But I think all too often some people think: “Oh well, the iwi are concerned only about the commercial redress.” But the historical redress is actually very, very important, and both the preamble and the historical account—drawn up over a period of time by the elders, and on the Crown’s side by very experienced historians—should be more widely read.

Just the other day I was reading the preamble and the historical account, in relation to the Waikato-Tainui legislation, about the river and the recognition by the Crown of the rights and interests of Waikato-Tainui in that river. I think that it is important that these parts of redress are properly acknowledged. Mr Horomia has referred to some of it. I suggest, for example, that people look at clause 7 of the preamble, and the surveying costs that were imposed on Ngāti Mākino in relation to their lands, and the Crown preventing Ngāti Mākino from selling land to private parties. Those are the sorts of grievances that have been carried down through the years, and what this settlement intends, and hopefully will address in a just and a durable manner, because the history up there was not flash.

I, too, acknowledge the comments that Mr Horomia made about looking to the future. For example, I, as Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, and the Minister for Energy and Resources, Phil Heatley, will be issuing protocols to the iwi. Letters of introduction will be sent to local authorities encouraging the development of positive relationships with Ngāti Mākino. But I agree with Mr Horomia: it is all very well to sign the deed and to write the letters, but there is a new relationship, and it has to be a fruitful one, and there is an obligation on the Crown after settlement to make sure it lives up to the provisions of the deed.

The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Māori Affairs Committee on 16 February, and I want to again express my thanks to the outstanding chair of that committee, Mr Henare, and his wonderful team, for their very efficient and timely dispatch of the legislation. Mr Henare is to be commended. I think it will get better as the morning goes on. In the previous speech he was a “fine one”, now he is regarded as “outstanding”; by the end of the day he will be intergalactic! Or is that Mr Groser’s title?

To the people of Ngāti Mākino, I acknowledge those who have suffered breaches of the Treaty. Do you know that the claims were first presented to the tribunal as far back as 1995? Some of the leaders have now passed on. I acknowledge their vision and determination. We would not be here today without them. I am really pleased that we are beginning the final stages in the passage of this legislation, and will have a lot more to say during the third reading.

Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato) : Tēnā koutou katoa. Tēnei ka tū ake ki te tautoko i te pānui tuarua ki tēnei pire mō Ngāti Mākino. Nō reira, ki a koutou e pā mai tēnei āhuatanga kei runga i tēnei Whare Pāremata, ki te tuku i ngā whakaaro o te komiti whakahaere e pā ana ki ngā pire tiriti.

[Greetings to you all. I rise in support of the second reading of this bill about Ngāti Mākino. So to you collectively affected by this situation upon this House, I express some thoughts about select committee procedure in relation to treaty bills.]

I too just wanted to take a short moment to acknowledge the contribution and role of Timi te Heuheu. I would certainly agree with previous comments that he was a man much skilled in the task of diplomacy. It is only right that we recognise him this morning, when we are talking about Treaty settlement legislation, because he was very keenly aware of how important it was to ensure that historical redress for Treaty grievances would be achieved, but more enduring was the importance of the relationship between iwi and the Crown. I want to acknowledge the work that the Government has put into continuing, in a progressive manner, the Treaty settlement process.

With regard to Ngāti Mākino specifically, I want to make just a small contribution with relation to the aspirations around the conservation estate, and the fact that it was a very clear expectation from Ngāti Mākino that their values would be protected and provided for in the management of whenua rāhui. That is really important, because what has become a defining feature of many Treaty settlements of this day and age is an expectation that the conservation kaitiakitanga principles that iwi and Māori have can be reflected within the management practices of today’s time in the conservation estate. Those values are not too far apart from the values that every New Zealander aspires to hold true for the ongoing management of conservation lands.

From Subpart 3, clause 37 right through to about clause 49 are the specific aspects of the Ngāti Mākino Claims Settlement Bill relating to the conservation expectations of Ngāti Mākino. I have read them with some interest. I am pleased to see that their values will be integrated into the management plan of their whenua rāhui. I am pleased to see that that will ensure that Ngāti Mākino will continue to have a say in the plans and the ongoing future aspects of conservation heritage protection of those particular areas. Probably what is more notable—and it really draws on the previous comment raised by the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations—was that these settlements are of practical, real benefit to both the people and parties involved, underpinning that it is an enduring relationship. I see that that is the intention of these particular sections, and I look forward to Ngāti Mākino certainly expressing their values and their important role as kaitiakitanga going forward into the future.

I did not want to take too much more time, except to say that it is quite a feat for the Māori Affairs Committee to get through Treaty settlement legislation in such an efficient manner. I am under no shadow of a doubt that it does work very hard, but to bring bills to the House and have about five or six debated on a single day or in a morning, I think is exemplary of a process that is keen to see Treaty settlement legislation progressed not only for the greater benefit of the parties involved but also so that people can get on with looking forward into the future. So without too much more, I want to thank all those people who have been involved in Ngāti Mākino, those kaumātua, their advisers, their iwi, for pursuing a settlement with the Crown; and also to the Crown advisers, who worked tirelessly to advise the Minister and prepare legislation reflecting the intent of the deed; and certainly to the select committee and its clerks. Kia ora.

DENISE ROCHE (Green) : Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Tēnā koe ki te Whare. Rau rangatira mā, tēnei te mihi ki a koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te rā. Tēnā koutou ngā rangatira o Ngāti Mākino, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and greetings to you, the House. To the many leaders, I acknowledge you collectively in regard to the matter of the day.]

It is my privilege to rise to take this call for the Greens. We will be supporting this bill, the Ngāti Mākino Claims Settlement Bill. I must first state that although this bill is a settlement for Ngāti Mākino, we maintain that it is a deal—the best deal that can be had at this time, no doubt—but in no way does it compensate for the total loss and the total injustices that Ngāti Mākino have endured since the 1840s.

In the 1860s Ngāti Mākino were drawn into war and suffered losses of their people in the battle of Te Ranga. In 1866 they suffered land confiscation, which affected all Ngāti Mākino, not just those few who had taken part in the conflict. Ngāti Mākino lost 82,000 hectares of land, and by 1900 had only 3.6 percent of their original land holdings at Waitahanui, Tāhunaroa, and Whakarewa left. In the first few decades of the 1900s Ngāti Mākino faced further land losses, with the Crown deliberately alienating Ngāti Mākino from the land through various pieces of legislation, and compulsorily acquiring additional land for scenic reserves and the like. By 1992 Ngāti Mākino retained only 0.6 percent of the Waitahanui, Tāhunaroa, and Whakarewa blocks.

In clause 6 of the settlement bill the Crown acknowledges its culpability, and in subclause (11)(d) also acknowledges that “the lands formerly in Ngāti Mākino’s possession have contributed to the wealth and development of New Zealand, while Ngāti Mākino have been deprived of the benefits of those lands;”. It is fantastic that these claims are finally being addressed. We acknowledge the long process that the people of Ngāti Mākino have undertaken to finally get redress. The first Treaty claim was lodged 20 years ago. The deed of settlement was initialled in 2008, and finally signed in April 2011.

We acknowledge that, in common with other Treaty settlements, there have been concerns about cross-claims. Iwi and hapū do not live inside a jam jar. Ancestors are shared, and land and awa are sacred to many, and that can be fraught with difficulties when it comes to negotiating a settlement. So we acknowledge those other iwi and hapū who have those ties.

In clause 6 of the settlement bill the Government also acknowledges the many times that the Crown and its Government agencies breached the Treaty of Waitangi. Make no mistake, this bill, as a settlement, is an indication of the generosity of Ngāti Mākino. The redress that is contained in this bill does not in any way compensate for the losses that they suffered. Those losses included the loss of land, the loss of their economic opportunity, of mana, of their right to rangatiratanga, of their guardianship of their land and waters, and there is no way to compensate for the personal losses and the loss of well-being that generations have endured. This settlement bill is a sign of goodwill. This settlement signals an undertaking by Ngāti Mākino that they are willing to continue to build a relationship with the Crown—and I acknowledge the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations for his work in this area—and that they are prepared to maintain their side of the agreement that is the Treaty of Waitangi.

The restoration of some land and some compensation is often misunderstood by the wider public. As an MP, it has been a huge privilege to stand here in this House and learn about and speak about this settlement. But there are others who do not have a clear idea of the history of our country, let alone the injustices that have occurred to so many iwi and hapū across Aotearoa New Zealand. Some of those people simply do not understand that all New Zealanders gain from these Treaty settlements. Yesterday at the Māori Affairs Committee we heard from the Minister, Mr Finlayson, about the enormous economic benefits Treaty settlements have contributed to whole regions. He noted in particular the settlements of the late 1990s, and the economic powerhouses that both Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu have become as a result of the settlements that they received, and how that has benefited both Māori and Pākehā. They have used those settlements to develop their assets and to create jobs in their area. Ngāti Mākino can now look forward to building their own economic benefits within their rohe, too.

There are those in New Zealand who do not recognise or understand what the Treaty of Waitangi is all about, who do not understand that the Treaty is the foundation that gives us all the right to stand here in this place, in this country, that it gives rights to tauiwi as well as rights—which have frequently been trampled on—to iwi. It is for this reason that I fear that while we settle some claims, there may well be more to come.

At the first reading of this bill, which was joined with that of Ngai Tāmanuhiri, the Minister, Mr Finlayson, said iwi “can be very proud of what they have achieved. Through this legislation a platform has been set for a new relationship between Ngai Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Mākino, and the Crown—a relationship that I certainly hope will be based for the future on mutual trust, cooperation, and a respect for the Treaty.” That was said in February. But since then there has been reason to suspect that there are still some members of this House, and the Government even, who do not really have the same sense of respect for the Treaty that Mr Finlayson espouses. I think here particularly of water, which has been debated all this week in Lower Hutt, in front of the Waitangi Tribunal. I think, too, of the comments made by the Prime Minister, Mr Key, about ignoring recommendations from the Waitangi Tribunal, which to me was another trampling on the rights of Māori. It worries me that the perception in the minds of many is about the ownership of water or whenua.

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch): Order!

DENISE ROCHE: For Māori, the relationship with water and land is much more than simply ownership. We whakapapa to our land. We whakapapa to our whenua. As they say in Whanganui: “Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au.”—I am the river; the river is me. Our identity is in our land, it is in our maunga, it is in our water. For me, as Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Huri, our river is the mighty Waikato. Ownership for Māori confers responsibility and guardianship. Yes, this is being recognised to some extent with co-governance arrangements for the care and restoration of some rivers, and I think particularly of Ngāti Maniapoto and the Waipā River, and the Waikato-Tainui iwi with the Waikato River. But it is worth noting that Māori cannot be separated from our lands, and our moana, and our rivers, regardless of what the Crown says. The relationships and rights that iwi have with our land and with our waters, that whakapapa, is inside us and it cannot ever be taken apart from us. As evidence, I point to the decision made by this Government to remove section 9 of the State-Owned Enterprises Act, as part of the legislation for the mixed-ownership model—the law to enable the sale of our State-owned assets—thus taking out the Treaty of Waitangi provisions. We may well see more claims coming from iwi as a result.

But I come back to this bill, this settlement for Ngāti Mākino. It is worth noting the words that are outlined in clause 6(12) of the bill, which says: “Through these acts, the Crown, its Ministers, and government departments have dishonoured the Treaty of Waitangi, its principles, and its spirit, denigrating te mana motuhake o Ngāti Mākino. In so doing, the Crown acknowledges that it has brought dishonour upon itself. It now falls time for these grievances to be lifted. It is the desire of the Crown to build a foundation of trust and commitment, so that Ngāti Mākino and the Crown can work together to revitalise te rangatiratanga o Ngāti Mākino.”

We acknowledge the many who have spent their lives working on this settlement, and those who have passed away during the journey to this moment. Finally, we commend this bill to the House. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) : Tēnā koe e te Kaiwhakawā. Tēnā koe e te Whare. Rau rangatira mā, tēnei te mihi ki a koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te rā.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and greetings to you, the House. To the many leaders, I acknowledge you collectively in regard to the matter of the day.]

It gives me great pleasure to rise in the second reading of the Ngāti Mākino Claims Settlement Bill. But it does trouble me somewhat to have listened to the last speaker, Denise Roche, who seemed to deviate quite significantly away from the bill, and definitely away from the way that the Māori Affairs Committee operates in its business of progressing these very important Treaty settlements. So I do want to put that on record. This is not usually a place for political statements of that nature, particularly where they are wide of the bill in question. This is a bill for Ngāti Mākino.

I want to take just a few minutes to outline the process that the select committee uses, because I think it is important that it goes on record. The Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Chris Finlayson, was before the select committee yesterday. It was great to see that there were compliments across the select committee, from every party in the room, about the way the Minister and the Office of Treaty Settlements are able to progress these bills in a very efficient manner, but not at all taking away from the significance and the need for diplomacy and negotiation, to make sure that the wrongs of so many years gone by are put right.

So I do want to acknowledge the Minister and his team, and I do want to pay tribute to my fellow members of the Māori Affairs Committee, because I do believe that it operates in a way that is a fantastic example of how this Parliament operates. We had visitors yesterday from the New Zealand Business and Parliament Trust who witnessed that, and who also complimented both the Minister and the Māori Affairs Committee members on the manner in which they conduct their business. So I want to put that on record.

I think there is another thing that is important and that I do want to talk about for just a moment, more for those who are watching this debate. I was fortunate to attend last month the Raukawa deed of settlement signing and to have witnessed a Crown apology. It was a very, very powerful moment, a very humbling moment, and a very moving moment for me as a local member of Parliament. It was fantastic to see so many members of the wider community there to witness that, because I think that one of the things that we do not talk about enough is the fact that every step of the Treaty process is one that unifies, not divides. It is important for the whole country that we are able to progress these settlements for Ngāti Mākino today. The second reading is another important step in that process. But I think we need to reflect, as a country, on how significant this work is, and that is why I have laboured the point that we are making such significant progress, under Minister Finlayson, in getting these settlements progressed and these readings done, with the acceptance of the House to sit and pass legislation in extra time.

The two specific areas of the redress for Ngāti Mākino that I want to touch on are conservation, and the restoration and revitalisation of the marae. I touch on conservation because, as for many iwi, in their settlement there are conservation or scenic reserves that are part of the settlement. I cannot think of any better group or organisation to take care of that land. As we know—for example, I have got conservation projects in my own electorate where the iwi are significantly involved—it is conservation that is in their hearts and their souls, and that spreads to the community. So I wanted to acknowledge that part of the settlement. I also acknowledge the six marae, where the Ngāti Mākino Heritage Trust has already had a payment of $1 million so that they can get on with that very important work, because the marae are also the heart for the iwi members, and that is where their strength lies. It is fantastic to see that that investment has been put back into the marae to make sure that they are the sorts of places where young and old will gather.

I will leave it at that. I do just want to say that for every part and every reading of these settlement bills it is important for us to focus on the future and not the past. It is not just the local communities that benefit but the country as a whole. Thank you.

BRENDAN HORAN (NZ First) : Having been born in Whakatāne and grown up in the Bay of Plenty, I respect, admire, and feel the underlying whisper and touch of the land there, and I support the claim of Ngāti Mākino. Theirs are special waters and special lands. They are unique. I agree with the sentiments of the vast majority of those who have spoken before me this morning. As with our other claims, we would like to move forward this Ngāti Mākino Claims Settlement Bill as expeditiously as possible. It has taken so long to get to this point, and who wants to hear a politician waffle on or try to score political points when this is of far greater importance.

As with every Treaty settlement, nothing can truly make up for, or fully compensate for, what has happened in our sometimes tragic past. But with each settlement and agreement reached our country grows, as wounds are acknowledged and, with genuine apology, are bound. The healing process truly begins as each whānau, hapū, and iwi moves from a consciousness of deprivation, loss, grief, and bereavement to one of development and self-responsibility.

But if I have one regret over the process of settlement, it is the lack of publicity and spread of knowledge to the general public of New Zealand. Where is the media this morning? Surely the significance of total cross-party support for these settlements sends a signal that they are of tremendous importance to our country. I hope that next week, in our third readings, New Zealanders are given full notice, and that the media are here and fill their section of the gallery, so that we can let New Zealanders know and we can all celebrate what will be a truly auspicious occasion.

New Zealand First supports this bill and we look forward to the third reading next week. Kia ora.

LOUISA WALL (Labour—Manurewa) : E ngā mana, e ngā reo, rau rangatira mā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Ngā mihi ki ngā whanaunga o Ngāti Mākino, tēnā tātau.

[To the authorities, the languages, and the many leaders, greetings, salutations, and acknowledgments to you all. Acknowledgments, as well, to the relatives of Ngāti Mākino, greetings to us all.]

It is my pleasure, as a member of the Māori Affairs Committee, to take a brief call. What I really want to do is highlight the process. I do want to tautoko what Brendan Horan has just said—that this Treaty settlement process is really our country’s truth and reconciliation process. It is an acknowledgment that the first sovereign, the tangata whenua, in this instance Ngāti Mākino, had something that was taken away from them, and the Crown is compensating them because of that acknowledgment. I think that is something that we should be celebrating.

I agree that the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations made a very good presentation to our select committee yesterday. Basically we have 60 settlements that are yet to take place. We are going through the process of reconciling, and what we do know is that iwi like Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāi Tahu, who got their settlements early, have built on the asset base that they got through the Treaty settlement process. So it has gone from $170 million in Tainui’s case, to over $650 million. Now the impact on New Zealand as a whole is positive. It is just so disappointing that we do not have people here so that the New Zealand public is fully informed that Māori are actually contributing greatly to our country.

So what I do want to do, and I always think it is important, is look at how these things came to be. When we look at the Ngāti Mākino case, there were four Waitangi claims. So they were very active iwi. They had people who were there putting in claims. There was Wai 275, Wai 334, Wai 1071, and Wai 1372. So the first claim was initiated by Kāwana Te Kirikau in 1992, and that arose after being informed that a neighbouring iwi were lodging a Waitangi Tribunal claim over lands Ngāti Mākino asserted they had mana whenua over, despite those lands being alienated from the iwi. In 1997 the Ngāti Mākino Heritage Trust negotiated a settlement with its historical Treaty of Waitangi claims, and in 1998 it signed terms of negotiation with the Rt Hon Sir Douglas Graham, who was the Treaty Minister. In 2004, and again in 2005, the Waitangi Tribunal acknowledged that Ngāti Mākino had suffered prejudice as a result of the Crown’s delay in negotiating with them and recommended that their unique circumstances required that they be prioritised in any central North Island negotiation. Now in 2012 we are here. We have a bill before the House, and this House will do all that we can to push this through so that the whānau of Ngāti Mākino can get their settlement and they can move on and use those assets for the benefit of their descendants.

I do want to highlight that in the ratification process, of those who voted, 99 percent voted in favour of accepting the deed of settlement, and 98 percent voted in favour of accepting the governance entity. So there is a mandate for the process that we are in now, and I just want to acknowledge that fact and I want to wish Ngāti Mākino all the best. And I do want to say that it is a privilege to be a member of the Māori Affairs Committee. It is also a privilege for the histories of our iwi to be recorded. I think the next step in this process is to ask how we can make this information accessible to all, because these are the stories that lay the foundation for our country.

I want to thank the iwi members who have taken the time to be with us today. I want to thank them for the generosity always in the settlement that is before us, because always it is Māori who have forgiven a lot of what is owed to them, or owed to us, in the quest for us to move forward as a nation. And that is what these Treaty settlements provide for—that as a country we can move forward beyond the settlement and actually look at how we can work constructively together in the future to make sure that all peoples have a place in this land and that they can thrive and be part of the future of Aotearoa. Kia ora.

Hon TAU HENARE (National) : There are a couple of points I want to make with regard to Ngāti Mākino. First of all is the comments made by my colleagues on the Māori Affairs Committee about our responsibility to maybe have a look at how we take this step to the next step, to the next level, in terms of publicity and in terms of education—educating the rest of the nation about not only what we do but what the whole settlement process is about. Maybe in the story of New Zealand, in terms of the little bits and pieces of the jigsaw that we are privileged to be a part of, our role is to actually tell that story and to maybe engage with the likes of Ngāti Mākino to come on that journey and educate the rest of the country about their piece of the tapestry of New Zealand. So I endorse my colleagues who have put that to the House.

There is another point that I want to make and it is about the Māori Affairs Committee. I personally liken the Māori Affairs Committee to the Māori All Blacks, not in any way other than this: those who play for the Māori All Blacks see that as the pinnacle—not being an All Black, but being a Māori All Black. I actually think that is one of the feelings of being on the Māori Affairs Committee. Make no mistake, we have our arguments on the Māori Affairs Committee. Make no mistake, there is argy-bargy and so on and so forth. But the Māori Affairs Committee—and I trust that I will be backed up on this point by my colleagues in the House—operates in a way that no other select committee in this House operates. Some people may think that that is just me getting up and spouting on about this, that, and the other thing, but it is a fact from our point of view, from the point of view of those on the Māori Affairs Committee.

Hon Trevor Mallard: We believe you, Tau. No other committee could go like one you chair.

Hon TAU HENARE: See, it is not even about me. If the select committee looks back into its past, one of the great things about being on the committee is to be sitting in amongst the likes of Apirana Ngata, and the likes of Koro Wētere, whom I served with on the committee when I first came to Parliament, and what a great chairman and a great member of the select committee he was. When you talk about the claims—Ngāti Mākino, Rongowhakaata, whomever—you have to put them into a context of who is on the select committee, what part in the tapestry we play and what part the claimants play, and what is the next step. So I take on board Brendan Horan’s and Louisa Wall’s statements about the next step in the whole settlement process.

Yes, I congratulate Ngāti Mākino. It is not the end of their journey. Actually, it is just a little blip in the whole of the landscape in terms of Ngāti Mākino’s history. I commend the Ngāti Mākino Claims Settlement Bill to the House and cannot wait for the third reading.

• Bill read a second time.