Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES (Minister of Māori Affairs) on behalf of the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: I move, That the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill be now read a second time. Ka mihi anō ki a tātou, tēnā koutou kua heke iho mai ki Te Ūpoko o te Ika i tēnei rā mō tēnei kerēme. Ka timu te tai, ka pari te tai ki Takaparawhau, e tū whakahī ana. Ōrākei! Tukuna rā tō karanga kia areare mai ngā taringa, kia hiki i te wairua. Ōrākei! He tohu maumahara ki ngā whawhai o ō koutou nā kuia, koroua i tū pakari ai mō te iwi. Ka kore e warewaretia.

[I acknowledge us once again. Greetings to you collectively who have come down here to Wellington for this claim. The tide recedes and comes in at Takaparawhau. Ōrākei, let your call go out to command attention and to lift up the spirit. Ōrākei! It is a token of remembrance to the battles of your elder women and menfolk who stood staunch for the tribe. It will never be forgotten.]

As the waters ebb and flow against Takaparawhau, I recall the kuia and koroua of Ōrākei. I recall their long and heartbreaking battles for their people. Today their determination, conviction, and mana bring their children to New Zealand’s House of Representatives. Haruru mai ana a Tumutumuwhenua i ngā moemoeā o āna uri. Tū tonu mai rā koe hei whakaruruhau mō ngā tamariki, mokopuna a Tūperiri, arā, ko Te Tāōū, ko Ngāoho, ko Te Uringutu.

[Tumutumuwhenua rumbles from the dreams of its progeny. You remain standing there before us as a shield for the children and grandchildren of Tūperiri, and of Te Tāōū, Ngā Oho, and Te Uringutu.]

I am pleased to see that the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill is back before the House for consideration and is ready to progress through another key parliamentary stage. Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei have demonstrated great patience and leadership since the agreement in principle was signed with the Crown in June 2006. Negotiations were suspended after a Waitangi Tribunal inquiry found other mana whenua interests in the Tāmaki-makau-rau rohe. Subsequently, the Crown sought to settle these claims collectively, simultaneously offering redress to all mana whenua iwi and ensuring transparency of commercial redress value. I was honoured to participate in a ceremony for the collective settlement deed for ngā mana whenua o Tāmaki-makau-rau a few weeks back, alongside Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei rangatira. Their spirit of whanaungatanga and rangatiratanga has guided us all. Their perseverance and patience enabled the resolution of claims across Tāmaki-makau-rau.

It is worthwhile addressing the case of 3.2 hectares of land at Narrow Neck on the North Shore included as commercial redress in this bill. This land will be leased back to the New Zealand Defence Force for 15 years, with a right of renewal for up to 150 years. The thing is that in spite of the Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei Māori Trust Board guaranteeing permanent public access to these 3.2 hectares, some residents remained uncompromising and, in my view, totally unreasonable. I am very disappointed, Mr Darby, in you and your crew. Here is my response. My response is one of simple mathematics: 3.2 hectares of land returned; 31,565 hectares of land lost. I would like to repeat those numbers. I will repeat those numbers: 31,565 hectares of land lost from Ngāti Whātua—

Hon Maurice Williamson: I’m good at maths. I’m good at maths. I know one’s bigger than the other.

Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES: —3.2 hectares of land returned to Ngāti Whātua.

Hone Harawira: And we want it back, Maurice.

Hon Maurice Williamson: Which one’s the biggest?

Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES: There is a little deal going on on the side here. Pay attention. This unimaginable loss of land and economic well-being has been etched upon generations of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei and defined the lives of their families. All those things lost due to the actions of the Crown can never be totally replaced, and yet the people of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei wish to settle their grievances with the Crown.

Today’s bill includes commercial redress comprising a quantum of $18 million plus interest, less on-account payment for $2 million received through the railways settlement in 1993. It includes the return of Poroua Creek, the last remaining piece of undeveloped Crown-owned land, which was once part of the 700-acre Ōrākei block.

When the great rangatira Te Kawau likened the coming of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a great wind from the north, his prophecy of massive change was, as we know, fulfilled. As with the rest of Aotearoa, the world changed for Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei after 1840. However, the aspirations of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei have never changed. Those aspirations were the same in 1840 when Te Kawau signed the Treaty. Those aspirations were the same in 1977 when whānau bravely confirmed their mana whenua by reoccupying Takaparawhau in what would become a defining moment in the history of Aotearoa. These aspirations were the same in 1987 when they lodged one of the first historical claims to be heard by the Waitangi Tribunal. Those aspirations are the same as those held today. Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei seek the right to take ownership of their own destiny to determine their own economic and social well-being. Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei seek the right to uphold their mana motuhake and to exercise their own rangatiratanga.

Yesterday marked 6 years to the day since the passing of Ōrākei rangatira, academic, and iconic New Zealander Sir Hugh Kāwharu. Part of Sir Hugh’s incredible legacy to us all lies in the bill that is before us today. In an interview before his passing away he said, and I quote now from the late Sir Hugh Kāwharu: “We have a beautiful city, a dynamic history and a shared future. Once we have moved from the Agreement in Principle and hopefully to the Deed of Settlement we can put the grievances of the past behind us and all look positively forward.” He continued: “I do urge people to read the Agreed Historical Account as knowledge of the past adds richness to our lives.” He ended by saying: “I also want our people to understand more about our history, our customs and our language as we are tangata whenua and will be for all generations to come.” That is the end of the quote from the late Sir Hugh Kāwharu.

With those wise words I fully support the second reading of this bill, as amended by the Māori Affairs Committee, and its quick progression to enactment. I look forward to this bill proceeding to the Committee stage without delay. Thank you.

Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti) : Tēnā koe. I a koutou ngā uri o Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, e mihi kau ana ki a koutou, tēnā koutou. Tēnā koutou mō tō koutou kaha ki tae ake ki konei, Sharon, koutou ngā mea pakeke. E tautokotia atu te tū kaha o tō tūpuna, o tō pāpā mō te take nei. E whakaaro atu mō te tuku kōrero a tō tātou Minita Māori mō ngā puta ā-waha a Tā Hugh. E tika atu wērā whakaaro. Mai rā anō i kī atu te koroua rā, ahakoa te wehewehe whai tahi atu tātou hei whakatikatika te huarahi, e haere tonu atu. Pērā anō tana whakaaro. He tino kōrero rangatira tērā, mai i te wā e mōhio atu wētahi o tātou, te tino mahi maka, te tino mahi nati o te Karauna ki a koutou o Ōrākei. Nō reira mō tērā, tēnā koutou. Mō rātou e rere atu, ngā mea pakeke e kore i konei, e mihi kau ana. Mihi kau ana ki te matua a Grant, me tō tangata o te Whare Miere nei, a Joe mō tōna kaha. Mihi atu ki a Joe, ahakoa e kore i konei mai i te tīmata o te pakanga, ki te wā i tae ake ki konei ki tōna whakaturetanga.

[Thank you. To the descendants of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, I truly acknowledge and congratulate you collectively. I salute your endeavours to make it here, Sharon, you and the elders. I endorse the stance that your elder and father took on this matter. He was staunch. I take into account the sentiments expressed by the Minister of Māori Affairs, and those by Sir Hugh. How right those views were. Right from the beginning, that elder said that, whatever the differences, we must work together to clear a way as we go forward. That was what he had in mind. Great words, those. We have known for a long time just how the Crown really treated you of Ōrākei—like a mug, as well as throttling the life out of you. And because of that, I have got to hand it to you. As for those who have passed on, the elders who cannot be here, my utmost respects to them collectively. My regards to Uncle Grant and your man from this Beehive, Joe, for his efforts. I salute him, even though he was not here at the start of the battle, to its arrival here for enactment.]

I want to follow and support what the Minister of Māori Affairs has said—that, in my mind, everyone can lay claim to having a special place in this country’s history. But the Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei settlement is something that is etched in this country’s history, for their ability to say no when the Crown in modern times, only 40-odd years ago, tried to confiscate the land. That they maintained the expansive views of their water and their harbour, amongst all the expansiveness that is built in pastel confines in the houses of wealthier people who have benefited from the confiscation, is certainly something that we need to remember.

I think it is important that we talk about it. You know, in this country’s history of recent times these people stood in front of the police and said no. The police, under the Crown’s orders, tried to continue to take the land. It was so rough in parts of their history. The Crown and the people associated burnt their marae down, and people forget to say that. You have the Hammerheads Restaurant and all. Go under the water and look at the place—I forget what it is; “whale watch underground”—and all of that stuff that has been built. They are great economic assets to the city of Auckland.

Hon Maurice Williamson: Kelly Tarlton’s.

Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA: Telecom, communication, as Maurice knows. Mr Williamson knows about all of this; he knows about it. I am proud of him for the effort that he is going to put in to put this right, because this is quite a light list here of this correction. It is only one part.

I want to commend the chair of our Māori Affairs Committee, the Hon Tau Henare, who is starting to grow both in vigour and in ability every time he stands up and makes a speech. He led the select committee well—he led the select committee well—against a whole lot of tensions. The Narrow Neck situation was fuelled by people who played redneck ideals. It was fuelled by mistrust and misunderstanding. If you read the settlement, there is a lot of goodwill from a people who stood in front of the police and said no in relation to sharing it with everybody.

The debate about why they should have commercial nuances tied to this settlement makes the mind boggle. As I said, all the development below them, where the whare was burnt, all the property that was taken off them, does one thing. It creates incredible revenue for a whole lot of people, to ensure that their families have a solid economic base. It is marginal in this, in relation to doing that, and that is why this settlement is really critical to this nation.

It is like the emperor with no clothes. It is no good us standing here and making believe that it never happened. It happened in modern history. We dared to do that. We dared to talk, as Crown agents, to suggest that we could take it off them again. Have they managed it wisely, the assets that they have got—whether it is the railways and travel stations? Yes, they have. Minister Sharples and Minister Williamson know that. They know that full well. They have got to harden up on doing a better deal to add to this. Tēnā koe, Minister. This is not about constituency issues. This is about a nation’s nawe and a nation’s hakihaki. It is a scab that has festered.

The settlement package is all of that. You know, the interesting thing about Narrow Neck, I worked out, is that Pākehā, Māori, and Asian people were not allowed to walk down the side of it when it was in the armed forces’ hands, I think. Ngāti Whātua are quite open for people to traverse it, as long as they respect and understand who is there. I want to commend the effort both of those people who came before the select committee to say that it should not happen, and of those who came there and wanted to support the settlement. There were Pākehā who came into that room and supported this settlement. I take my hat off to them.

There were people—including some Māori—who did not want it to happen. So I want to commend the negotiators and the Ministers for getting this bill to this end: the vesting of the Pourewa Creek conservation area; the redress over the volcanic cones on the Tāmaki isthmus and the Hauraki Gulf islands, throughout there, that recognises their mana and their rangatiratanga; and protocols and letters of introduction to facilitate and strengthen relationships between Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei and the Crown, museums, and the Auckland Council.

The consideration of the Māori Affairs Committee took that all into account, and we came back with these recommendations. These protocols are settled on nearly every claim. This is one of the most important sets of protocols that has to be enacted. Minister Williamson, the Minister of Labour over there, the Minister of Māori Affairs, and any other one over there who is trying to pretend they are a real Minister—make sure that these things happen. The worst thing with these protocols is that we say “Yes, Te Puni Kōkiri, yes, the Ministry of Social Development, yes, the Ministry of Economic Development, and yes, the Department of Conservation.”, and they say “We signed, be happy, give us some hākari, Ōrākei.”, and then they disappear.

These are serious protocols, especially with this group. They need to be recognised, they need to be enacted, and they need to be monitored. They are not. I know Minister Williamson knows a lot about monitoring, because he is the communications person who has been saying that broadband is going everywhere. It is important that the monitoring is done. In terms of the relationship with the museums and the Auckland Council, well, there is a lot to be done there with the Auckland Council. I am not too sure how central government enacts and imbues within the writings of the legislation of the local authority that it must do what it is told. I want to mihi to Mayor Len Brown, and hope he is taking time out over a cup of tea, watching this. I suggest that we need to be serious about correcting that.

This is an important settlement for my time in here. It does not just recognise the deal that has been struck for now on these few areas. It puts right, in part, hopefully, what was a dastardly deed enacted by us. We have done it in good faith, and it is in good faith that I close, and suggest that there is due recognition given and that these protocols are managed seriously. Kia ora tātou.

Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON (Minister for Building and Construction) : Ka tangi te tītī, ka tangi te kākā, ka tangi hoki ahau; tihe-ī mauri-orā. Te Whare e tū nei, tēnā koe. E te iwi e tū nei, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei.

[The sooty shearwater call, the native parrot call, and I call as well; behold the sneeze of life. The House that stands before me, greetings to you. The people who stand before me, greetings to you, greetings to you, and greetings to you all, Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei.]

The Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill is a step further in a long process for Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei to see their proper position in Tāmaki receive tangible recognition. This bill allows Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei people to have a tūrangawaewae that will remain in the people for eternity. The journey to the conclusion of this settlement has been long and arduous, dating back as far as 1846. Many current Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei people and MPs here today will remember the Bastion Point occupation, which started in January 1977, but is now more than 35 years ago. Even recent negotiations have taken 13 years to complete. I acknowledge Ruby Hinemoa Gray, who was the chairperson of the Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei Māori Trust Board in 1993, her incredibly wonderful successor, Sir Hugh Kāwharu, and his nephew Cyril Talbot, all of whom have passed away while these negotiations have continued.

Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei have always worked hard to build and strengthen their relationship with the Crown, beginning in 1840, when they welcomed Governor Hobson to Tāmaki-makau-rau and made land available for the new capital of Auckland—oh, how a number of us wish it was still there. Today we see Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei again working hard to build and preserve their relationship with the Crown. They have accepted this settlement in good faith and have recognised that full restitution for all their losses is simply not possible. The Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei settlement has been delayed while overlapping claims were addressed across Tāmaki-makau-rau, and I wish to acknowledge the patience of the people of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei during this time.

As with Ngāti Manuhiri, the second reading of the Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei bill is a significant milestone. It was heartening to read the number of submissions in support of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill, and I am really delighted to have done so. The bill was referred to the Māori Affairs Committee on 8 March 2012, and the committee reported it back to the House on 25 July this year. The committee has examined the bill and unanimously supports it. The committee has proposed no major amendments. It recommended it be passed with three technical amendments only.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the chair and the members of the Māori Affairs Committee for their excellent work on this bill, and for considering it in such a prompt manner. The committee received and considered 99 written submissions on the bill, and heard 23 oral submissions at the Ōrākei Marae on 23 April.

Nearly all submissions related to the 3.2 hectares of land at Narrow Neck on the North Shore. Many people supported the bill and this settlement, but they opposed the inclusion of the land at Narrow Neck. So let me say again that this land is an integral part of this settlement with Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. It is not open space, and it is currently used by the Defence Force for operational purposes. It is Crown land, and will be leased back to the navy for a minimum period of 15 years, with an option to extend for up to 150 years. There is very little suitable Crown land in the Tāmaki region for settlement, and there are 12 other claimant groups negotiating with the Crown in this area. The site has been available for public use only with permission from the Defence Force, and will continue to be available for public use under those same exact conditions. I encourage members of the Devonport community who have reservations about the settlement to work towards a positive relationship with Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei.

I acknowledge the Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei people, who suffered the many grievances as a result of Crown breaches of the Treaty, and I have waited a long time to see those grievances settled. As a member for Auckland, I have followed this closely. The second reading is one more step in the settlement process to provide redress for historical breaches, and for breaches of the Treaty, and we can celebrate it as another milestone achieved for the Crown and the people of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei.

RINO TIRIKATENE (Labour—Te Tai Tonga) : Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. Tēnā rā koutou e te Whare. Ki a koutou, Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, nau mai, hara mai. Hara mai ki raro i te tuanui o tēnei o tō tātou Whare Pāremata. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, huri noa, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. Greetings, indeed, to you the House. To you collectively Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, welcome, welcome. Welcome under the roof of this our Parliament House. Salutations, acknowledgments collectively to you throughout, and to us all.]

I am pleased to make a small contribution to the second reading of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill. This has been a really momentous Treaty settlement day that we have had today, so I would like to mihi to the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and to all the other contributors who have been speaking to these bills today.

As Ms Delahunty mentioned earlier on, all of this Treaty settlement process goes back to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I like to go through history, but we do know that the Ngāti Whātua chiefs signed the Māori text of te Tiriti on 20 March 1840, after which a delegation of chiefs invited Captain Hobson to make his capital at Waitematā, which he did in July of that year. In September 1840 the Crown had negotiated 3,500 acres of land that is where Auckland Central stands today. The chiefs of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei invited Hobson to the isthmus in the hope of benefiting from living in close proximity to Pākehā—so as to benefit through trade and commerce. Over the next 2 years the Crown purchased another 29,000 acres for £650 so as to facilitate land for housing of the new town of Auckland. However, it was not long before breaches of the Treaty started to appear, and the anticipated working in partnership with Pākehā was never realised. Between 1884-85 the Crown gave up its right of pre-emption in order to allow direct dealing of land between the Māori and the settlers, and provided regulations to protect the Māori in these transactions. So very soon Ngāti Whātua had become virtually landless through lack of Government action, and, in some cases, some very dubious actions on behalf of the Crown. As I said before, the expected benefits that Ngāti Whātua would attain through their relationship with the Crown and the new town of Auckland never eventuated. This is the same modus operandi as has been covered in some of the earlier bills that have gone through this House, and it is regrettable. In 1846 more land was taken to form west Auckland, and by 1855, just 15 years after the signing of te Tiriti, Ngāti Whātua had barely 700 acres left in their estate. But later even those reserve lands were lost.

I am pleased that we are reporting back on this bill. This bill contains a comprehensive series of acknowledgments by the Crown where the Treaty was breached in the Crown’s dealings with Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. The Crown will apologise for acts and omissions that left Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei landless. That landlessness led to the breakdown of the social, cultural, economic, spiritual, and physical structures within Ngāti Whātua, which left them in poverty. The apology also records that the Crown intends to improve and strengthen its historical close relationship based on Treaty principles with Ngāti Whātua so as to lay a solid foundation for the future, and I do commend that.

On the select committee, as we have heard, we heard a number of submissions at Ōrākei Marae, and they were all in relation to the Narrow Neck property. I will make a few remarks on that. The House will be aware that we heard all those many submissions, but it was there, when we were listening to those submissions, that we saw what is really the ignorance and mean-spiritedness of some elements of Pākehā New Zealand in relation to the Narrow Neck property. Submissions were made as to why Ngāti Whātua should not get Narrow Neck back and arguments were put forward by the Devonport residents that they had somehow become an iwi of their own, and that somehow the principles of the Treaty should apply to them as well—[Interruption] These were from the many submissions that we heard from Devonport. But all of that talk was really a cheek. It was a real cheek to hear. They threw the book at us in terms of every conceivable argument or scenario that they could paint. But it was absolutely regrettable.

It is regrettable that we got an insight into the window of the attitude held by some Pākehā with regard to the Treaty and to the claims process in general. Some just do not want to see settlements proceed. The Devonport Māori population is significant. It is a significant Māori population when all of the navy ships are in port. When those ships are in port, the numbers dramatically rise, and we get a town full of Māoris. The navy, and the Defence Force in general, is a fine employer of Māori—around 22 percent of the navy. I am not too sure if Devonport has a kōhanga and kura kaupapa in that leafy seaside suburb, but when Ngāti Whātua comes into town I hope that is the case.

The select committee was under the very capable, excellent leadership of Tau Henare, very Speaker-like in his control of our committee—very Speaker-like. We considered all these submissions, but, notwithstanding all of those submissions and all of the concerns that were raised, I am very pleased to say that no recommendations were made to amend any of the provisions around the purchase of the land of Narrow Neck, and I am very pleased that we held firm as a committee in the face of all of those many, many, totally off-mark submissions to ensure that this was preserved and can continue through this House.

So I would just like to mihi to Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei again. Ngā mihi aroha ki a koutou katoa. We are on the home stretch and I am looking forward to ushering this bill through its final stages. I mihi to you all and also to the members of this House. Happy “Treaty Settlement Day”. Kia ora anō tātou.

DAVID CLENDON (Green) : Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. Kei te mihi atu rā ki a koutou, ki te mana o Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei me ngā hapū katoa o Ngāti Whātua, tēnā koutou katoa. I am pleased to take a call in support of this bill, the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill, which we are debating this morning. I would like to begin by sharing a dream—he moemoeā. It is not my dream, not my vision, but one that certainly does resonate with me. I am sure it will resonate with many people in this House, and, indeed, outside of this House. He moemoeā: in the year 2030, 5,000 descendants of Tuperiri live on the papakāinga and contribute to tribal life, hosting manuhiri, participating in political debate, and going to tangi, birthdays, weddings, attending puna, kura, and wānanga, working the whenua or taking tourists out for fishing and waka ama on the Waitematā. The papakāinga is self-sufficient. We sell electricity back to the national grid. We collect and use rainwater. We produce very little waste, as the resource recovery depot allows whānau to trade their compost for worms for their own gardens. Many whānau have built their own whare, while others are happy to rent off the tribe. Most of our whenua is regenerating ngahiri on the reserve land and in between buildings. The birdsong is now louder than the traffic on Tāmaki Drive. Our elders hold regular wānanga for the up and coming kaikōrero and leaders. They go en masse to tangi and important hui in Kaipara, Tauranga, Waikato, Rarotonga, Tahiti, and Hawaii to represent the hapū and maintain our economic and spiritual ties. Many whānau are employed by tribal and whānau businesses. On the papakāinga they work in the nursery, the whare tukutuku, the arts and crafts and taonga centre, the cafes and restaurants, the ecological research and learning centre, all looking out over the Waitematā.

This vision, this dream, is expressed in the strategic plan of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, their document planning ahead to 2020 and beyond. I think it is a testament to the determination and, indeed, the courage of the hapū who have come back virtually from the brink over the last few decades, and it is an inspiring and empowering dream and a vision. I do commend it to people to read through to get a sense that it is not an idle dream; it is a dream that, as we speak, is being built on the ground. And the land, of course, on which it is being built, predominantly is whenua rangatira—the land that the dystopian dream of the mid-1970s would have seen carved up, subdivided, buried under expensive houses for the elite of the Auckland suburbs. Instead, of course, we have this extraordinary asset, both for Ngāti Whātua and, indeed, for all of Auckland. It will be retained, and it will build and will become a central hub. It will become one of the hearts of Auckland—one of the centres of it.

Had that dystopian dream of the 1970s gone ahead, it would have effectively completed the alienation of the land that was held by Ngāti Whātua historically. It would have effectively removed the last toehold that Ngāti Whātua retained, through a process of alienation that began in the 1850s and continued right through to the middle of the 20th century.

As I said, the fulfilment of that dream is under way as we speak. I am one of many here, I am sure, who has had the privilege of going on to the marae at Ōrākei and participating in the planting days on the whenua there. It is coming back. I think the planting of the trees is symbolic of the determination not only to restore that land but also to restore the community, to restore the mana of the people, to create a future for their own people, and to see it go ahead.

My colleague Catherine Delahunty earlier in the day mentioned the importance of naming. I note with pleasure that this bill does include reference to giving Ngāti Whātua rights to name some of the places within the settlement. In a broader sense, having lived in Auckland up until recently, it is becoming much more commonplace now for Aucklanders, Māori and non-Māori of all descent, to reference Maungakiekie and to talk about Maungawhau and Ōwairaka. Pākehā names were given to those places over the top of those earlier names, which are now being used more commonly and without embarrassment, or without in any way being patronising. I think that is indicative of the work that has occurred and the fact that there is a willingness to acknowledge that Ngāti Whātua are re-emerging as players, as a significant part of Tāmaki-makau-rau, as indeed they have always been.

As ever, this settlement has not been without its tensions and its disputes. As a former Devonport resident and a person who to this day has a great deal of regard for that suburb, that area, I acknowledge the concerns—in many cases the heart-felt concerns—of the residents of Devonport who were significantly concerned and disturbed by the small 3.2 hectares of land at Narrow Neck, which this bill allows Ngāti Whātua to purchase. It is not to be gifted to them. The bill gives them the option to purchase as part of the commercial redress within this. I support that entirely. When the issue broke, when it became apparent that there was an issue there, it was slightly disturbing, because I knew that we had Green Party members and supporters on both sides of that argument. I recall contacting at the time the leadership of our Green branch on the North Shore, and asking what their view was on that dispute, and I was really pleased and relieved to hear their response. They intended, and I believe they did do it, to go and stand on that land and sing waiata to acknowledge that it is, was, and will continue to be Māori land if that is the choice of Ngāti Whātua.

I think that the Māori Affairs Committee captured quite well the future for that small but clearly contested piece of property. In the commentary on the bill the select committee said that it encourages members of the Devonport community to work towards a positive relationship with Ngāti Whātua, considering that effective communication between affected parties, especially as they could be neighbours in the future, would improve understanding of differences and avoid mistrust. There is time for that healing to take place. In terms of the leasehold, as was referenced earlier, the land will be leased back in all likelihood to the navy for at least another 15 years and, potentially, for a century. There is time. Nothing dramatic is going to happen on that land. Access will not be denied. It is a beautiful place. I used to take students to that area routinely to look at the remnants of Fort Takapuna, to talk about the modern history where, indeed, that whole area at one point was again in danger of being privatised and sold off for housing, and the fact that it is a reserve. That it will continue to be open space for the foreseeable future is a good thing, and I do hope that people of goodwill will undertake that admittedly difficult work of restoring trust and communication so that there need not be any bitterness about that.

We know that Ngāti Whātua are already significant economic players in the Auckland scene. The settlement under this bill, and the return of land and other resource that will accompany it, will increase that presence. Ngāti Whātua have significant proven ability to affect Auckland socially as well, and to better reflect Auckland as a city of the Pacific, as a Māori city, as a Pasifika city in a Pasifika nation. We look forward with pleasure to seeing this bill proceed swiftly through the House, and we will continue to support it. Kia ora.

Hon TAU HENARE (National) : This settlement bill before us, the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill, I think was the most interesting bill that the Māori Affairs Committee has had before it. No one actually came to the hearings who was against the settlement bill, save for in relation to one little piece of land over the Shore in Narrow Neck. This created such a furore that I would have thought it was the “Conscription Bill”, conscripting young men to go off to war at the age of 18.

Hon Trevor Mallard: What colour were the necks?

Hon TAU HENARE: I would not put a colour on anything. I think putting people in boxes and giving them colours is a bad thing. As our committee normally does, we like to go out into the public and hear submissions on the territory of those people who are settling with the Crown. So we went to what I colloquially call Boot Hill—I am from Auckland; I have lived in Auckland all my life—and we got a wonderful welcome.

Hone Harawira: Ōtara.

Hon TAU HENARE: Ōtara—“O-town”, Mr 274, actually. We got a wonderful welcome from the home folk. It did get out of hand a wee bit, and I take responsibility for that as chairperson. Unfortunately, there was an issue about somebody being asked to leave because somebody did not agree with somebody else. But what amazed me about the little part of the bill that these people had all come to talk about was the fact that these Māoris may be able to, in future, purchase a piece of land. They were not given it. It was not a gift. The settlement does not gift this little block of land to the claimants. It says in the bill that they have the right to purchase this piece of land, and, lo and behold, you would have thought that the whole of Devonport had been given back to Ngāti Whātua.

I make light of it and I make fun of it because that is exactly what I think is the seriousness we should put on it. I know there are people on the Shore who think that doing away with that block of land for either commercial purposes or whatever purposes is a bad thing. I hear what they say, but I wish people would put it into context. Here is a people for whom only 60-odd years ago the Government came in, burned their places down, and bulldozed these people off their land—and this was in the heart of Auckland. You see this sort of thing happening overseas. You see this sort of thing happening in the documentaries on Māori Television. That is the only television station that shows good documentaries any more. You see this sort of thing happening elsewhere, but 60 years ago these people were forcibly removed from their own territory, from their own land, and from their own houses.

If ever there was a bill that I support 1,000 percent, it is this one. So my message to the people over in Narrow Neck—it is a funny name, actually, Narrow Neck—is to get in behind the settlement for the whole of Auckland, for the whole of the country—

Hon Trevor Mallard: What does Maggie say about this?

Hon TAU HENARE: Maggie Barry? She said some wonderful things about it.

Scott Simpson: A very fine member.

Hon TAU HENARE: She is a very fine member of Parliament, and she will hold that seat for quite some time.

There is one historical thing that I want to say about Narrow Neck. Back in the First World War, when there was conscription and members of Tainui were conscripted to go off to war—to the First World War—those who said no were taken and incarcerated over in Narrow Neck. They were incarcerated not because they did not want to go and fight for their country but because there had been no settlement between the Crown and Tainui. So the bill has a particular significance not only to Ngāti Whātua but to the people of Tainui, with Tainui and Ngāti Whātua having a particular connection.

I look forward to the Committee stage. I look forward to the third reading, where I will certainly expand on my thoughts about the good folk of Devonport, the good folk of Narrow Neck, and the good folk of Ngāti Whātua.

BRENDAN HORAN (NZ First) : I rise on behalf of New Zealand First in support of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill. Tēnā koutou ngā rangatira nō Ngāti Whātua o Orākei. Ngā mihi tonu ki a koutou i runga i te kaupapa nui o te rā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Greetings to you, the revered from Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. I particularly acknowledge you on this great matter of the day. Acknowledgments and commendations to you collectively and to us all.]

I would like to mention some men and women—driving forces—within Ngāti Whātua, that being Grant Hawke, Puawai Rāmeka, Sir Hugh Kāwharu, Tīwana Tibble, and men and women like them who have worked for so long. This has been an intergenerational process, shall we say. We have heard much of it discussed today about Narrow Neck over in Devonport. It is interesting how we can have different viewpoints on it, because I loved it. I loved it because what we had were people in Devonport who were actually New Zealanders—not necessarily Māori, but everybody—developing a connection to the land. That is again what makes us unique as New Zealanders.

It was great hearing wild accusations flowing and wild opinions, because, again, that is what makes us special as New Zealanders. We can have a different opinion, we can voice those opinions, and then we can come together and we can solve differences. Through the select committee process, where we were there on Ōrākei Marae—and what a beautiful marae it is, too—the submissions we had were, I thought, magnificent submissions, because they were all about people being connected to the land. Through that process we have now pretty much general agreement that Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei are going to be great landlords. Their generosity is well known. So I think the process was great and I welcome that process.

Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei are one of the leading lights in Māoridom, in turning their asset base from, shall we say, humble beginnings to them being now one of the main players and one of the wealthiest iwi. That was through smart planning and careful investment. Their generosity has given rise to the Tāmaki collective that was able to be established, comprising of 13 mana whenua groups—that deed of settlement was signed a couple of weeks ago—and, moving forward, the ongoing relationship between the Auckland Council and mana whenua is very, very important.

As I said earlier, there is no need for me to go over the history, because my colleagues have already mentioned much of that history. But I will say that after speaking with people from Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, the greatest joy they would say—and it is visible, too, because you know as I drove up to that Māori Affairs Committee meeting, meandering up Kitemoana Street there, and then arriving at this most beautiful destination, Ōrākei Marae, it was neat to see the young people who were there doing what young people should be doing on a marae, helping—

Hone Harawira: Causing trouble.

BRENDAN HORAN: “Causing trouble”, says Hone over there. Well, we know that you cause lots of trouble up there up north. What was neat has actually been the reclamation of mana through this whole process, and it has been heard and captured by the tamariki and mokopuna of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei. That is the greatest gift that anybody can receive and that anybody can give, because we now have long-term planning and the intergenerational legacy continues, and long may it continue. Kia ora.

JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) : E ngā reo, e ngā mana, e ngā hau e whā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. I would like to mihi to the people from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. It is a real privilege to stand here today to speak in support of this second reading of your Treaty claims settlement bill, the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Claims Settlement Bill. Following the previous speaker, Brendan Horan, I think that I am the newest member of the Māori Affairs Committee, and, unfortunately, I was unable to attend the select committee meetings regarding this bill, but I heard that they were very forthright and colourful.

I think that, as Mr Horan has said, it is great to see New Zealanders, no matter where you come from and no matter what your background, being able to participate in the formation of our future together. I think that today this is what we are celebrating here: the formation of our future together, recognising and acknowledging the past—the grievance and hurt of the past—and seeking to bring some redress and forward momentum. That is very important for each and every one of us, not only here in this House but also in Aotearoa New Zealand. I am not sure whether you know this, but when this House is full people from every persuasion and from many nationalities are here, representing the people of our nation, coming here to speak and to bring their thoughts and contributions to the decisions that affect us in the future. So of course it is so fitting that it is here in this place that these settlement bills are debated, presented, and supported for that future.

I would just like to acknowledge somebody who has had some history around all of this, and that is Sir Douglas Graham, whom I met a number of years ago. I met him only once, but I was very impressed with his determination and passion for the Treaty settlement process to advance, for the sake of tangata whenua. I want to acknowledge him here today in this House.

Having heard my colleague David Clendon from the Green Party talking about the future vision of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, I think it is great to hear those stories. You are here not just because of the past but because of the future, and because of what you see as the possibility and the potential for your tamariki and for your hapū and people, where you can go, and what this will do to unlock the dreams that you carry and the potential that you see is possible for you. My hope and my prayer is that everything that you see in your heart, you will touch with your hands, and you will see it come to pass. I want to say that it is great to be here today. Welcome, and thank you for being here. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

LOUISA WALL (Labour—Manurewa) : Kia ora, Mr Speaker. Ngā mihi ki ngā whānau o Ngāti Whātua. I want to acknowledge Grant Hawke in his absence, also Joe Hawke, and I mihi to you, Sharon. Actually, I mihi to the resilience of Ngāti Whātua. It has been interesting. The Minister of Māori Affairs talked about how many hectares you have lost—31,565. What I want to note is that 15 years post Treaty settlement you had less than 1 percent of your lands back. The progression to where we are now, if we look at the history, really did start in 1977 with Bastion Point, so I want to mihi to the whānau who were strong enough to stand up to the Crown. From that we got the 1991 Orakei Act. In fact, the fight for your rights has begun and has been happening for nearly 40 years.

What I want to say about the Narrow Neck issue, the 3.2 hectares, is that it actually represents 0.01 percent of the land that you used to have. I think we have to acknowledge the generosity that Ngāti Whātua has for the people of Tāmaki-makau-rau—in fact, for all of Aotearoa. It is this generosity that we see again and again from our iwi and hapū groups, enabling us to settle our Treaty grievances and to move on. I cannot thank you enough, actually, as a member of Parliament. I want to thank you—[Interruption] Yes, Parekura has just said thank you on behalf of all of us, and I think we should thank you on behalf of the entire House, because it is only through your acts of leadership that we as a country will move to a place where we will have full recognition of our indigeneity and of our mana whenua. So I want to mihi to all of you for coming and for enabling us to be a part of your journey. Nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa.

• Bill read a second time.