te Heuheu Georgina: Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill — In Committee Procedure 
te Heuheu Georgina: Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill — In Committee Procedure 
[Volume:623;Page:18831] 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) 
: 
 The Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations has returned to the chair and I just wonder whether he heard the issue that I raised earlier. It was in relation to the ongoing concerns that the Maori Affairs Committee is now raising in regard to ratification. I am very much aware that it was a National Government that basically developed the model the framework for settlements that by and large this Government is following. So this is a genuine expression of concern because we see it as providing an opportunity. If the ratification is considered low we do see it as providing an opportunity at some time in the future for some people of Ngati Awa descent to come back and basically say that this settlement was not their settlement. 
We hope that never happens. We hope that this Parliament will pass settlement legislation that will see an iwi on its way developing some of its human capital and its economic capital and all will be well. But that may not be the case and I would like the Minister to bear that thought in mind. The Maori Affairs Committee has been told by the Office of Treaty Settlements that the ratification numbers are in line with previous settlements and indeed they are higher than some of the previous settlements. We were told in relation to a recent settlement that is still to come back from the committee that Tainui for instance had a much lower participation rate for mandating the settlement than we have now. 
That may be the case I say to the Minister but the issue is this. As the Minister well knows the central North Island is loaded with claims. There are a number of tribes claiming into the same areas. I do not think that was necessarily a feature or characteristic that stood out when say Tainui settled its claim. The unfortunate thing about the way all this has proceeded is that we now have the claim of one of those tribes on the table here ready for the legislation to go through and there are other tribes whose claims they say overlap who are still way down in the pecking order. Therefore they are deeply worried about what will be left—no matter what assurances the Office of Treaty Settlements gives now—when their claims come to be settled. 
As I said I think there is a feature present now particularly in relation to the central North Island claims that was not as significant—if of any moment—in relation to say Tainui that I think the Minister needs to give some thought to. There are cross-claims and overlapping claims. Although some land can be left aside to take care of those other claims that may or may not be adequate in the end. If this Minister can get the whole of the central North Island claims process moving soon so that everybody hopefully is moving at once which might help to minimise this issue of one tribe feeling worried about what is going to be left for them then that may be the answer. I know that there is great hope that the Minister may be able to do that. 
It is a real issue. As I said 40 percent of those eligible to vote is not a clear mandate given that there are two or three other tribes whose settlements impinge on this particular one. That will get even more so as we move along. The issue is the same regarding Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau on which the select committee will shortly report back to the House. No doubt the issue will arise again in some of the settlements following. There is a different environment in the settlement of these claims to what there was previously. The Minister needs to give some thought to it.