Whaitiri Meka; Mallard TrevorHon MEKA WHAITIRI (Minister of Customs): E Te Māngai tēnā koe. E ngā mema o Te Whare nei tēnā tātou katoa. E ngā marae maha e ngā hapū katoa o Heretaunga Tamatea e kuia mā e koro mā e ngā rangatira mokopuna hoki tēnā koutou nau mai tēnā koutou nau mai tēnā koutou katoa.[Mr Assistant Speaker tēnā koe. Members of this House tēnā tātou katoa. To the many marae represented here to the numerous tribal groupings of Heretaunga of Tamatea distinguished elders and chiefs right to our grandchildren here tēnā koutou nau mai tēnā koutou nau mai tēnā koutou katoa.]It is indeed my privilege to be the last speaker on this most important bill at the third and final reading of the Heretaunga Tamatea Claims Settlement Bill. It has been an absolutely long journey and I want to commend those that had the foresight to bring the claim to the Crown's attention and our negotiators for their efforts. I want to acknowledge the former Minister of Treaty settlements the Hon Chris Finlayson; the current Minister Andrew Little; and all officials that were involved in ensuring that we are here in this House addressing this bill.My colleague Louisa Wall when we pō'hiri-ed our whānau to this House—and I want to say four buses left at 5 a.m. this morning from the original site of the Kotahitanga Māori Parliament of Waipatu Marae and I commend them for being here today. Louisa said to me as we had the pō'hiri in the Banquet Hall Mate where is the rangatira wāhine whakaahua?[where is the photo of the woman of rank?]So I thought I would take this time to acknowledge the wāhine toa who whakapapa-ed to many of the people that are in this House. I draw on Ngā Taumata: Portrait Of Ngati Kahungunu 1870 - 1906 and I want to acknowledge some of the leading Māori women who stood up for our land rights for the health of our whānau and for suffrage in our communities back in Heretaunga Tamatea.I want to start with Ākenehi Pātoka Rātima Rerepukapuka Tōmoana from Ngāti Tūwharetoa. In 1852 Ākenehi Pātoka a chieftainess in her own right married Hēnare Tōmoana a chief of Heretaunga. With the establishment of the Native Land Court in 1865 Ākenehi as with many other female landowners of those times represented her land interests. It is quoted "Through the courage of my wife Ākenehi … the lands have been retained". This is what Hēnare Tōmoana said at the Native Land Court hearings of the Whenuakura land block in 1883. Ārihi Te Nahu Ngāti Te Rangi-ko-ia-anake was quoted as saying "I know this land. I have rights of ancestry occupation and cultivation; ancestry through Honomōkai occupation through Te Whatu—i-Āpiti cultivation through Te Hāpuku and Te Moananui." Ārihi said this this at the hearing of the Aorangi Reserve 18 May 1899.Hōriana Te Wharepū ko Ngāti Kurukuru. Hōriana attended the hui wāhine held at Te Haukē in 1895 and as with many wāhine toa of those times she sought prohibition of alcohol temperance and better health services for Māori. At this hui she spoke to the motion of selling the lands. The women voted unanimously that the land sales should cease. Hōriana called these sales "the greatest disaster to touch us."Mārata Te Heuheu also known as Marata Te Herea of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. Marata was actively involved in women's institutions: the temperance movement and land court issues in both Kahungunu ki Heretaunga and Ngāti Tūwharetoa. She helped in the formal establishment of Ngā Komiti Wāhine with which by 1895 35000 people were associated. Amongst these women were Ākenehi Tōmoana Pukepuke Tangiora Horiana Tiakitai Niniwa-i-te-Rangi and Meri Mangakāhia. Ngā Komiti Wāhine was formed as a response to increasing land sales increasing drunkenness and declining health of Māori families while women as landowners wanted the right to vote.Finally Pukepuke Tangiora—raised at Te Pā Ocean Beach and renowned for her great beauty. In 1895 Ngā Komiti Wāhine emerged as a result of Te Kotahitanga. At the inaugural hui held at Te Haukē Te Hapuku Te Nahu a chief of Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Te Whatu-i-Āpiti welcomed the women encouraging them to uphold the deeds of their ancestors. He cited Hinepare the wife of Te Raia as having mana equal to that of the Queen of England. "Be strong." he encouraged them. Pukepuke Tangiora encouraged other women to stand and speak their thoughts. She's quoted as saying "Other women have chastised the men for their failure to bring about the cessation of land sales. Let us the women share our thoughts about these issues."There have been many times I have stood in this House to defend Māori land. With those women that I have recited there is no reason why people should be concerned or surprised that I have stood in this House against land legislation that will alienate our people. It is those great wāhine toa that I have talked about and the many others who at that time stood to retain Māori whenua. Today here we are celebrating a small compensation for the land that was lost by Heretaunga Tamatea.Over five generations—five generations—from 1850 to the 1900s Heretaunga Tamatea went from owning 1.4 million hectares in Heretaunga Tamatea and it was reduced to 200000 hectares. That was 1.2 million hectares lost by these people and yes we are celebrating $105 million compensation. You do the maths: 1.2 million hectares done by the actions and omissions of the Crown who promised the retention of Māori land and undisturbed possession of our taonga. That is what we are here acknowledging but we are also celebrating the fact that we were coming to a conclusion.I too was at Te Aute College when we signed the deed in September 2015. I remember it dearly because it's the school that my dad attended and my three brothers. It's at this time that I think about those that are no longer with us. And I know my dad my grandmother my great-grandmother and that's why I want to whakapapa and acknowledge Tapairu Rongomaraeroa Rākautātahi my Omāhu my Kohupātiki my Ngāti Pāhauwera whakapapa because I stand on their shoulders today in acknowledging the finality of the Heretaunga Tamatea Claims Settlement Bill. Without those people that have gone before us there is nothing left.In the time I've got left can I please make this statement about the Glasgow leases. The Māori Affairs Committee made it very very clear. The select committee which is a bipartisan committee has made this statement: "We do not consider the bill to be the proper forum for addressing the wider issue of Glasgow leases more generally." That is what the select committee has said. That is what the current Minister said in his second speech. So to our Glasgow leases our Whatuiāpiti people please remember that in the passing of this bill the Crown and the representatives from the Māori Affairs Committee have acknowledged there is much more work to do on the Glasgow leases.Nō reira e te whānau kua huihui mai i tēnei wā harikoa te ngakau ka kitekite i a koutou i runga i te kaupapa tino whakahirahira i a tātou katoa. No reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.[Therefore to you my brethren gathered here now I am overjoyed to see you on this an auspicious occasion for us all.]Bill read a third time.[Haka]SPEAKER: Can I acknowledge and thank the people in the gallery and say that today is a day which no one here will ever forget if for nothing else but your response to us. Thank you."