te Heuheu Georgina: Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi Claims Settlement Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
te Heuheu Georgina: Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi Claims Settlement Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:627;Page:21876] 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) 
: 
 I guess it is a bit disappointing. I was waiting with bated breath as well to hear the Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations recite what the phrase “the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi” in the bill before us means. National members certainly asked that at the Maori Affairs Committee and although we were given a response of sorts I do not think anybody was necessarily satisfied. 
I am not endeavouring to get the Minister out of the hole he seems to have dug himself into by not taking the call to give a reasonable response to what I think are reasonable questions but I do have a thought on the matter. Again it has nothing to do with the question the Hon Richard Prebble asked New Zealand First as to why it would support the legislation given that confirmation came yesterday that under the treaty policy of the Rt Hon Winston Peters New Zealand First would delete the phrase “the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi” from all legislation. 
I note that Richard Prebble was going to get to his feet. He may or may not recall that the phrase “the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi” actually first appeared in the 1975 Treaty of Waitangi Act which was brought into law by a Labour Government of which the Hon Richard Prebble was a member. Much as some of us may have difficulty now with the phrase “the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi” I would have thought that a legitimate response might be that it actually forms the jurisdiction for these claims and therefore for these settlements. That is the jurisdiction laid down in the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 as the Hon Richard Prebble knows or should remember. Until there is a change to that for those of us who wish to see some resolution of these historic injustices it is in my view the only jurisdiction we have. 
Perhaps the Rt Hon Winston Peters recognises that as well although looking at some of his statements it seems to me that he has missed the point that this phrase first appeared in the 1975 Act. He keeps referring to I think the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986 which is patently wrong. It would be really great if those who think they know the origin of this phrase could get it right. I could still prove to be wrong about it but I do not think I am. That is where the phrase originated. 
Standing here as a member of the National Party which supports the settlement of historic injustices I have difficulty understanding how we as a party can support a settlement if we do not also recognise the jurisdiction under which these claims are filed. The source of that jurisdiction is the 1975 Act. 
 That still does not get the Minister off the hook though. Having sat on the tribunal for some years I have a view as to what “the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi” might be. The Minister has the legacy of the Rt Hon Geoffrey Palmer who set some principles when he was in Government and maybe the Minister could even confirm whether they are the principles now being referred to when we are asked to pass this bill into law. In any event it would be good—for the sake of those who are listening if not for ourselves—if the Minister would give his understanding of the basis on which we are now being asked to support this legislation to settle the historical claims of Nga Rauru Kitahi.