SpeechHARETE HIPANGO (National): Ka karanga au ki a koe ki te pānuitanga tuatoru o tēnei Pire Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill—I seek the call for the third and final reading of this Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill.Ka karanga au ki ngā uri o Ngāti Rangitihi. Ko au he uri nō W'anganui. Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou e huihui mai nei i tēnei W'are Pāremata. E ngā mana e ngā reo e ngā kārangatanga e rau rangatira mā tēnā tātou katoa.[I call to the descendants of Ngāti Rangitihi. I am a descendant from W'anganui. I extend warm greetings you all of you who have gathered in this House of Parliament. To the authorities to all the voices the various groups and to all the esteemed leaders greetings one and all.]Ngāti Rangitihi it is a privilege to take this call in the passage of your bill into law at this third reading. Finally this day long awaited by Ngāti Rangitihi uri and tūpuna no longer here long in waiting long in tolerating long in longing long in grievance. Today is a day of memory and I stand in this Chamber a place of commemoration. Today is a day also to acknowledge those who have departed those who started this journey and those of you gathered here in the precinct of Parliament who continue and carry that journey from the past here now to the present a gift for tomorrow your future. Today is a day to put aside the grievance and to celebrate the opportunity moving forward into the future to celebrate the opportunity for prosperity Ngāti Rangitihi—the people the place the potential the relationships the partnerships and the prosperity from opportunities now to be gained. When I last addressed you all those who were accessible virtually in this place of Parliament but those from further afar at the first reading in my acknowledgment I extended reference to—should I have the privilege to address the House and you all here and from afar today—the significance of the apology. I turn to clause 10 of the bill which will be enshrined into law: The Crown makes the following apology to Ngāti Rangitihi to your tūpuna and to your mokopuna and recognises your arduous journey in pursuit of justice. This apology is long overdue. The Crown is profoundly sorry for the many hardships and tribulations … unreservedly apologises for its failure … sincerely apologises for its aggressive acquisition of Ngāti Rangitihi lands … The Crown apologises for failing to ensure that Ngāti Rangitihi had sufficient land for your present and future needs. … The Crown's failure to protect the Tarawera River a taonga of immense economic cultural and spiritual significance to Ngāti Rangitihi left the river defiled degraded and polluted. … For this the Crown apologises. … The Crown's wish is that through this settlement it can restore its sullied honour and atone for the past injustices … The Crown hopes this settlement will be a starting point rather than an end and will signal the beginning of a new strengthened relationship based on co-operation mutual trust and respect". This formal apology conveyed by Minister Little at the signing of the deed of settlement at Rangitihi Marae Matatā on 5 December 2020 will in the passage of this bill into law be forever scripted there.I now turn to some appropriate acknowledgments: Minister Little in continuing the journey that had been commenced by my former colleague Christopher Finlayson as the Treaty settlements Minister then of the day. I also acknowledge the negotiators of Ngāti Rangitihi. I also apologise Leith Comer and your people gathered here today. Had I known about the pōwhiri I would have been there. So I extend an apology from the National Party for the absence of us being there in support. I acknowledge you Leith as lead negotiator as chair of Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust also as a former military leader. So when I saw the provision within the bill with reference my thoughts my whakaaro turned of course to tūpuna of Ngāti Rangitihi but also for your former status as a leader as a senior military army officer as a strategist and a negotiator in helping lead your people through this arduous journey. To the trustees also who were part of that journey—and I will name you so that your name is forever inscribed in the Hansard record: Donna Semmens Merepeka Raukawa-Tait Tia Walbrick Melanie Cheung Taichi Playle and Cathy Dewes. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou.I look at the time and quickly time passes when we address the House but how slowly it takes to arrive here. So with the rest of the time what has been spoken to and addressed by the Minister for Treaty settlements Minister Little I endorse and acknowledge. Also to my colleague Tāmati Coffey as the chair of the Māori Affairs Committee I listened keenly to your kupu to the words of your pātere waiata. I acknowledge you e hoa. I also acknowledge the negotiators for the Crown: Catherine Goulden Te Arawhiti and special mention made of Stephen Ihaka and to the officials who have been involved in the passage of this bill through into law soon to have its Royal assent received. When the bill came before the Māori Affairs Committee—again a privilege to be able to serve at the table there and again a privilege to be able to listen to the stories—there were some 20 written submissions and seven oral submissions heard. There was still mamae that was imparted and shared with us by those who had a differing view to the majority of Ngāti Rangitihi who endorsed the settlement with a considerable percentage of support. And we made it clear as members on the Māori Affairs Committee that it is not for us to determine whakapapa genealogy; it is for the people amongst yourselves. We acknowledge those who shared the mamae but we acknowledge also that those of us who live amongst our own we know our grievance; we also know the solutions. The Māori Affairs Committee—best laid plans were put aside with this imposition on all of our lives called COVID. Our intention was to travel and to be amongst the people of Ngāti Rangitihi at the marae at Matatā. When COVID lifted and the restrictions permitted I seized the opportunity in my role as spokesperson for Māori development with the National Party to travel through the motu and to travel for my first time through the coastal region of Matatā. I observed where the marae is and I look forward to the day that I will be able to stand on the marae ātea. I was not able to with my colleagues be present amongst that but we felt the mamae we felt the grievance and we paid due to ensure that this bill passes through into law. I also seized the opportunity in my Māori development role to travel to the—I will reference and turn to the brochure—the Waimangu Volcanic Valley where I was accompanied by Tania Tapsell to meet with Leith Comer kaumātua Kenneth Raureti and general manager David Blackmore to be present on the area in the rohe and on the whenua and to feel and to hear the stories.Time has elapsed quickly. It is a privilege to stand and to acknowledge all those past present and moving into the future who will give due service to prosperity of recognition of opportunity that arises and will pass through with the third reading of the Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill. Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou katoa.[Warm greetings to you all.]"