Flavell Te Ururoa: Whanganui Iwi (Whanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Whanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Whanganui Iwi (Whanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Whanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:674;Page:19995] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Tena koe ano hoki Mr Assistant Speaker Robertson i tenei po. Ka nui te harikoa ko koe ano ra e noho nei i te torona tapu o te Whare Paremata i tenei po e whakarongo nei ki nga korero. He mea whakatinana tenei i te whakatau i hainatia mai ai e te Karauna raua ko te Kotahitanga o nga Iwi i te Tonga ara ki te Ropu Whakahaere o Tupoho i te 31 te marama o Hurae i te tau 2009. He aha te marama o Hurae Te Taura Whiri nei? Pipiri pea?  
Ki taku mohio kua puta tenei i muri mai i nga korero i waenganui i a Ngati Apa me te Ropu Whaiti. I whakatau i nga awangawanga o nga iwi o Whanganui me tona panga ki te whakataunga o Ngati Apa. Kaore matau o te Pati Maori i te whakaae kia noho me ki hei kaitakawaenga mo nga iwi. Me waiho nga iwi ki te tohe mo o ratau ake take. No reira ka pera ano hoki mo tenei o nga pire. Hoi ano ko taku e mohio nei i tipu ake tenei ropu mahi nei kia whai wahi nga hapu o Whanganui i te Tonga ki te takiwa o Tupoho i te rohe o Whanganui ki te korero ki a Ngati Apa kia taea ai e ratau te whakatau i nga take whenua ki waenganui i a raua ano. No reira he panga ano ra to te pire nei ki te whakataunga o Ngati Apa te Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Act i whakaturehia i te 15 o Hakihea i te tau 2010 a ka whakamanahia hei te 3 o nga ra o Hui-tanguru i tenei tau tonu nei 2011. 
Ko taku ano hoki ko te mihi ki a Nga Wairiki ki a Ngati Apa mo ta ratau kaha me te maia ki te whakatau i nga raruraru i waenganui i a ratau me ki kia puta nga rawa ki a ratau tonu kia taea ai te anga whakamua o nga korero. 
[ 
Thank you again this evening Mr Assistant Speaker Robertson. I am really pleased that you are there once more on the hallowed throne of the House of Parliament listening to the speeches. The Whanganui Iwi (Whanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Whanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill is a manifestation of the deed of settlement signed between the Crown and the Southern Whanganui Cluster - Tupoho working party on 31 July 2009. Now what is the month of July to the Maori Language Commission? Pipiri perhaps? 
I understand this bill is a result of talks between the Crown and the working party to address concerns that the Whanganui iwi had with aspects of the Ngati Apa settlement. We of the Maori Party oppose an expectation to play a mediatory role for tribes. Issues among tribes should be left amongst themselves to resolve and that must apply to this bill as well. I understand that this working-group came about so that southern Whanganui subtribes of the Tupoho district could participate in talks with Ngati Apa to resolve issues relating to land that they both have an interest in. This bill has interests in the Ngati Apa settlement namely the Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Act which was enacted on 15 December 2010 with a 3 February 2011 settlement date. 
I want to take this opportunity as well to acknowledge Nga Wairiki / Ngati Apa on their efforts and perseverance in resolving problems among themselves let us say to ensure that resources go out among themselves and that the talks progress. 
I leave that brief contribution in the Maori language there and turn now to English. 
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The Whanganui Iwi (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Wanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill we are debating at this point in time gives effect to the Whanganui iwi deed of on-account settlement signed between the Crown and the Southern Whanganui Cluster / Tupoho working party on 31 July 2009. As I said that was as the result of talks between Ngati Apa and the working party in order to address concerns that the Whanganui iwi had with aspects of the Ngati Apa settlement. I expressed the view that it is not for the Maori Party to get involved in iwi politics which unfortunately is one of those things that come with settlements. We do not sit too much in the middle and judge those things but we certainly provide an opportunity for iwi to have a say. I understood that the working party arose from a need to have a group to represent the interests of Whanganui hapu in the southern or Tupoho region of the Whanganui district and to talk directly with Ngati Apa to work through any overlapping interests that Whanganui iwi had with the Ngati Apa settlement. Of course the transfer of those properties is pretty closely linked to the provisions of the Ngati Apa Claims Settlement Act which as I said was enacted on 15 December 2010 with the settlement date being 3 February this year. 
I acknowledge the iwi who were involved and the discussion that must have taken place in order to try to find the same way forward and to address the issues of overlapping claims. That would no doubt have required a spirit of cooperation and communication as the groups worked together to try to find a way through some of the issues they faced. The on-account settlement bill provides the working party with the right of deferred selection over a half-share in the land under the Whanganui Prison and the northern half of the Whanganui Forest not offered to Ngati Apa. The working party’s right of deferred selections over these properties is subject to Ngati Apa first exercising their right of deferred selection over the forest under the prison and the southern half of the Whanganui Forest. Should Ngati Apa or the working party decide not to acquire those assets they will remain in Crown ownership and may be the subject of discussions in negotiating a comprehensive settlement of the Whanganui iwi historical Treaty claims. Either way Whanganui iwi interests in these sites will be protected. 
I believe that Ngati Apa have until early August to take the initial decision on whether to acquire the properties. The on-account settlement is on behalf of and to benefit all Whanganui iwi in relation to the Whanganui iwi historical claims. The value of the assets transferred on this on-account settlement will be taken into account when the Crown makes an offer of redress for the final settlement of the Whanganui iwi historical claims. So those claims and any claims relating to the Whanganui River are not settled by this on-account settlement. Of course when we think about Whanganui we think about Archie Taiaroa—who has since passed on; gee it must be close to a year now or maybe a little bit longer than that—as I suppose the face or the mouthpiece of Whanganui as they talked about and continue to move in respect of settling the Whanganui iwi claim. 
I suppose the second on-account settlement is offered to Whanganui iwi. It relates to the transfer of the Whanganui courthouse with a lease back to the Crown agreed in 2004. This asset was transferred to the Pakaitore Trust and of course mention has been made of that trust. It is a whenua topu trust established under the Maori Land Act of which Mr Ken Mair is one of the mandated negotiators. He will be taking on Michael Laws in the fight of the century at the end of the year so I am looking forward to that. 
The Pakaitore Trust is the proposed holding entity to receive the current on-account redress assets. Transferring these assets to the Pakaitore Trust will mean that all assets acquired by Whanganui iwi through on-account settlement will be held by that same entity. The Crown and the working party considered this to be a pretty pragmatic approach under the circumstances. 
That is a bit of a description about a little bit of the history that brought this bill about. It has been a long time coming but compromise and working together on both sides of the ledger if you like in respect of these iwi and a good outcome mean that everyone will benefit. 
Ko taku noa ake ko te mihi ki a ratau i whai nei i tenei o nga kaupapa kia eke ki tenei o nga taumata. Kua tutuki kua tutuki kua tutuki pai. Waiho tera hei mea whakamana ma tenei o nga Whare Paremata. Kia ora tatau katoa. 
[ 
I simply want to acknowledge those who pursued this matter to this level. It has been realised; it has made it; it has been completed well. Leave the bill now for this House of Parliament to enact. Congratulations to us all. 
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