Flavell Te Ururoa: Immigration Bill — In Committee 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Immigration Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6669] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Chair kia ora tatou katoa i tenei po. Me penei rawa te korero ko taku ko te whakairi i te ahuatanga o te korero mo te Tiriti o Waitangi ki mua i te aroaro o tenei Whare i tenei po mo te wa poto i roto i te reo Maori kia taea ai e te katoa o tenei Whare te mohio ko te hohonutanga o tenei kaupapa ki tenei Whare. Ko te tangata nana tenei wahanga o te Pati Maori i whakairi ki mua i te aroaro o te Whare Paremata ko taku hoa ko Hone Harawira. Ko tona hiahia me ki kia whakairi te tahuhu korero i raro i te ahuatanga o te Tiriti o Waitangi. He aha te panga o te Tiriti o Waitangi ki te haerenga mai o te tangata i tawahi ki konei he aha te wahanga o te ao Maori ki tera haerenga mai o tangata ke ki Aotearoa nei. 
Ko te mea nui o roto i te Tiriti o Waitangi tetahi mea i korerohia i roto i te pire o Tamaki-makau-rau kia whai wahi te ao Maori i roto i nga nekeneke o te motu nei. Na runga i te aha? Na runga i te mea ko te Tiriti o Waitangi he korero i wanangahia e te ao Maori e te ao Pakeha i nga rau tau kua hipa hai painga mo te katoa. Koinei te tino hiahia i puta i roto i te pire mo Tamaki-makau-rau. Kai te pera tonu i tenei wa mo tenei pire. Kai hea te wahanga o te ao Maori a-tangata whenua nei i roto i nga ture o tenei Whare Paremata? No reira koi nei te mihi ki a tatau katoa i tenei po. Kia ora tatau. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Greetings to you and to us all this afternoon Mr Chair. My part by way of explanation is to put the case of the Treaty of Waitangi before the House this afternoon and to speak in Maori for a brief period so that everyone will have a deeper understanding of it in this Parliament. My colleague Hone Harawira was responsible for this part from the Maori Party that was put before the Parliament. He wanted to ensure that there would be references to the Treaty of Waitangi in terms of its relevance to immigrants coming here and the impact Maoridom would have on people coming to New Zealand from elsewhere.  
The most important factor in the Treaty of Waitangi something that was debated in the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill was Maoridom’s participation in local government in this country. Why is that? It is because the Treaty of Waitangi has been talked about and debated over the past 100 years by Maori and Pakeha as being beneficial for all. This is really what was wanted to come out of the Auckland Council bill. That is the feeling at the moment about this bill. Where is the place for the Maori people of the country in the laws of this House of Parliament? So this is my acknowledgment to us all this afternoon. Greetings to us all 
.] 
As I mentioned in te reo Maori I rise to speak on behalf of my colleague Hone Harawira who has put before the Committee Supplementary Order Paper 18 for it to consider. At its heart is our belief that a reference to Te Tiriti o Waitangi should be added to the Immigration Bill to enable Maori to have a statutory right of participation in the management of immigration consistent with the rights guaranteed to Maori under the Treaty of Waitangi. I made reference to the Auckland situation because one of the things that people find hard to understand in any discussion about Te Tiriti o Waitangi is its practical implications: what the drop-down effects are of having Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a part of legislation. We know that in the health sector for example people talk about participation they talk about protection and they talk about partnership. In terms of this Immigration Bill we hope that participation in terms of setting the rules and partnership in terms of coming together with others—not by ourselves—to be able to set the scene in respect of immigration are important aspects. We have framed that under the terms of a Treaty of Waitangi clause; in other words the legislation is to be consistent with the Treaty of Waitangi. 
In debating other immigration bills we have talked about references made by Dr Ranginui Walker a very famous writer in Aotearoa. He described the Treaty of Waitangi as the original charter for immigration. He referred to the Treaty as providing the source for all migration to Aotearoa from Europe Australia and the United Kingdom. He referred to the fact that Te Tiriti o Waitangi guaranteed a developing social contract: a partnership of the two cultures. At its very core were expectations that Maori as a Treaty partner should be consulted on every aspect concerning migrants who wished to reside here. In the past we have put up Supplementary Order Papers to try to find that space whether it be through establishing a consultative body over immigration policy or by being actively involved by way of providing education programmes. 
Tangata whenua understand the intentions of the Treaty signatories in 1840; we believe that they were very clear. There was recognition by both parties to the Treaty that immigration was having a significant impact on the land and on Maori culture. We believe also that the architects of the Treaty knew that what the Treaty represented would establish a precedent in terms of how the British Empire recognised the culture the rights the traditions and the way of life of indigenous peoples against the arrival of immigrants and the onslaught of immigration. So in terms of immigration we expect that all new citizens to Aotearoa should be able to learn about the history of this land and to appreciate the context that we all share arising from Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We want every New Zealander to appreciate the opportunities that Te Tiriti o Waitangi offers to us all in a shared future. 
We are focused in this bill on ensuring the provision of immigration advice that reflects the significance that this nation places on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I am mindful too of course that in the confidence and supply arrangement that we enjoy with National both parties have agreed to act in accordance with Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In terms of what we are facing right now I say we have a confidence and supply arrangement that acknowledges Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We are soon to have an emissions trading scheme arrangement come before the House as discussed by the Minister today that holds Te Tiriti o Waitangi out there as an important document especially around the huge issue of emissions trading and climate change. Here in this bill the Maori Party is again attempting to put the whole notion of the Treaty before the Committee by way of a small but significant Supplementary Order Paper that we think and hope the rest of the Committee will find is appropriate under the circumstances. 
I suppose the discussion is really aimed at the Minister of Immigration as he ushers through this particular bill. Indeed having set the precedent we will be looking to try to again have Te Tiriti o Waitangi in front of all legislation as it comes to the House. The key will be our working together on the drop-down effects and the practical implications of similar legislation but more important on the impact of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We would expect that as Treaty partners Maori should be consulted on every aspect concerning migrants who wish to reside here. Surely one would accept that that is an appropriate reaction on the part of tangata whenua just as much as our expectation that we should have seats on the Auckland Council. We would expect a partnership approach in which tangata whenua in the spirit of manaakitanga—of looking after each other as fellow countrymen and women—and in a demonstration of rangatiratanga can develop systems of whanau hapu and iwi to help immigrants and refugees to adjust to life in Aotearoa when they arrive here. It must be a huge adjustment for many of them. 
Nothing in the bill serves to provide incentives for whanau hapu and iwi to produce economic social cultural and environmental benefits from pooling their skills knowledge talent and experience with those of new New Zealanders. I suppose that is one of the downsides of the bill. So Supplementary Order Paper 18 which we have put forward today is intended to give Maori a statutory right of participation in the management of immigration. We say that was and is consistent with the rights guaranteed to Maori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi—the Treaty of Waitangi—and we would hope as I said earlier that we have widespread support from across the Committee for the intention of my colleague Hone Harawira and the Maori Party to put Te Tiriti o Waitangi constantly in front of the nation. Kia ora tatou.