Henare Tau: Ngati Whatua Orakei Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Henare Tau: Ngati Whatua Orakei Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
[Sitting date: 19 September 2012. Volume:684;Page:5494. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 This settlement bill before us the Ngati Whatua Orakei Claims Settlement Bill I think was the most interesting bill that the Maori Affairs Committee has had before it. No one actually came to the hearings who was against the settlement bill save for in relation to one little piece of land over the Shore in Narrow Neck. This created such a furore that I would have thought it was the “Conscription Bill” conscripting young men to go off to war at the age of 18. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: What colour were the necks? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I would not put a colour on anything. I think putting people in boxes and giving them colours is a bad thing. As our committee normally does we like to go out into the public and hear submissions on the territory of those people who are settling with the Crown. So we went to what I colloquially call Boot Hill—I am from Auckland; I have lived in Auckland all my life—and we got a wonderful welcome. 
Hone Harawira 
: Otara. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Otara—“O-town” Mr 274 actually. We got a wonderful welcome from the home folk. It did get out of hand a wee bit and I take responsibility for that as chairperson. Unfortunately there was an issue about somebody being asked to leave because somebody did not agree with somebody else. But what amazed me about the little part of the bill that these people had all come to talk about was the fact that these Maoris may be able to in future purchase a piece of land. They were not given it. It was not a gift. The settlement does not gift this little block of land to the claimants. It says in the bill that they have the right to purchase this piece of land and lo and behold you would have thought that the whole of Devonport had been given back to Ngati Whatua. 
I make light of it and I make fun of it because that is exactly what I think is the seriousness we should put on it. I know there are people on the Shore who think that doing away with that block of land for either commercial purposes or whatever purposes is a bad thing. I hear what they say but I wish people would put it into context. Here is a people for whom only 60-odd years ago the Government came in burned their places down and bulldozed these people off their land—and this was in the heart of Auckland. You see this sort of thing happening overseas. You see this sort of thing happening in the documentaries on Maori Television. That is the only television station that shows good documentaries any more. You see this sort of thing happening elsewhere but 60 years ago these people were forcibly removed from their own territory from their own land and from their own houses. 
If ever there was a bill that I support 1000 percent it is this one. So my message to the people over in Narrow Neck—it is a funny name actually Narrow Neck—is to get in behind the settlement for the whole of Auckland for the whole of the country— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: What does Maggie say about this? 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Maggie Barry? She said some wonderful things about it. 
Scott Simpson 
: A very fine member. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: She is a very fine member of Parliament and she will hold that seat for quite some time. 
 There is one historical thing that I want to say about Narrow Neck. Back in the First World War when there was conscription and members of Tainui were conscripted to go off to war—to the First World War—those who said no were taken and incarcerated over in Narrow Neck. They were incarcerated not because they did not want to go and fight for their country but because there had been no settlement between the Crown and Tainui. So the bill has a particular significance not only to Ngati Whatua but to the people of Tainui with Tainui and Ngati Whatua having a particular connection. 
I look forward to the Committee stage. I look forward to the third reading where I will certainly expand on my thoughts about the good folk of Devonport the good folk of Narrow Neck and the good folk of Ngati Whatua.