Horomia Parekura: Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
Horomia Parekura: Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:669;Page:16031] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Labour—Ikaroa-Rawhiti) 
: 
 E tika atu i runga i te tu nei ki te mihi kau ana ki a koutou katoa o te wahi o te whenua o Ngati Apa. E tuku aroha ki nga pakeke e kore i konei kua rere atu ratou kare e kite i te otinga o te hikoi roaroa atu penei tonu. Na te mea i roto i aku i whakaaro atu mo te taumahatanga e mahi atu te Kawana ki a koutou. No reira e mihi kau ana ki a koutou o te Kurahaupo mo to kaha ki te tae ki te rangi nei mo to whakaaro ki te tuku awhi tuku manaaki ki a tatou nga kanohi Maori e manaaki atu te kawenata nei. No reira tena koutou. Mo ratou e rere ana e tangi hoki te ngakau. Na te pai o te whakaoti penei tonu kua tae atu ki te wa mo te whakatikatika i nga hea e puta ana mai i te Kawana. I takahia atu te tangata o te whenua i mau kaha atu nga riri nga ahua e mohio atu ratou nga uri o Ngati Apa. Na te mea i roto i aku e kite atu te kaha o te miharo e kaha ana ratou ki te mau atu i te ahua o te humarie to ratou kaha ki te whakatikatika. Tera ano te tino mihi i roto i aku mo ratou. No reira tena tatou. 
[ 
It is appropriate that I rise to specifically congratulate you all 
 
 the people of the land and region of  
Ngati Apa. 
 I extend condolences to the elders who passed away and were 
n 
o 
t able to see the completion of a journey that has taken so long. Personally 
 
 I think it was the pressure that  
the G 
overnment imposed upon you 
. 
 That 
 i 
s why I really adnire you of Kurahaupo  
for 
 your efforts to make it here today 
 
 as well as providing assistance and support to us 
 
 the Maori members 
 
 in regard to this settlement 
. 
 Congratulations. 
As for those who passed away 
 
 the heart grieves 
.  
Because the settlement process has gone so well 
 
 it is time now to look at how  
the G 
overnment intends to address it. The people of the land were mistreated 
; 
 there were long 
- 
held grievances and situations that only those descendants of Ngati Apa know about 
. 
 Their ability to remain humble and work rigorously for resolution amazes me 
.  
I really admire them for that 
.  
Greetings to us 
.] 
I mihi to the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector who has led the debate and discussion this afternoon because she is of Ngati Apa descent and has been involved in this matter for a longer time than the present Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. But I do want to recognise the present Minister and I say that now just in case I forget on the way out and he stands up next. I say it quite seriously. I had the honour on 8 October 2008 to be there to sign the deed and I want to mention my former colleague Dr Michael Cullen and Mita Ririnui who gives his apologies. He is up in Tauranga on a matter to do with the foreshore and seabed legislation. I also want to mention the people who signed with us Lillian Ruihi Manawaroa Te Aweawe Ropata Te Hina—e mihi kau ana ki a Ropata. E tata ana ki tona rere haere— 
[ 
a 
 special acknowledgment to Ropata Te Hina 
 
 whose death is impending 
] 
—Arikihanara Mare Mare and Mariana Shenton. Those people had the gumption and the notion to give direction to the young group that finalised this deed and settlement and that is something I want to talk about later on. 
There is a whole lot of history to this settlement—what Land Claims Commissioner Spain did what the other commissioners did and what the Native Land Court did. The Ngati Apa settlement is a very very important settlement. People can take a lot of lessons out of it. Ngati Apa waited for 100 years - plus to get to this point. I say to the Minister—I see he left as soon as I stood up but I will say it because it will be recorded—that in the summaries and when he signs this document I hope he is very clear about ensuring and understanding the support that Ngati Apa will need in the sense of economic development. The bill in itself has a whole lot of ramifications and it should attest to a whole lot of future activity in order to put the past behind us and go forward. 
There is simple logic in the background of this settlement. In 1840 North Island Ngati Apa in the Rangitikei-Manawatu area had land interests stretching from Motu Karaka about midway between the Whanganui and Whangaehu rivers south to Omarupapako just north of the Manawatu River and inland to the upper Rangitikei area. As Minister Turia said three members of North Island Ngati Apa signed the Treaty of Waitangi at Tawhirihoe Pa a Ngati Apa kainga near the mouth of the Rangitikei River. The preamble sets out all of that. The reason I mention that is a whole lot of things have happened and if people go to Rangitikei now or the area of Ngati Apa they will see it is one of the most flourishing economic developments in this country. I hope it is remembered that the Ngati Apa people were paid tuppence—I did not know that Minister Turia was old enough to remember pennies—an acre or whatever. When we put something right then let us ensure that we correct the imbalance. This settlement is only one part of ensuring that. When we see the wealth that abounds there and in Taranaki and in Hamilton we wonder and we ponder what was in other people’s minds in the past. 
The apology has all those parts in it. Clause 8(4) states: “Accordingly with this apology the Crown seeks to atone for its past wrongs beginning the process of healing and make a significant step towards re-building a lasting relationship based on mutual trust and cooperation with Ngati Apa …”. They have some neighbours next door to them who have been running a formation called a paepae rangatira which involves all these Government agencies with a whole lot of funding supposedly getting together in an effort to support those people. I suggest the Minister makes sure he keeps his finger on it because the other one is waning a bit. 
The cultural redress is really important. Protocols are to be issued to the trustees. I mention to the two Ministers in the House that it is important that the Minister of Conservation the Minister of Fisheries and the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage are involved even though I grumbled a bit at the time. But we must remember who took these things off Ngati Apa and ensure that there is a comparable line-up on the other side so that there will not be just one-way traffic in one direction for another hundred years. I think it is more important sometimes in Treaty settlements that that is remembered. This edict or legislation of this House should not compound what has taken a hundred years to correct. I encourage the Minister to do that and I will not walk out the next time he speaks. 
I want to quote from Mita Ririnui who wanted to be here today: “It is incredible that young people of Ngati Apa could bring this settlement to the House without too many problems.” I can see that what problems they did have were handled very well. I say to the nation and to those involved in other settlements that they should take a leaf out of the book of the young people who led this settlement. Well they are not too young; I think Toroa is older than young and so is Andre. But that is what happens in Maoridom; people are called young if they are under 70. But I say seriously and with respect that people should take a leaf out of this young group’s book; they got to the end. I mention Adrian Rurawhe Pahia Turia Toroa Pohatu and Toko Kapea; that is what they did. It was wonderful to see that the old people could give the direction hand it down and the young people had to go and do the job. 
In conclusion I tell members that after World War II many members of North Island Ngati Apa moved away from their tribal lands to urban areas. It was part of a national trend. Economic opportunities appeared to be better in urban areas than in rural areas. In 1962 the Department of Maori Affairs was pursuing a policy of providing housing in Whanganui and evacuating families from Kauangaroa. The department was trying to encourage Maori to move from remote rural areas to urban districts where more employment and better social amenities existed. Most Ngati Apa people now live outside of their boundaries. There is approximately only 1 percent of their people in their traditional lands and that needs to be paid for recognised and supported. 
Without further ado I commend this bill. Labour members will certainly be supporting it. I thank all the people who have been involved in it.