SpeechNGĀTI PŪKENGA CLAIMS SETTLEMENT BILLThird ReadingHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): I move That the Ngāti Pūkenga Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time. I extend a warm welcome to members of Ngāti Pūkenga who have travelled from Tauranga from Maketū Manaia Pakikaikutu and from further afar to be here on this very important day. The iwi has had to overcome many obstacles to get to this point but it has been worth the wait.As I always do during a settlement bill speech I want to acknowledge the driving forces behind each settlement starting with those who led the way many years ago and who are no longer with us. I particularly want to mention the late Wīremu Ōhia. As I have said before in this House he was a great leader both in Tauranga Moana and on the national stage and his vision of people working together paved the way to where we are today. I also want to pay tribute again to Te Awanuiārangi Black who left us late last year. During his short life he made fine contributions in many fields. Among other qualities he was a staunch advocate for Te Reo Māori and was determined to make a difference for his people through his involvement at the regional level and also on numerous boards. He was committed to development for Māori in general and his iwi in particular and that is why he became a negotiator for Ngāti Pūkenga. Today this bill is the realisation of his aspirations and the aspirations of his tupuna before him.To those who worked so hard to make today possible I offer my most sincere thanks. The settlement represents years of hard work by the negotiating team and I acknowledge Shane Ashby Harry Mikaere Āreta Gray Dominic Wilson and Rāhera Ōhia. For the past 7 years they showed an unwavering willingness to engage constructively with the Crown even during difficult periods of the negotiation. The Crown and Ngāti Pūkenga signed a deed of settlement at Te Whetū o Te Rangi Marae on a very fine Sunday afternoon in April 2013 over 4 years ago. Since then while their iwi-specific settlement was on the backburner they continued to engage with the Crown and with their neighbours on the collective settlements in Tauranga and in Hauraki. Today I salute them for their fortitude and determination and for remaining steadfast in their commitment to settle in the face of some difficulties.I am not going to go over the settlement package in too much detail as some of my colleagues may want to talk further about this in their speeches. What I want to do is take some time to articulate and record the history of Ngāti Pūkenga and their interactions with the Crown over the past 170 years. That history is the reason we are here today. In April 1840 a leader of Ngāti Pūkenga Te Kou o Rēhua signed the Treaty at Maungatapu. He expected that the Crown would protect his people's rights property and privileges. He spoke on many occasions of the partnership that he believed would flow from the Treaty.A few years later as the New Zealand Wars unfolded Ngāti Pūkenga did not support the fight against the Crown after the invasion of the Waikato in 1863 despite many iwi supporting the Kīngitanga. They did not fight a year later when the war came to Tauranga Moana after Crown troops attacked Pūkehinahina. Ngāti Pūkenga as an iwi chose instead to uphold the Treaty and did not take part in any of the conflicts. Despite assuring the iwi it would scrupulously respect their interests the Crown through the enactment of the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863 confiscated a very large part of the district thus unjustly extinguishing all of Ngāti Pūkenga's customary interests in Tauranga.It is important to acknowledge that this settlement relates to people whose lives were irretrievably affected by Crown actions. Ngāti Pūkenga lost much of their kāinga mātua through the confiscation of their lands at Tauranga Moana and were dispersed between their four small and scattered kāinga as a result. Despite upholding the law and the Treaty Ngāti Pūkenga were severely impacted by the loss of their land and the loss of their mana. They did not receive the same opportunity as others to protect and nurture their interests in Tauranga Moana. They became dependent on lands gifted to them by other iwi. Even then the Crown failed to respect the rangatiratanga of Ngāti Pūkenga in their remaining lands. The Crown continued to fail them during the 19th century and did not protect their tribal interests from the impact of the individualisation of Māori land titles. It is a testament to their tenacity that they have maintained a presence in such disconnected areas as Manaia and further afar Pakikaikutu.Last month we commemorated the 154th anniversary of colonial forces invading Mangatawhiri. This battle marked the beginning of the Waikato War which was a defining conflict in New Zealand history. Ensuing battles in various parts of our land shaped our country and its people. We cannot build a relationship or move forward together unless we acknowledge what happened in the past whether it happened at Parihaka or Mangatawhiri. As we prepare ourselves for the first national commemoration day on 28 October today is a good opportunity for the Crown to acknowledge the errors of the past and to make amends for its actions or omissions. Members who are present in the House know I say this for every settlement but the loss Ngāti Pūkenga suffered can never be fully compensated for by the Crown and much of what was lost simply cannot be returned. However the people of Ngāti Pūkenga have accepted the redress contained in the settlement and in doing so have decided to look to the future. The financial and commercial redress provided to Ngāti Pūkenga seeks to recognise the losses suffered by them. They are going to receive $7 million plus interest as well as commercial redress properties and rights of first refusal over specific land.The cultural redress aims to recognise their traditional historical cultural and spiritual associations with places and sites in their area of interest. This includes the vesting of cultural redress properties protocols and statutory acknowledgments and funding to support projects involving cultural revitalisation. I am pleased to hear that Ngāti Pūkenga has already got on with it and inaugurated their new wharenui in Manaia earlier this year.I believe the package will help reconnect Ngāti Pūkenga with its environment and acknowledge the mana and the rangatiratanga of Ngāti Pūkenga in its four kāinga. During the second reading speeches the Hon Nanaia Mahuta pointed out that it is not the size of the settlement that matters but how purposeful it is and how suited it is to support the vision of the iwi and with respect I wholeheartedly agree with her.Throughout the negotiations Ngāti Pūkenga have worked very hard and shown a willingness to move forward even when navigating some tricky waters. They have laid a new foundation for their relationship with the Crown and are now positioning themselves as a key player in Tauranga which as we all know is growing at such a fast pace. Ngāti Pūkenga are ready for their next journey and thus without any further delay I commend the bill to the House.