Finlayson Christopher: Rangitāne o Manawatu Claims Settlement Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFinlayson Christopher: Rangitāne o Manawatu Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 15 March 2016. Volume:712;Page:9774. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): I move That the Rangitāne o Manawatu Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider this bill.In November last year I was welcomed on to Te Hotu Manawa o Rangitaane o Manawatu Marae in Palmerston North to sign the deed of settlement with Rangitāne o Manawatu. Some 4 months on I am really pleased to extend a warm welcome to the members of Rangitāne o Manawatu who have travelled to be here in Parliament today for the first reading of their bill. It has indeed taken a long time to reach this very important milestone.To those who have worked so hard to make this day possible can I offer my sincere thanks. The enactment of this bill will mark the end of a long-running Treaty settlement negotiation between the Crown and Rangitāne o Manawatu that started in the late 1990s. There are many people who have worked so very hard so that we could reach this milestone today. The bill is the result of much time energy and patience to arrive at a settlement that will provide a platform on which to build a much better future for all the people of Rangitāne o Manawatu.The negotiations were long and complex but Rangitāne o Manawatu always acted constructively relentlessly addressing the concerns of iwi members and striving to achieve an enduring settlement for the iwi. I want to acknowledge all the people of Rangitāne o Manawatu who are with us today as well as those who cannot be here today. In particular I acknowledge those who began this journey so many years ago and worked so hard to make today happen but are no longer with us. I acknowledge in particular the late Ruth Harris the original lead negotiator the late Rangiharuru Fitzgerald Tānenuiārangi Te Awe Awe Kura Te Rangi-Baker and Kararaina Tait who tirelessly served as negotiators. It is their determination and hard work that has got us to where we are today.I also want to acknowledge the Rangitāne o Manawatu negotiators Danielle Harris who took up the role after her mother’s passing in 2007 Maurice Takarangi and Matua Tokatū Moana Te Rangi. They have been outstanding advocates of Rangitāne o Manawatu and I commend them for their contribution over the years.It would be remiss of me not to pay particular tribute to Danielle Harris who as principal negotiator has shown dedication patience and pragmatism all those years while striving towards reaching a meaningful settlement for her people. I always talk about the patience of negotiators but if ever there was a patient and resilient negotiator it is Danielle Harris. Few negotiators have had to put up with what she has had to put up with. I must confess that if it had been me I would have said “I’m out of here” but she did not. Shehas in many respects to use the old joke every Christian virtue except resignation and we are here today because of her efforts. She is in the gallery and I am sure Danielle your mother would be very very proud of you.I want to acknowledge the Crown team and its many iterations over the years the Crown officials from the Office of Treaty Settlements and supporting Crown agencies because they have done a great job. The Manawatu claim Wai 182—and I emphasise Wai 182—was originally lodged by Ruth Harris on behalf of herself and all other descendants of Rangitāne o Manawatu in December 1990 over a quarter of a century ago. Rangitāne chose to pursue direct negotiations with the Crown and in 1998 Tānenuiarangi Manawatū Inc. received a mandate from the claimant community.Terms of negotiation were signed with Doug Graham on 27 July 1998 and a heads of agreement as an agreement in principle was called in those days was signed on 25 November 1999. I know that Sir Douglas was anxious to get it signed before he retired but such is life. Subsequently progress was stalled and negotiations endured a hiatus of over 10 years.The mandated negotiators and the Crown resumed intensive negotiations in 2010 and on 1 May 2015 the Crown and Rangitāne o Manawatu initialled a deed of settlement to settle all the historic claims. As I said the deed of settlement was signed on 14 November of last year. It is fair to say it has been a long time coming. The bill provides for the settlement of all historic Treaty of Waitangi claims for Rangitāne o Manawatu and gives effect to the deed of settlement that was signed in November last year.The background to the claims is a very sad story of unrelenting land alienation. From the mid-19th century through the faulty Crown investigation of the New Zealand Company claims to the acquisition of the Te Ahuaturanga and Rangitikei-Manawatu blocks Rangitāne o Manawatu very rapidly lost large tracts of land while minimal—minimal—reserves were set aside for the iwi. The operation and impact of the native land laws on the remaining lands in particular the awarding of land to individual Rangitāne o Manawatu rather than to iwi or hapū made those lands more susceptible to partition fragmentation and alienation and this contributed to the erosion of the traditional tribal structures of Rangitāne.By the end of the 1880s Rangitāne o Manawatu held approximately 20000 acres of land. From the 19th century much of the remaining land was partitioned by the Native Land Court into blocks which were subsequently purchased by private individuals. The 20th century continued the sad story that I have recounted so many times in this House namely the continued erosion of Rangitāne o Manawatu land holdings. By 1930 land in Rangitāne o Manawatu ownership had dwindled to just under 3000 acres. The remaining land was gradually eroded by further sales and as an iwi this iwi became virtually landless.The accumulated effects of the purchases I mentioned a few minutes ago and the operation and the impact of the native land laws on private purchasing has left Rangitāne o Manawatu virtually landless and this has hindered the social cultural and economic development of the iwi. The impact of landlessness and the loss of traditional tribal structures leading to the loss of customary traditions of language and tribal authority can still be felt and that is why we are here today.The settlement package has a number of components that will be closely addressed by the Māori Affairs Committee and I will not go through those in any detail now. The committee will have to consider the financial and commercial redress as well as the cultural redress. As I have said twice before this morning the Crown does not have the means to fully compensate Rangitāne o Manawatu for the loss and prejudice suffered and I acknowledge their gracious acceptance of the redress contained in this package. I certainly hope that today is going to mark the beginning of a new relationship.Before I commend the bill to the House can I simply say this to the people of Rangitāne o Manawatu: this is the third settlement bill that we have debated today. The imperative is to get the bill off to the Māori Affairs Committee where it can receive very careful consideration by Mr Korako and his team. It may be thought that some of the speeches are somewhat truncated because they are but that does not in any way mean that this bill is not being treated with the significance that it deserves but rather that all members are very keen to see the bill go to the select committee so that we can get it back to the House for the second and third readings and an appropriate celebration to mark all the fine efforts of Rangitāne o Manawatu. I commend the bill to the House.