Paraone Pita: Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
Paraone Pita: Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:624;Page:19327] 
PITA PARAONE (NZ First) 
:  
A e nga rangatira ngakaikawe o tenei kaupapa moNgati Awa e karama e kuima koutou i haere mai i te hau kainga o Ngati Awa mai hoki i te maru o te maunga tapu a Putauaki na reira haere mai haere mai haere mai. Haere mai ki tenei Whare. Ka kite mai i a koutou te puawaitanga o tera o ngakakanoito mai iera o ngamatua ngatupunanoterarautau. Na reira tena hoki koutou. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Welcome to you the chiefs to those who negotiated this settlement on behalf of Ngati Awa and also to the elderly men and womenfolk. You have come from your home winds and from the sheltering mantle of the sacred mountain Putauaki. Welcome welcome. Welcome to this House. To see you all means that you have brought to fruition one of those seeds that the elders and ancestors of the past sowed last century 
.]  
On behalf of New Zealand First—and I reiterate the point that we are the only non-aligned political party in this House—I rise to speak to the third reading of this bill. This bill will see the culmination of what has been a long and arduous period of endeavour for the people of Ngati Awa towards a satisfactory claims settlement. The bill records the acknowledgment and apology given by the Crown to Ngati Awa the detail of which is articulated in the deed of settlement dated 27 March 2003 and it gives effect to the settlement of historical claims as agreed between the Crown and Ngati Awa. It also passes governance responsibility of the assets from this settlement to the entity that the majority of the people of Ngati Awa have indicated support for. We note that the level of support was deemed sufficient by Te Runanga o Ngati Awa to proceed with the signing of the deed. New Zealand First supports the timely and satisfactory settlement of claims to the Waitangi Tribunal whether by way of hearing or by way of direct negotiation. This bill is the outcome of an agreement reached by Ngati Awa and the Crown. 
Yesterday when this House debated the third reading of the Te Runanga o Ngati Awa Bill a concern was expressed by a member for the ACT party with regard to the apparent absence of any list of rules that the new governance body would be required to follow. It was his view that in the absence of such a document there remained a real possibility that the legislation could lead to further claims which would thus put into question the durability of the present settlement. I want to assure that member that the Maori Affairs Committee would not have allowed the bill to proceed to the stage it has reached today without first sighting the charter and being satisfied that Ngati Awa themselves have resolved to adopt such a charter. 
Although New Zealand First does not support the reason given by the ACT member to question the durability of this settlement we also question its durability but for different reasons. As a consequence New Zealand First cannot lend its support to this bill in its present form. We have two reasons notwithstanding the desire and consent of Ngati Awa. The first reason is with regard to clause 13(3)(a) which defines the “hapu of Ngati Awa”. In particular I refer to those hapu identified in the bill as “Ngati Awa ki TamakiMakaurau” and “Ngati Awa ki Poneke”. New Zealand First believes that the inclusion of those two entities as “hapu” for the purposes of this bill is outside the traditional concept of what establishes or creates a hapu. It is well known that the social structure of Maori is made up of whanau hapu which is a number of whanau and iwi which is an amalgam of hapu that have a common ancestor. In the case of both those hapu we are advised that their members descend from both the other hapu and iwi ancestors of Ngati Awa. Essentially this Parliament is being asked to include them in this bill to ensure that those members of Ngati Awa living in Tamaki and Poneke are assured access to the benefits that this settlement will bring to Ngati Awa. 
During the submission process one submitter pointed out that every member registered to those two hapu held whakapapa links back to their traditional hapu within the Ngati Awa tribal area in the same way as do other Ngati Awa descendents who are resident elsewhere in the world. Notwithstanding the rationale for including those two hapu in the bill and in particular the wish of Ngati Awa it is important to remember the following points. Firstly the establishment of those hapu can be regarded as a creation of expediency and convenience. Secondly should Parliament be vested with the authority to create new hapu? Thirdly what of other Ngati Awa descendents living elsewhere in the world? Why should they be expected to connect with their hapu at home while residents in TamakiMakaurau and Poneke have the convenience and even the choice to connect with either? 
New Zealand First acknowledges the intent of Ngati Awa to have a governance structure that ensures that their people can easily access the benefits of their settlement with the Crown but we do not believe that what is proposed is a matter for this House or indeed for the Crown. Of further concern to New Zealand First is our belief that to legislate for the creation of hapu as proposed will pose the question some time in the future as to whether the Crown can legislate for the creation of hapu over and above the traditional Maori social structure as determined by tikanga Maori. If it cannot why was this allowed to happen when so many Maori MPs are in Parliament at this time? The creation of hapu as proposed in this bill is not the responsibility of Parliament nor should it be. Its inclusion in this bill is not essential and if it were to be excluded it would not affect the settlement or its durability. Furthermore Ngati Awa could still include those groups if they so wanted. It is their business and theirs alone. 
I want the record to show that the following Maori MPs all members of the New Zealand First caucus do not accept the right or authority of this House and indeed the Crown and its bureaucracy to legislate for the creation of hapu: the Rt Hon Winston Peters Ron Mark Jim Peters Bill Gudgeon Edwin Perry and Pita Paraone. What is more concerning is that I know that a number of Maori MPs on the other side of the House agree with us but for reasons known only to them they have decided to remain silent. 
The second reason that New Zealand First will not support this bill is the inclusion of the words “the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi”. Although I have articulated New Zealand First’s concerns on previous occasions I think it is important to reiterate those relevant to our doubt about the durability of the settlement. This settlement can still proceed without those words. We believe that their inclusion affects the possible durability of this settlement. I also point out to this House that it was suggested that those words—“the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi”—be included in the Foreshore and Seabed Act and that it was at New Zealand First’s insistence that they were removed. 
I need to ask where the principles of this Government were in relation to a bill that it perceived to be of such importance to this nation that it was quite happy to exclude those very words. Yet in this settlement it is quite happy to include them which puts into question and doubt the possible durability of this settlement. We believe that the retention of those words will jeopardise the durability of this settlement. 
In conclusion I offer these words to the present and future leadership of Ngati Awa: today they begin a new journey that will require them to lead their people to economic and social destinations some of which they may never have been to before. I tell them never to forget to look behind them from time to time to ensure that the people they lead are still there. 
No reira e Ngati Awa haere irungai te huarahi iwhakapaihakapaiera o ngamatuatupuna iwhakatimata mai tenei kaupapa. Kuapuawai te kakanoiwhakatongia e ratoumo koutou me ngatupuranga kei te heke mai. Na reira tena koutou. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
So to you Ngati Awa go forth on the path that those ancestors who began this settlement process cleared for you. The seed that they planted for you and the coming generations has blossomed. Congratulations 
.]