Rurawhe AdrianANGELA ROBERTS (Labour): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou Ngāti Maniapoto. Nau mai ki te Whare. It is a very humbling place for me to be to stand and take the final call on the second reading of the Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill. Welcome—it is really good to see you here. It's all been said of course so again like everyone else in the House I wish to acknowledge all of the negotiators. It has been a very hard journey—as it always is from what I hear—and your strength your patience and your grace is what has got us here today and I acknowledge that. I just want to take a moment to consider something very special that comes from this really difficult process that every settlement process has gone through and I want to thank you for it. That special taonga that you bring to the House today is your story. It is a unique story—they all are—but that story that you take the time to ensure is clear is correct and sets the record straight is so important. The Hon Nanaia Mahuta talked about the detail. She gave some detailed descriptions and explanations which show us and explain the scars that are borne today by your whānau and by your whenua and the impact that this story has had over the years. It's really really important for us. I come to this House from having been a part of the New Zealand education system as a teacher. I taught young people who whakapapa to Ngāti Maniapoto I taught young people who whakapapa to settlers and what you have given to the system to the teachers and to those rangatahi is so important and so valuable. The burden that we put on our rangatahi—we talk about opportunity and how wonderful it is going to be that they're going to look after us in our old age and they're going to build this incredible future. It will be made slightly lighter because what you have given is an opportunity for these rangatahi to be clear about how we got to where we are so that they can build a bright future together. Maniapoto will be able to—rightly—have their mana intact and will lead that and show their classmates what they can do to support their self-determination. The history that detail that is so important to acknowledge and the disregarding time and time again—I'm using words from the bill—of solemn promises not just Te Tiriti but all of those other very solemn commitments that the Crown made and broke time and time again. It's very humbling to hear and it's very very important for our young people to know very very clearly that those transgressions through legislation through war are really important to acknowledge. I want to just reflect on some of the words in the bill about the acknowledgment about the education system and the scars that are still borne by our system today. It talks in the bill about the attempts in the late 19th and early 20th century to assimilate your people and to beat you if you spoke te reo on the school grounds and the impact that that has had and that contributed to the loss of identity the understanding of tikanga and mātauranga and of course the socio-economic impact on generations down the line. The acknowledgment that the Crown didn't protect te reo Māori but actively beat it out of your people—that is something again that is actually a very precious lesson for those of us who have been in the education system or who remain there and who have taken up the challenge to change things. Knowing that and having it as a matter of public record and having the commitment in this House to support you to make redress is going to be really important for teachers in the system as they try their best to build an education system that sees those scars go away. The only other thing I really need to acknowledge today is this. A wise man said to me quite recently As Pākehā what place do I have in this House? What obligation do I have on reflection in this process?" and he reminded me that my job is to uphold this apology. It will never be real unless it is upheld and we must ensure that we never again pass legislation in this House that fails to uphold the mana of Ngāti Maniapoto. We need to make sure that policy in very practical ways—like in our education system—never again fails to uphold your mana.So I just want to just reflect for one final moment that it is about the stories of hope. We're not there yet and sometimes we need to find the strength to take those last steps when I imagine you're tired. I just want to reflect on Mōkau. I haven't wrestled sheep in your rohe and I certainly haven't slept on anyone's couches or raided their fridges. But I have had the privilege of spending time in Mōkau on the beaches there and recently I was up on the marae. I think that's the best view in the country—there's nobody from Taranaki here right? But you know you're up on that marae and it was the most amazing day. It was a vaccination day for COVID but the wonderful thing was not just the kai—there was a lot of it—and the bouncy castle but it was the fact that everyone in the community responded to your leadership. We had farmers—grumpy old farmers—coming from up the road being brought by their wives to come down to not just get their COVID vaccinations but their flu shots and that comes from that leadership and the collaboration and the grace with which you are going to forge your way in the future but you are going to allow us to come along that journey with you. So I will close there and I look forward to the next steps in your journey in this House and beyond. Thank you.Motion agreed to.Bill read a second time.DEPUTY SPEAKER: This bill is set down for committee stage next sitting day. Kua whakaaetia te Mana Whakawā o te Whare kia tuku mai he waiata mai i a koutou o Maniapoto. Otirā i mua i tērā e tika ana kia tū ake au e whakapiri taku mihi ki ngā mihi kua mihia ki a koutou mai i ahau tō koutou mema Pāremata i tēnei rā whakahirahira. Nō reira koutou mā kei a koutou te wā.[The Speaker of the House has agreed that you Maniapoto can sing a waiata. However before that it's only right that I stand and add my acknowledgments to those before me from me your member of Parliament on this important day. The time now is yours.]Waiata"