English Bill: Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
English Bill: Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:650;Page:19124] 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Leader—National) 
: 
 E nga iwi Ngai Tuhoe Ngati Manawa Ngati Tuwharetoa Ngati Whakaue Ngati Whare Raukawa e Te Arawa iwi hapu he mihi nunui ki te iwi whanui me nga rangatira e hui tahi nei tena koutou tena koutou tena tatou katoa.  
[ 
To the people of Ngai Tuhoe Ngati Manawa Ngati Tuwharetoa Ngati Whakaue Ngati Whare Raukawa and the people and hapu of Te Arawa a huge greeting to you and leaders at large gathered here greetings to you greetings to you and greetings to you all 
.] 
I rise on behalf of the leader of the National Party John Key to recognise the significance of the passage of this Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill today. In my almost 18 years in politics I am continually surprised by the ability of New Zealanders to solve problems that other nations may find much more divisive and difficult. But here we have shown in this legislation a capacity to respond to our better lights both the Crown and iwi and to resolve what has been a very longstanding issue. I acknowledge the contributions along with those of others made by the central North Island collective and also by particularly Dr Cullen on behalf of the Government. A nation does these things when it is ready and Dr Cullen and no doubt the Prime Minister saw that we were ready for this settlement and took the appropriate steps. For that they should be commended because this opportunity could have slipped by the nation the iwi and the current Government. 
I also think we should acknowledge the shadows that are cast over this event. I do not mean that in a negative sense but we do stand in the shadow of people who some 15 years ago set off down the path of large Treaty settlements at a time when Maoridom was unsure whether the process could succeed and certainly when Pakeha New Zealanders were unsure whether it was something they even wanted to do. I think that we should acknowledge today those leaders who showed the courage that has lent momentum and also lent some courage to those who have brought this settlement together: Sir Tipene O’Regan and Ngai Tahu and Sir Robert Mahuta and Tainui who made what in retrospect were very brave decisions to settle for a great deal less than the size of their grievances. I acknowledge also the Crown led by the Rt Hon Jim Bolger and Sir Douglas Graham for taking part in that process. We should remind ourselves that 15 years ago this path looked a great deal less certain a great deal rockier than it does today. Those leaders smoothed the path and today we are fortunate to be able to follow in their footsteps to such a positive outcome in respect of this legislation. 
The other point I want to make on behalf of the National Party is that we fully understand the momentum that has been built up. Dr Cullen referred to the other negotiations that are flowing out from these negotiations and our leader John Key and the National Party if we are elected to Government would certainly continue with those negotiations in the same spirit and I think with the degree of political commitment from the leadership that has been shown by the Labour Government in working so successfully on settlements in the last 12 months or so. 
The final point I want to make is this. I think of this as the end of the beginning. We have here people who have decided to lay the foundations for the future rather than to stand by and reflect only on the past. In that sense the destiny of 100000 people from the central North Island collective and the Crown are intertwined because our job now is to together ensure that the aspirational and material benefits of this settlement flow through to those 100000 people. Many of them of course will not benefit initially. Whether they can realise their expectations and aspirations as Maori and as New Zealand citizens will depend on whether they can get a decent education whether they can get a job that is fulfilling and whether they can get the health services they deserve when they need them. It is such a positive refreshment of that sense of mission to have settled these historical grievances and then for these iwi and the Crown to renew the commitment to ensure that the benefits that we all imagine can flow from this kind of settlement actually do flow through to every one of the 100000 people who are covered by the settlement. 
I finish by congratulating the iwi in particular. Family differences are among the most difficult issues to manage and the leadership of the central North Island iwi has shown to the rest of New Zealand admirable courage restraint and dignity in bringing this settlement together on the Maori side. I also acknowledge the contribution of all those who worked on behalf of the Crown—which is therefore the whole country—to seize a historic opportunity and see the settlement go through. Tena koutou tena koutou tena tatou katoa.