Quinn Paul: Whanganui Iwi (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Wanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Quinn Paul: Whanganui Iwi (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Wanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:659;Page:7859] 
PAUL QUINN (National) 
: 
 Kia ora tatou. Tena koe e te Whare. Firstly I join with other speakers who have acknowledged the iwi and hapu in respect of this Treaty settlement in extending my congratulations. I may be a bit slow off the mark in this acknowledgment because I have been humbled by the acknowledgment my friend and colleague Shane Jones made of my involvement in the establishment of the Crown Forestry Rental Trust. I acknowledge it and leave it at that though I might say I consider it one of my greatest pieces of work. 
I think it has all been said in respect of the Whanganui Iwi (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Wanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill which follows closely as others have already acknowledged on the Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement bill which was introduced earlier this week. I will not reflect on the emotions I had in my presentation then. 
I will take a slightly different angle and make a couple of comments on previous speakers. David Clendon seemed to put a lot of emphasis on the deadline of 2014 to settle all Treaty claims. I assure him that this Government has never claimed it as a deadline; it has only ever been a target. It remains a target. More important it is what iwi want. Iwi and hapu want to get on and settle their claims. They are happy to have that date because it brings focus to the whole Treaty negotiation process. Both parties to the Treaty claim are very keen to stick to that target but that is all it is: a target. 
The second thing I will cover briefly is my disappointment to some extent with the contribution to this debate of my relative Mita Ririnui. He was a bit critical and seemed to imply that a lack of progress has been made by this Government in respect of Treaty settlements. By comparison I reflect that when the previous administration came into power in 1999 seven Treaty settlements were in the same position as the settlements before us today. It took until 2002 before one of those settlements came before this House—just one settlement. What did the previous Government do for 2 years? Yet Opposition members turn around and say that we are not doing enough. I know that the Ngati Awa claim sat around until 2005. Te Uri o Hau was the first settlement but it took until 2002 to come before the House. This Government can take great pride that within its first year it has progressed and signed off the Taranaki Whanui settlement it has picked up on the work done by the previous administration in respect of Ngati Apa and now we have the Whanganui Iwi (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Wanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill. We have also completed the delivery of the apology to Te Arawa. 
I will cover one final point and I think it is very important that it go on the record. Previous speakers—in particular John Boscawen and Shane Jones—made some comments in respect of renegotiating and opening up settlements. In particular reference was made to the five iwi with which this Government is endeavouring to reach an agreement over the emissions trading scheme. Let the record show that the previous administration renegotiated with the same five iwi in terms of reaching a settlement with its emissions trading scheme. The reason I know that is that I sat in Dr Cullen’s office in the presence of David Parker and renegotiated that deal. So those members on that side who are accusing this Government of reopening and renegotiating Treaty settlements should look in the mirror first. That administration renegotiated with the same five iwi including Ngai Tahu and it did another deal. I am disappointed if the members on the other side do not know and are not familiar with the detail but it is in my brain as though it was negotiated this morning. I can tell members every detail as I can tell them about the Crown Forestry Rental Trust details when I negotiated its establishment in 1989. 
Hon John Carter 
: What colour tie did David have on? 
PAUL QUINN 
: I cannot remember that; I was focused on the numbers. The point is that the record should show that the Opposition renegotiated with the same five iwi over the Crown forest that was taken in those settlements. In this particular settlement it will not be renegotiated because the emissions trading scheme is accounted for in the southern part of the Wanganui Forest. 
With those few words it gives me great pleasure to join others in commending this bill in its first reading. 
Bill read a first time.