Prasad Rajen: Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
Prasad Rajen: Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
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Dr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour) 
: 
 It is a delight to take a brief call in support of the Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill. It is pleasing that Ngati Apa has progressed this bill. A huge process has been entered into to get to this point. 
One of the wonderful things about what has happened in this Treaty settlement period of New Zealand history as Maori reach a post-renaissance period is the many examples where a particular iwi or tribe Ngati Apa in this case is mandated to develop a process to identify all of the issues that are before it and then to enter the process of negotiations with the Crown over a long period of time. It is something special about New Zealand society that this has happened many times now. It is now Ngati Apa’s day. We acknowledge the grievances that have been raised we acknowledge the hurts of the past and we find a way to the future. 
One of the defining aspects of contemporary New Zealand society is that we are able to do this. It sets us apart from many many other countries and it makes us unique. In many countries indigenous people and tribes have been colonised and have had their rights and their land taken away. Sometimes they never reach the point that Ngati Apa is reaching today. That is the special characteristic that I acknowledge and celebrate as a New Zealander and as a member of this House speaking at this stage of the bill. 
The bill is a credit to previous members of Parliament and previous Governments that have worked on this process. In this particular case we note that the part of Mr Cullen has been acknowledged and that of others. I also acknowledge the part of the Hon Christopher Finlayson in bringing it together. They all do this House and this country proud by engaging in the process and taking their own time to make it so special. It falls on the present Government to bring this legislation to a conclusion so I acknowledge the Hon Christopher Finlayson the Maori Affairs Committee and others who have worked on this bill to bring it to this phase. 
This bill has all of those unique aspects that have become a hallmark of settlements in New Zealand. Firstly the main provisions acknowledge the harm that was done and offer an apology. That is quite special about New Zealand society. Some do not realise that. At times in many conversations outside the House there are those who say that they did not do anything wrong so why should they apologise. But indeed in a symbolic sense these apologies are unique to us as New Zealanders at this point in our history. So this bill also provides an apology and there are several aspects of it. The bill also includes cultural redress aspects as well as commercial redress. Together those aspects make the bill a cause for celebration. It provides a pathway forward and puts to rest certain matters of the past. It provides compensation to the extent possible which is never enough clearly. Most important it enables this particular tribe to move forward as equal partners in this society. 
My call is a brief one to acknowledge that particular work and to acknowledge unique aspects of our society at this time. I wonder what aspects people listening to this debate will focus on. Will they think that it is just another settlement and that Parliament is going through the motions again? Or is it more important than that? Clearly it is particularly significant for Ngati Apa. It is their time; it is their process. It is their time to be compensated to have resources and to move forward. But would it not be nice if others also moved forward with it? That is the symbolism of the apology which I mentioned earlier. It is us as a nation trying to put to rest some aspects of the past. As we do that it provides a way to move forward. I urge others who are listening others who might not be 100 percent behind what this bill is about to accept the symbolism of the apology and the importance of the settlement. It provides us as a society with an opportunity to move forward as well. 
I congratulate those who have taken part in bringing the bill to this stage. I acknowledge the work of this Government and of the previous Labour Government. I acknowledge Ngati Apa and Minister Turia in particular who introduced the bill. I stand proud to support this particular bill. Thank you. 
Bill read a second time.