Finlayson Christopher: Ngāti Hauā Claims Settlement Bill Ngāti Koroki Kahukura Claims Settlement Bill — First ReadingsText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFinlayson Christopher: Ngāti Hauā Claims Settlement Bill Ngāti Koroki Kahukura Claims Settlement Bill — First Readings[Sitting date: 22 October 2013. Volume:694;Page:14156. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): I want to begin by thanking both iwi for agreeing to the Ngāti Hauā Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Koroki Kahukura Claims Settlement Bill proceeding in this manner so that they can get to the Māori Affairs Committee as quickly as possible. These non-raupatu settlements together with the settlements contained in the Waikato Raupatu Claims Settlement Act 1995 and the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010 provide for the full and final settlement of the historical Treaty claims of Ngāti Koroki Kahukura and Ngāti Hauā.I want to begin with a few acknowledgments: first Ngāti Koroki Kahukura. Their settlement would not have been possible without the knowledge and the dedication of their trustees and negotiators. I for one certainly appreciate their willingness to engage with the community and consider alternative and novel options. I acknowledge them and I look forward to working with them as we take this legislation through the House.I also want to acknowledge the hard work commitment and perseverance on the part of the Ngāti Hauā negotiators—most notably the role of theTumuaki whose leadership has contributed to the timely success of the settlement. I particularly acknowledge the trustees for their tireless efforts in reaching this day. I also acknowledge the claimantswho have carried the claims of theirtūpuna and those who suffered because of the actions and omissions of the Crown. I want to acknowledge particularly those who have passed on without having seen the fruits of their labours.Let me say something about the negotiations. For Ngāti Koroki Kahukura the journey to this first reading has indeed been a challenge. The Crown recognised the mandate on 17 June 2010 and the parties initialled the deed of settlement on 2 November 2012. Following ratification the deed was signed on 20 December last year. However there were community concerns about the transfer of Pukeatua cemetery one of the sites included in the settlement package. I particularly acknowledge the gracious actions of Ngāti Koroki Kahukura in agreeing to reconsider the redress over the cemetery and to remove the cemetery from the settlement package. The Crown provided substitute redress to Ngāti Koroki Kahukura. The deed to amend outlining this agreement was signed recently. So I really appreciate the willingness of the iwi to agree to changes to their package that allowed the Crown to address these concerns.A novel aspect of this settlement and this bill relates to that beautiful maunga Maungatautari. I refer members to clause 72 and to the definition of “Te Hapori o Maungatautari” in clause 71. This is the iwi’s ancestral maunga. It is a symbol of Ngāti Koroki Kahukura identity. It has provided the iwi with shelter protection and sustenance. The local community and other iwi also care greatly for Maungatautari. There is a beautiful scenic reserve up there and I acknowledge the hard work of the community and the farmers up there in developing this very special reserve over recent years. Their actions have really disclosed the generosity of spirit of their community.As part of the settlement the Crown acknowledges Ngāti Koroki Kahukura’s relationship to the maunga and working together we have developed some special redress affecting it. The bill provides for iwi with customary interests in Maungatautari and members of the wider community connected with Maungatautari to be named as the registered proprietor for the mountain’s scenic reserve. The site’s scenic reserve classification under the Reserves Act 1977 will remain and the Waipā District Council will continue to manage the reserve.I particularly want to thank the negotiators and members of the iwi for the way in which they have approached this issue. In some respects a few clauses in a bill just does not do justice to the amount of negotiation and the amount of thinking that needed to go into that particular part of the settlement. I also particularly want to thank Louise Upston the chief whip of my party for her tremendous contribution. It was over and above what one would expect of a local MP in terms of working closely with me and with all relevant parties to get to a good result.I want to say something about the Ngāti Hauā settlement. Towards the end of last year representatives of the iwi visited the Minister of Finance and me and said that they wanted the Treaty equivalent of a rocket docket. They wanted to negotiate the settlement and not mess around and they wanted to do it within about 6 months. After they left my response could have been put up on a Tui advert—“Yeah right!”—because I did not think that it would be possible to achieve a settlement in such a short space of time. In fact I thought frankly that it was impossible. I do not know what Mr English thought. He just wants me to get on with these matters. But I have to say that indeed I was proved wrong.We went from deed of mandate to deed of settlement in 7 months—the fastest time in which a Treaty settlement has been achieved. The deed of settlement was recognised in December 2012. The deed of settlement was signed on a beautiful day in the Waikato—where Mr Assistant Speaker Tisch you would say that every day is a beautiful day in the Waikato—on 18 June 2013. Without of course bringing you intothe debate Mr Assistant Speaker can I say how delighted I was that you were with me on that day because you have always had a particular interest in this settlement.This streamlined settlement is a tremendous achievement. It is a great testimony to the leaders of Ngāti Hauā and to their clear and pragmatic approach. It should be said that speed is of course no substitute for getting the thing right and indeed speed did not mean that the i’s were not dotted and the t’s were not crossed. But it was hard work which has enabled all parties to achieve a just and a durable settlement quickly and I am really glad to see a number of those who were involved in those negotiations represented in the gallery today.A key part of their settlement is the vesting of Maungakawa the ancestral maunga. It is very important to the iwi and New Zealand as the site in the foothills of the first Māori Parliament. The bill provides for the vesting of Maungakawa in Ngāti Hauā as a scenic reserve with public access maintained. Ngāti Hauā’s rangatira Wīremu Tamihana year in and year out sought a constructive and a peaceful relationship with the Crown. On several occasions he petitioned Parliament detailing the events leading up to and during the Waikato Wars to seek recognition for the harm done to his people and to find a pragmatic way to move forward. His claims were ignored so today I am very pleased to stand in this House and work with other member to make amends for the way in which he was treated over a century ago.These settlement bills are now ready to be referred to my friend Mr Henare and his team on the Māori Affairs Committee. I am sure that they are going to address these bills diligently and return them to the House in the very near future. The challenge of course will be to return them to the House as quickly—in relation to Ngāti Hauā—as the deed of settlement was negotiated. It takes a lot to beat Lance and the team but I am sure that Tau will give it a really good go.