Gudgeon Bill: Ngati Ruanui Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
Gudgeon Bill: Ngati Ruanui Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:607;Page:4742] 
BILL GUDGEON (NZ) 
: Kia ora ano tatou i huihui mai nei i roto i tenei Whare i tenei po. Ki o tatou manuhiri ki nga rangatira o Ngati Ruanui nau mai haere mai. Tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Greetings once again to all of us who are gathered here tonight in this House. To our visitors and chiefs from Ngati Ruanui welcome welcome. Greetings to you all greetings greetings 
.] 
I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to support the second reading of this bill. Between 1990 and 1995 the Waitangi Tribunal investigated 21 claims concerning Taranaki Maori including Ngati Ruanui made to the Waitangi Tribunal under section 6 of the Treaty of Waitangi Act of 1975. In 1996 the Waitangi Tribunal released its interim report on the Taranaki claims. Its report was based on the Waitangi Tribunal’s inquiry up to the date of the report in order to expedite negotiations for settlements in relation to the Taranaki claims.  
In April 1998 the Crown recognised the mandate of Ngati Ruanui Muru me te Raupatu Working Group including Tangahoe and Pakakohi in its negotiations. The Crown and the working-party reached a heads of agreement in September 1999 which recorded that in principle Ngati Ruanui and the Crown were willing to settle the Ngati Ruanui historical claims. 
The Crown and the working-party then finalised a settlement offer which was put before Ngati Ruanui for ratification. Ngati Ruanui approved the ratification by a majority vote of 87.8 percent of participating adult members of the claimant community who were eligible to vote. On 12 May 2001 the Crown and Ngati Ruanui entered into a deed of settlement. Throughout the negotiations members of Ngati Ruanui representing some members of Tangahoe and Pakakohi in particular and in some cases members of Hamua Hapotiki and Ngati Tupaia hapu have opposed the settlement. That opposition has related mainly to the inclusion of the Tangahoe and Pakakohi claims in the Ngati Ruanui settlement. 
I am positive that all in this House would dearly love to have these claims settled for once and for all so that people can move on after an arduous time-span of negotiations. But I ask the question: what of the concerns of Pakakohi and Tangahoe? Are their claims valid enough given that many submissions were before the Maori Affairs Committee towards the end of the year 2002? Crown policy is that it is for claimants to decide who will represent them and how to select those representatives. Representatives are selected through an open and a transparent process and only when certain criteria are met will the Crown recognise the mandate of a claimant group. Those criteria are for instance that the mandate process was open and transparent was representative of all claims and descent groups has wide support from the claimant community and represents a large natural grouping of claimants’ interests. Those factors and many others all require careful judgments by officials and ultimately by Ministers. There will invariably be opposition to any mandate recognition decision. What the Crown needs to be certain of is that a clear majority of the marae hapu and claimant community members support the mandate and that those who do not are still able to participate in the process. 
After considering the Office of Treaty Settlements and Te Puni Kokiri assessments in April 1988 Cabinet decided to recognise the working-party’s mandate to represent Ngati Ruanui including Pakakohi and Tangahoe. I ask members to allow me to add that as long as there is division amongst the people how can we live together as a nation? New Zealand First recognises the mana of those concerned and that it has always been part and parcel of Maori make-up. But for the moment I ask that we look at the common sense of these issues. After all we are whanau and hapu is an extension of the whanau concept. I am sure that for the sake of peace for our tamariki and mokopuna all the parties concerned can sit down together in a spirit of tranquillity and negotiate an amicable agreement that would be profitable for all. 
New Zealand First supports the bill but we also recommend very strongly that the leadership of Ngati Ruanui Pakakohi and Tangahoe and others whom I may have omitted gather together on their maraes of abode and negotiate a peaceful and satisfying agreement. I believe that this can and will be done within the confines and wairua of our tupuna. New Zealand First would be happy to facilitate that if required in order to bring these matters to finality. I am sure that the sore that may burst can be cured. Kei te kata koe. 
[ 
You are laughing 
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To Ngati Ruanui and all the hapu concerned I say the bill has been before the Waitangi Tribunal. It has been before the select committee along with all the submissions for and against it and we know and feel those concerns and the heritage that is represented there. The indications are that this bill will receive the stamp of approval. My question will be bandied around amongst many: where to from here? Taku whakahoki ki tena patai kei a koutou tena. My reply to that query is that it is now over to the hapu. New Zealand First endorses and will support this bill and hopes that all will proceed for the good of all hapu. No reira ki a tatou ki a koutou nga rangatira o Ngati Ruanui tena koutou. Tena koutou i tae mai nei koutou ki te whakarongo ki nga korero e whakawhitiwhiti ana i waenganui i nga mema o tenei Whare. To those of Ngati Ruanui I thank them for being present and listening to the conversations and the debate that has been going on this evening. Greetings to us all.