Delahunty Catherine: Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
Delahunty Catherine: Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:655;Page:4958] 
CATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker. He mihi nui ki a Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. 
[ 
A huge acknowledgment to you Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. 
] 
Acknowledgments and respects to the honoured guests in the gallery. Green MP Metiria Turei is not here today but I as the Pakeha side of the Green Party’s te Tiriti portfolio am humbled to stand and speak in support of the second reading of this bill. I cannot claim to have had any association with it until this moment. However a number of us in this House were born in this city. We went to school here we had tertiary education here and we made our lives here. My own family lived in a suburb here for 55 years but at no time in my youth was there ever any Pakeha recognition or acknowledgment that we stood on Maori land. We also purportedly studied New Zealand history and the activities of the New Zealand Company in Te Upoko o Te Ika. We were taught that the company was a heroic entrepreneurial trailblazer in the acquisition of lands on which to build Wellington City. The real history of this land alienation process has been well summarised in some excellent first reading speeches made by members on all sides of the House. I include the comments of Green MP Sue Kedgley who as a former Wellington City councillor identified that the process of justice is vital not only for the future of tangata whenua but for Wellington’s peoples as a whole. 
It is exhausting and overwhelming to contemplate the last 21 years of painstaking research and remembering and of documenting and advocating for this claim. I acknowledge all of those who led that process towards justice. The Green Party particularly acknowledges the damage done to the resource base of tangata whenua of Te Upoko o Te Ika by the pollution of their resources through urban development and particularly sewage. That pollution is not only a pollution of food sources and wahi tapu; it is a pollution of identity and collective human rights of cultural relationships and spiritual well-being. My own culture and our addiction to “flush and forget” has dumped sewage down the drains and sent it to that magical and mythical realm called “away”. The hurt and te Tiriti breaches in just that one failure to manage human waste has led to deep and long-term effects. Of course there are many other issues associated with this bill with the history of invalid land deals the tenths issues the theft of land for reclamation and the violation of wahi tapu throughout the rohe. 
However this settlement offers some positive resolution in terms of a journey towards tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake. It is not perfect as we have heard. No dealing with the consequences of colonisation can be called perfect. They need constant re-evaluation by all parties. But I would like to briefly speak of one matter that touched my heart when I heard some of the speeches made today. It was the matter of forgiveness. The Crown’s apologising which happens quite a lot with claims has become standard. But something unique happened which is both customary and groundbreaking in the tangata whenua giving their forgiveness. There is no healing without forgiveness and without a return of resources and an offer of apology but the acceptance of that apology is profound. We are blessed in this country that tangata whenua can continue to offer forgiveness when we actually return very little in terms of economic cultural social or spiritual resources. From now on how well we play our part in this city in recognising the Treaty relationship is a responsibility for the Crown and all citizens but Taranaki Whanui have taught us much through this process and the Crown and tangata Tiriti katoa need now to give our thanks to them. I am proud to support the second reading of this bill. Kia ora koutou.