Horomia Parekura: Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
Horomia Parekura: Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:624;Page:19326] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 E tikaakeano ki te mihi akeanoi a koutou ngatupakeke o Ngati Awa. Hirini koutou katoa. Ka nui te mihi. E tikaakeano ki te mihi akeano ki a ratoukareikonei ngameakua haere anake ki te wahimahana e mauakeano o tatou tupuna. Ki a koutou moto kaha rawa e mihi kauana. Tena koutou tena koutou. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
It is apt that I acknowledge you once more the elders of Ngati Awa Hirini all of you. It is a huge privilege indeed. It is fitting as well to acknowledge those who are no longer here the ones who have merely gone on to the place that comforts our ancestors. I acknowledge the enormous effort that you have all contributed. Well done and greetings to you all 
.] 
I stand here today in support of the third reading of the Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill. This bill gives effect to the deed of settlement between the Crown and Ngati Awa regarding the final settlement of all Ngati Awa historical claims. The preamble to the bill sets out an agreed historical background. It also includes an acknowledgment of treaty breaches and sets out the Crown apology for those breaches. 
The history of the Ngati Awa claim has already been well documented by my colleague the Hon Mark Burton and I thank him for the effort he has put into his new role in the short time he has held it. I also acknowledge yourself Madam Speaker at this stage just in case I forget for the effort you have put in and for the steadfastness you have shown in coming through this. I acknowledge my colleague Mita Ririnui who is overseas and cannot be here today and sends his best wishes. I acknowledge all those colleagues who supported the great achievements yesterday in this House especially my Maori colleagues; I mihi to them. 
In the bill the Crown acknowledges that the confiscation of approximately 250000 acres of land rendered Ngati Awa virtually landless. This constituted an injustice and was a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi. In the 19th century in particular the treaty was breached with monotonous regularity by New Zealand Governments. Not merely was there a failure to exercise protection; the Crown was at times at the forefront of the process of dispossessing Maori of their language lands culture and much less. 
This Government recognises that putting right these grievances acknowledging wrongs and providing redress is a necessary phase of our history and of moving forward. It is not possible to fully compensate Ngati Awa for all the prejudice and loss they suffered. Settlements must take account of other developments and commitments in our society today. 
It is to the credit of Ngati Awa that they have negotiated with the Crown on the basis of those wider interests. Settlement in the bill includes financial redress of $42.39 million. In addition it recognises that Ngati Awa has traditional historical cultural and spiritual associations with particular places and sites. The bill enables Ngati Awa therefore to exercise kaitiakitanga over those sites and to also take advantage of any commercial management opportunities. 
I would like to commend the Maori Affairs Committee for its thorough examination of the bill and for its commitment to reporting the bill back to the House within a concise 5-month time frame and I commend all of those officials who have supported this historic journey. I congratulate the Maori Affairs Committee on reporting the bill back to this House through the medium of te reo Maori; a recognised language in this House that some people struggle with and get nervous about. I want to say that quite clearly because Ngati Awa people have held on to their language with no help from the Government or from anybody else and the strength in it is recognised. It is as strong as the tenacity that they have shown in the journey towards finalising this settlement on behalf of all their people. This is a significant action particularly when we consider that the Maori language itself was the subject of a landmark claim to the Waitangi Tribunal. That claim resulted in te reo Maori being recognised. 
This bill is not solely about completing a treaty settlement; it is also about building and maintaining the capability of Ngati Awa and ensuring sustainable success in relation to contemporary times. The gathering at the Hui Taumata saw that and I am amazed at times when people discuss the exemption or the ability in relation to governance and management of groups like Ngati Awa. I can certainly assure people that they are more than able to look after their affairs by themselves for themselves and that the Government is sometimes nothing but a conduit to help move them forward which is all it should be. But certainly when nonsense pervades this House in the sense of trying to say that we should study it through exemption because those people are incapable let us wake up and smell the roses. 
The bill strengthens the relationship that exists between the Crown and Ngati Awa. The Ngati Awa people have shown good faith. On this great day which celebrates the great ancestor of people like Mr Brownlee—St Patrick’s Day; the spirit of the Irish— I say that it is fascinating when people say: “Make the Maoris behave themselves and let’s all live like Maori or New Zealanders.” That is right! But when I say to the Scots and the Irish: “Let you all be English.” they get nervous and they stutter. They do not like it and I wonder why. But it is about redress it is about their history and it is about their culture. 
Being a Maori from a small place called Mangatuna I recognise that the Irish will get drunk in the streets of this country and will drink green ale today but they will also celebrate their eponymous ancestor St Patrick. Toroa who is these people’s ancestor and the great people who brought their waka Mataatua here have a lot to celebrate this evening and it is timely that it is on the same day as other people in another country a long long way from here still celebrate their cultural connection their roots and their great ancestor. 
So on behalf of all Maori can I mihi to all the Irish and wish them well for today. I tell them to celebrate widely and I ask the police not to lock them up just because they are merrymaking. I say to the Ngati Awa people that they should remember that on this day that the Irish celebrate they have a lot more to celebrate. I thank my colleagues for supporting the bill. Kia ora.