Brownlee Gerry: Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi Claims Settlement Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Brownlee Gerry: Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi Claims Settlement Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:627;Page:21880] 
GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) 
: 
 This is the part that deals with the settlement of the historic claims. Interestingly one of the opening statements suggests that this settlement is effected under the deed of settlement. Basically it is saying that no other enactment in Parliament can get in the road of this settlement. 
However I refer the Committee to the contributions made earlier by the Hon Georgina te Heuheu and Mr Pita Paraone. They talked about the issue of whangai—adoption—and in particular the issue of adoption outside the strict blood lines of Nga Rauru Kitahi. This issue came up before the select committee and we did have discussions with the Minister. The Minister said tonight that perhaps it was something that would be dealt with at another time and that we needed to think of another way of doing this. 
It seems rather strange to me that there can be a settlement of a grievance held by a group of people who have a very clear blood connection to another group of people who were wronged some time in the past and that that settlement can then be shared by someone who is adopted into the family. I would like the Minister to explain why the Government feels that this will not be a problem in the future. It is all very well to say in this part of the bill that this is where it all becomes full and final if in fact the gate has been left open and there is a feeling inside the settling group that something was imposed upon them. After all that is why we are here in the first place. 
I also want to enter in the  
Hansard 
 record the other side of that story which is that quite clearly Nga Rauru Kitahi have accepted this part of the settlement. They have said: “OK fair enough. The Government of the day insists on this. We want our settlement and so this is what we are prepared to run with.” If that is the case then the Minister will surely be able to assure the House of that particular fact. There is no point in creating new grievance inside a settlement bill. 
Earlier this evening the Hon Richard Prebble said that some years out from now the actual cash amount being settled would seem quite small. What is most important here is the process that has gone on. Unlike other settlements there has supposedly been a much better process here to reach this point. We are supposed to be certain that Nga Rauru Kitahi are happy comfortable and completely accepting of the full and final nature of the settlement. 
 So it is not unreasonable for the Committee to point to this concern and it would be reasonable of the Minister to reassure us about it. Because it does seem odd that Part 2 which refers to the meaning of Nga Rauru Kitahi and what it is to be part of that group and Part 3 which refers to the settlement of historical claims and miscellaneous matters and makes it clear that no other Act could get in the road of this settlement could cause quite a degree of angst among the claimant group. 
I know about this from sitting at the select committee table and hearing Maori members with similar connections to their own iwi groups express quite vocally their concerns about the issue. It is not in any way nitpicking; it is very very important. The Minister owes the Committee an explanation at this point because it is undeniable that once this bill is passed some rights will be lost.