Paraone Pita: Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko  o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Paraone Pita: Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko  o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:650;Page:19150] 
PITA PARAONE (NZ First) 
: 
 Tena koe Madam Assistant Speaker a tena hoki koe nga uri o Te Ati Awa Ngati Tama Taranaki Ngati Ruanui koutou nga iwi mai i te rohe o Taranaki ara ko Ngati Mutunga koutou katoa i hakatau mai ki tenei Whare i runga i te kaupapa a hakahuihui mai i a tatou ara ko te pire e ki nei Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill. Engari i mua i te haerenga o toku korero e hiahia ana au kia mihi atu ki nga rangatira i kawe mai i tenei kaupapa mo nga iwi i hakahuangia e au i tenei wa. No reira e Ta Paora Ahorangi Ngatata Love Kara Puketapu Neville Baker Mark Te One June Jackson Liz Mellish Dawn McConnell Spencer Carr me Kevin Amohia tena koutou katoa. 
[ 
Greetings to you Madam Assistant Speaker and to you the descendants of Te Ati Awa Ngati Tama Taranaki Ngati Ruanui and those of you also of Ngati Mutunga of the Taranaki region all of you who have gathered together in this House as well as us in regard to the Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill. But before I continue with my address I want to acknowledge the leaders Sir Paul Professor Ngatata Love Kara Puketapu Neville Baker Mark Te One June Jackson Liz Mellish Dawn McConnell Spencer Carr and Kevin Amohia who brought this matter before us on behalf of the iwi groups whom I mentioned earlier. Congratulations to you all 
.]  
As is my practice particularly with regard to Treaty settlements such as the one the Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill relates to I declare a vested interest by way of both whakapapa and an association with some of the principals involved in the negotiations with the Crown. I know that it 
probably causes some alarm when I make mention of whakapapa. Well I say I have a niece who descends from Hineamaru the eponymous ancestress of Ngati Hine. She will certainly be a beneficiary of the settlement by virtue of her birthright within Taranaki whanui. So I declare that relationship by way of whakapapa. 
In terms of association I will list a number of names of people in the group that is responsible for bringing this bill to the stage that it is at today. I particularly make reference to Kara Puketapu Ngatata Love and Neville Baker because prior to coming here to this House I was an employee of the Department of Maori Affairs and both Kara Puketapu and Ngatata Love were chief executive officers of that department during that time. Also a senior manager Neville Baker was one of my senior officers. In fact all three I would suggest have contributed to my development in terms of an involvement in Maori development. So I just acknowledge that association. 
This bill follows a number of milestones that have led to this settlement which have included the recognition by the Crown of the mandate of the Port Nicholson Block claims team to negotiate the historical claims of the Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika in January 2004. In July 2004 terms of negotiation were signed and an agreement in principle was subsequently signed in December 2007 leading to the signing of the deed of settlement that took place last month at Pipitea Marae. I had the pleasure of being in attendance to witness that important occasion. As was pointed out on that occasion the signing of the deed of settlement was a critical point in the journey toward cultural social and economic rejuvenation for Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and this bill is further progress in that journey. It should be noted that it has taken 21 years to settle what has essentially been 168 years of grievance for this iwi group. 
When making reference to the time that has been taken to complete settlements reference is often made to the number of iwi members who have passed on since claims were first lodged. E ki nei te korero ahakoa kei te ngaro ratou ki te tirohanga kanohi kei konei wa ratou wairua i waenganui i tatou i te ra nei. It is said that although they are lost to our sight they are present in spirit. Of course this settlement is no different from others in that regard. However it has been pointed out as an alternative observation that the progress of this settlement has seen seven elections seven Governments six different Prime Ministers a number of Ministers responsible for Treaty negotiations and “a parade of officials too numerous to count.” For me what has tremendous relevance when compared with other settlements is that the parties to this bill—that is the Crown and the mandated representatives—are actually based in the same town over which the settlement traverses yet it has taken as long as this to reach this point. 
This bill is not only significant for Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika but also for the wider Wellington community. The previous speaker from National Georgina te Heuheu articulated that importance for the local economy. The bill also has a uniqueness about it that I believe sets it apart from other Treaty settlements in that a sense of divine influence is intrinsic to the bill. I refer of course to the statement of forgiveness from Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika to the Crown for breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi incurred by the Crown. The adage “To err is human to forgive divine” is certainly exemplified in that statement. 
The settlement includes a cultural redress package that features the transfer of a number of sites of cultural significance to the iwi some of which will retain the access rights presently enjoyed by the general public. I know that the previous speaker made reference to being privy to some proposed plans for Shelly Bay. I cannot comment on that; unfortunately New Zealand First has not been privy to those plans. But suffice it to say it indicates the commitment that Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika has made in terms of its contribution to the development and the well-being of the local community. 
I understand that a number of hui involving iwi members were held to consider this settlement package and that there was support to accept the settlement. There were 7120 registered adult members eligible to vote of whom 2634 cast valid votes. Of that number approximately 2597 voted in favour of accepting the terms of the deed of settlement. That shows just how effective the negotiating team has been in terms of articulating the details of the settlement but it also affirms the acceptance of the people of Taranaki of the quantum of this settlement. For whatever reason it can be seen that a number of eligible iwi members did not vote. The select committee process will afford them a further opportunity to have a say and I hope they will avail themselves of it and express their views. Again I acknowledge the leadership that has been exercised by iwi representatives in this process. 
New Zealand First supports the first reading of this bill. Kia ora.