Finlayson Christopher: Ngati Manuhiri Claims Settlement Bill Ngati Whatua Orakei Claims Settlement Bill — Procedure First Readings 
Finlayson Christopher: Ngati Manuhiri Claims Settlement Bill Ngati Whatua Orakei Claims Settlement Bill — Procedure First Readings 
[Volume:678;Page:1032] 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) 
: 
 I want to thank the previous speaker Shane Jones for his very generous comments. I really must say that in this exercise I really do appreciate talking both to Shane Jones and to Parekura Horomia. They are great people to discuss these issues with because they are bipartisan issues; they are important issues that the Parliament has to get right.  
I want to welcome those members of Ngati Whatua Orakei and Ngati Manuhiri who have travelled to Parliament for this debate. You may wonder why I was not in the Chamber when Mrs Turia was speaking. It is because I am responsible for the legislation and if I was here things would go wrong so I wanted Mrs Turia to speak. I had to go out and sit in the lobby but I promise you I listened as I always do to every word she said.  
Iwi leaders have to make difficult trade-offs and so I really do appreciate your being here today and I salute your courage and your personal commitment to these settlements. I really want to acknowledge the negotiation teams of both Ngati Manuhiri and Ngati Whatua Orakei who with their dedication their pragmatism and hard work have made these settlements possible. I join with Mrs Turia and Mr Jones in paying tribute to the efforts and struggles of past generations of Ngati Manuhiri and Ngati Whatua Orakei who have sought justice from the Crown and who have contributed to these settlements contained within these bills.  
For Ngati Manuhiri I acknowledge the presence here tonight of Laly Haddon who has pursued the grievances of Ngati Manuhiri against the Crown for over 20 years. It is largely as a result of his leadership that Ngati Manuhiri have reached this settlement. I also pay tribute to Mook Hohneck whose pragmatic and positive engagement with the Crown contributed to what has been as matters go a very speedy negotiation from the time we signed the agreement in principle shortly before Christmas at what I think is now called the Pullman. We managed to have a very rushed meeting and sign that agreement in principle before I think I headed off overseas.  
Sadly Sir Hugh Kawharu of Ngati Whatua Orakei is no longer with us. He was a great New Zealander. He was a scholar and negotiator of very high calibre who led Ngati Whatua Orakei negotiations with the Crown until his death in 2006. From then Grant Hawke has ably taken the helm and in addition to Mr Hawke’s leadership I acknowledge Puawai Rameka Tiwana Tibble Graeme Horsley Don Wackrow—you always have to mention the lawyer—and David Williams. Together they formed a formidable and highly professional negotiations team. I have to tell you now that there were a number of occasions when the Minister of Finance told me to toughen up and deal with them more firmly. Can I acknowledge the role of Sir Douglas Graham. His wisdom and foresight in developing a proposal that laid the foundation for negotiations in the wider Tamaki region has been absolutely critical to the success of both these settlements.  
Today we address the historical grievances of these iwi so that we can all move forward together and develop new relationships based on mutual trust and cooperation. I think that both settlements are going to pave the way for these future relationships and I am very positive about them.  
I do not wish to repeat the matters that Mrs Turia covered in her speech so I want to say something mainly about the redress components of these settlements. First Ngati Whatua Orakei. In November last year at a ceremony at Okahu Bay the people of Ngati Whatua Orakei signed a deed of settlement with the Crown and the bill gives effect to the undertakings by the Crown in the Orakei deed of settlement. It sets out the cultural and historical redress including Crown acknowledgments the apology the historical account a statutory acknowledgment over Crown land held for defence purposes at Kauri Point and Crown land vested for control and management in the Auckland Council at Kauri Point on the North Shore. It contains protocols issued by the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage the Minister of Conservation and the Minister for Economic Development and a letter of recognition from the Minister of Primary Industries regarding participation in and input into the fisheries planning processes and for Ngati Whatua Orakei to become an advisory committee in relation to fishery resources within their primary area of interest.  
The settlement includes commercial redress comprising a quantum of $18 million plus interest less an on-account payment for $2 million received—as Mr Jones said—through the railways settlement in 1993. There is the purchase from the New Zealand Defence Force of the Whakakura block. There is the purchase and lease-back to the New Zealand Defence Force of 5 years of five housing blocks—Beresford Birchfield Hillary Marsden and Plymouth. Redress for Ngati Whatua Orakei over the volcanic cones on the isthmus and islands in the gulf will be provided through the Tamaki collective settlement which as Mrs Turia said is getting very close to being finalised.  
The Ngati Manuhiri Claims Settlement Bill will give effect to the undertakings by the Crown in the Ngati Manuhiri deed of settlement signed at their marae on a beautiful day 21 May 2011. The settlement includes cultural and historical redress. There are the Crown acknowledgments the apology and an account. There is the vesting and gifting back minus 1.2 hectares of Te Hauturu-o-Toi which is a nature reserve and place of enormous significance to Ngati Manuhiri. There is the co-approval by Ngati Manuhiri trustees together with the conservation board of a management plan for the island. There are the provisions for the trustees of the Ngati Manuhiri post-settlement governance entity and the Department of Conservation to approve the removal of stones from the island for cultural purposes and to Nga Whenua Rahui providing for enhanced input into management of specific Department of Conservation - held sites.  
The commercial redress includes a financial redress to the value of $9 million plus interest less an on-account payment of $350000 paid on 22 December 2011; purchase of the Warkworth District Court and Pakiri School which will be leased back to the Crown; and the transfer of South Mangawhai Crown forest licensed land which is subject to the current forest licence and accumulated rentals.  
So the introduction of these bills signals the final stage of the work these great people have done in relation to their iwi. Ngati Whatua Orakei have campaigned for justice for a very very long time and living as they do in the heart of Auckland have had their settlement under considerable public scrutiny which will continue and we can deal with that. Ngati Manuhiri have been less in the public gaze but when the opportunity for negotiation arose were very quick to seek a resolution of their equally longstanding grievances. Both iwi have waited a long time for this day and I believe should be very proud of what they have achieved. So with those words I salute these iwi their leaders and their negotiators and hope that the bill will receive a very rapid process through the Maori Affairs Committee which as I said in an earlier debate I am sure it will because of the outstanding chairmanship and leadership provided by the newly wed Mr Tau Henare.