Finlayson Christopher: Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki Claims Settlement Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFinlayson Christopher: Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 24 May 2016. Volume:714;Page:11208. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): I am very pleased to take a call to support the first reading of this bill which like other Tauranga bills has been many years in the making. To those in the gallery who have come to witness the long-awaited and historic day I welcome you to Parliament. Tēnā koutou. Can I say that it is great to see our former colleague Mita Ririnui back in the House today.The signing of this deed of settlement in 2013 signalled the completion of all settlements with the three Tauranga Moana iwi. The bill follows the introduction of the other two Tauranga Moana bills the Tauranga Moana Iwi Collective Redress and Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Ranginui Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Pūkenga Claims Settlement Bill. I spoke at the first readings of both those bills on 14 April and it was a great pleasure for us parliamentarians to host Ngāi Te Rangi for that occasion along with the other Tauranga Moana iwi. It is fitting for the three Tauranga Moana iwi who began their Treaty settlement journey all those years ago to be basically at the same stage in the legislative process. Despite the time that has been taken to get to this point I never had any doubt that we would get there and that is why I am so pleased to see representatives of the iwi in the gallery and I hope they agree with me that it has been worth the wait.An unusual feature of this settlement is that there are two entities mandated to negotiate the settlement of Ngāi Te Rangi’s claims. We have got Te Runanga o Ngāi Te Rangi and the Ngā Pōtiki a Tamapahore Trust. In October 2008 the Crown recognised the mandate of Te Runanga o Ngāi Te Rangi to negotiate a settlement of the historical Treaty claims for nine of the 10 Ngāi Te Rangi hapū. Then in May 2011 the Crown recognised the mandate of the trust to represent the Ngā Pōtiki claimant community in negotiations of their historical Treaty claims as part of the Ngāi Te Rangi negotiations with the rūnanga. I want to take a moment to commend the Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki negotiators and trustees for the way in which they worked together at one table to negotiate with the Crown. It was indeed an unusual arrangement to have two mandated groups negotiating at the one Treaty settlement table with the Crown but they managed this relationship with professionalism and with manaakitanga for each group’s aspirations.In June 2013 Cabinet approved the Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki settlement package and the agreement in principle was signed on 28 June 2013. The team was determined to try to achieve the signing of a deed of settlement in 2013 and they did keep the pressure on the Crown to achieve this and eventually it was signed on 14 December 2013 on a typically fine Tauranga Saturday morning.This bill will give legislative effect to the final agreements on the redress as set out in the deed. The historical claims of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki primarily relate to the Crown-initiated military conflict in Tauranga in 1864 which was in breach of the Treaty and its principles. The claims also relate to the ensuing confiscation or raupatu the Crown purchase of the Te Puna - Katikati block the imposition of native land laws in Tauranga Moana Crown purchasing methods in the Tauranga district in the 1880s and 1890s the compulsory acquisition of uneconomic interests and inevitably—and I say this every debate on a settlement bill—public works takings. As a result of these actions Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki are virtually landless retaining only approximately 2 percent of their rohe with their cultural landscapes and seascapes compromised and diminished.As we know it is not possible to compensate Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki fully for the loss suffered as a result of the Crown’s acts and omissions but hopefully the financial and commercial redress provided seeks to recognise those losses. Commercial redress includes quantum of $26.5 million plus interest to Ngāi Te Rangi and $3 million to Ngā Pōtiki plus interest land-banked properties commercial redress properties sale and leaseback properties and rights of first refusal in relation to the disposal of Crown land. Cultural redress includes the vesting and joint vesting of sites of cultural and historical significance to Ngāi Te Rangi. It also includes changes to official geographic names and statutory acknowledgments over areas that are of great significance.Ngāi Te Rangi can trace their origins to the Mātaatuawaka. They have had a long and varied history of war and migration. By the 18th century they had become known as Ngāi Te Rangihouhiri named after their leader who along with his brother Tamapahore led their people through turbulent times and to the area they now call home. I am sure that both those tūpuna would be very proud indeed of the way the negotiators and trustees have fought hard to achieve the best settlement possible for future generations of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki.I want to acknowledge all those who have supported the settlement those who are with us today and those who have since passed. I particularly want to acknowledge those who championed the claims at the tribunal through to the whānau the marae and the rūnanga workers who quietly slaved behind the scenes to support the work of others.A person of more recent times it is appropriate to acknowledge is Matiu Dickson. Matiu came from the Ngāi Te Rangi hapū of Ngāi Tūkairangi. He was a man of many talents who made an important contribution to Māori education and to iwi politics. These talents included being a law lecturer at the University of Waikato serving as a Tauranga city councillor being a board member of Pharmac and being a judge for Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival competitions. He had a particular skill in bringing people together and forging a shared sense of understanding when it came to Treaty of Waitangi aspirations. As one of the Ngāi Te Rangi negotiators his skills in this area were critical to reaching this point and I acknowledge his contribution.I particularly want to acknowledge the chief Crown negotiator for the three negotiations in Tauranga Dame Patsy Reddy. She oversaw the work on this settlement and was instrumental in the completion of all the Treaty settlements in the region. I take this opportunity to wish her all the best for her next role and I hope as indeed she hopes she is in the chair to sign into law the Tauranga settlement bills. On that day I hope we can all have a great party—all of us—up at Government House.Finally I want to thank my ministerial colleagues the officials from the Office of Treaty Settlements and officials from the various agencies for all the work they have done to make this settlement possible. I consider the bill should proceed without delay to the Māori Affairs Committee and thus I commend the bill to the House.