Little AndrewAHURIRI HAPŪ CLAIMS SETTLEMENT BILLSecond ReadingHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): I present a legislative statement on the Ahuriri Hapū Claims Settlement Bill.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I move That the Ahuriri Hapū Claims Settlement Bill be now read a second time. This bill gives effect to the deed of settlement between the Crown and Ahuriri Hapū signed on 2 November 2016 so it's taken some time to get here. The deed as you would expect settles all of the historical Treaty claims relating to Ahuriri Hapū. In that respect it comprises historical redress which records the Crown's breaches and past injustices; cultural redress acknowledging the connections to land and resources of significance to Ahuriri Hapū; relationship redress which builds new connections with the Crown local authorities and other groups; and finally financial and commercial redress which provides the basis for a strong economic base for the future.In March 2020 after the first reading of this bill it was referred to the Māori Affairs Committee and it might just help the House to explain that gap between signing the deed in November 2016 and a bill not coming back to the House until March 2020. There were some internal issues with Mana Ahuriri some issues that one or two hapū had raised particularly about the election process. It was the subject of a complaint to the Waitangi Tribunal. On that basis the Crown respects the jurisdiction of the tribunal and takes no further action. The tribunal found that there were issues in relation to the election of trustees and made some recommendations one of which was that the bill be introduced but on the proviso that the trustees open their positions up for election. There was ultimately an agreement reached between myself and the trustees that that would happen. On that basis I introduced the bill for its first reading. Then there was a period where the trustees took the view that they didn't have to hold an election. And so there was a stand-off to be perfectly honest. More recently the trustees decided that they should conduct the elections that both the tribunal had recommended and that I had reached agreement with the trustees about. Those elections are now in progress. The nominations closed just recently. So ballot papers will go out and on that basis we're now in a position to look at the bill again following the select committee's consideration of it. The committee opened for written submissions in March last year closed in May 2020. There were 16 submissions in support of the bill. Three opposed the bill and 14 referred to the trustee elections issue and wanted that to happen prior to passage of the legislation. So that has now happened and amidst all that we were dealing with COVID-19. The committee heard nine oral submissions and they were heard in Napier in June 2020 so the Māori Affairs Committee heard those—and as I think we'll no doubt hear from the chair they were very appreciative of hearing from those who made submissions. I want to thank the committee for its consideration and deliberations of the bill. I think the committee was chaired by Rino Tirikatene at that time. He has been succeeded by the erstwhile and diligent Tāmati Coffey who is running the committee in exceptional fashion. The bill was reported back in August last year and we now have it before us. Those trustee elections as promised are now under way and so the people of Ahuriri Mana Ahuriri can be sure that what was required by the tribunal and what was agreed to with me is now happening and they can be sure that as we progress the bill the trustees will be those who have the confidence of their people so that by the time we get to the third reading when redress is then placed in the stewardship of the trustees they will be the trustees fully accountable to and with the confidence of their people.I'll just refer briefly to the historical account. This is always a very important part of any deed and of any bill. The committee responded to submissions about some aspects of the historical account in the bill. There are some submitters who sought to amend the description of events that took place at Ōmarunui and Herepoho. At that event in 1866 the Crown initiated hostilities when it attacked Māori at Ōmarunui and Herepoho. Thirty Māori died defending themselves against the Crown attacks which were launched before the Crown had made a reasonable attempt to negotiate a continuation of the peace in the district. The Crown captured Ngāti Matepū and Ngāti Māhu people during the conflict and imprisoned them on the Chatham Islands without trial and in harsh conditions. The events are complex because some hapū of Ahuriri fought with the Crown and some fought against the Crown. But as is the case with Treaty settlements generally the historical account focuses on the Crown's actions not Ahuriri Hapū members. The attack on Ōmarunui is significant because of the grievance that it created for the descendants of those who were attacked and therefore to supplement the historical account in the Ahuriri Hapū deed of settlement officials have been working with the parties to record and publish the separate accounts of those events. That work is still due for completion and I look forward to seeing that when that happens. So this second reading now brings us a step closer to concluding these issues. For Mana Ahuriri it has been a long time from the time the claims were lodged and then negotiated the hiatus we've seen since November 2016 but we are nearly there. There will be the elections and as soon as possible after those elections are concluded we'll have the third reading. That'll be an occasion I think for great celebration for Mana Ahuriri and that important step in restoring the relationship between the Crown and the iwi. But on that basis I commend this bill to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): The question is that the motion be agreed to.