Hipango HareteHARETE HIPANGO (National): I have the distinct pleasure and privilege of rising for the National Party to take a call as Māori spokesperson—as spokesperson for Māori development. Our words are getting a little bit befuddled this morning but the intention is accurate and on point.So I acknowledge Minister Whaitiri for the contribution to the House today in outlining in meticulous detail what this bill before the House is about. The Māori Purposes Bill came before the Māori Affairs Committee on 25 November 2021: one year and one day ago. So today I'm taking this call. When I first spoke to the bill it was on 16 November—is the note that I have from 2021. And in so doing I rose with the distinct purpose of speaking on this and acknowledging many Māori who had given contributions of a lifetime of service around Māori development. Back on 16 November last year I specifically turned my whakaaro my thoughts and my sentiments towards the whānau of Neville Baker who was a very prominent contributor to te ao Māori in both Government and the private sector.Since that time and before I do turn to the Māori Purposes Bill it is with purpose that I also acknowledge Tā Wira Gardiner Sir Wira Gardiner—again significant contributions of a lifetime of service—Moana Jackson Dame June Jackson and Joe Hawke.And then I turn to the living—and the living importantly is in celebration of the contributions that have been made—again with that specific intent around Māori development. I look over at Minister Whaitiri and it was a privilege to be over in Ngāti Kahungunu for Ahuwhenua Māori farming awards last Friday and very much about the development of the whenua; of te taiao the environment; but also ngā tāngata katoa our Māori farmers in the space that's there. My final acknowledgment with purpose—because it is relevant to Māori development and what this Māori Purposes Bill is about—is having attended the 75th anniversary celebration since the establishment of Hato Paora a Māori boys' Catholic kura in Rangitīkei Feilding. My colleague Ian McKelvie who is the member of Parliament for Rangitīkei also attended in support and acknowledgment of that.I now turn to the bill. Importantly this is an omnibus bill which means that it's an accumulation of several bills enabling minor technical and non-controversial amendments to be made to Māori development legislation. So this Māori Purposes Bill also deals with authorisations transfers and validations in respect of Māori land and property.So Minister Whaitiri addressed the first component of the bill which is proposing amendments to Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993 also known as the Maori Land Act to ensure that the Ruapuha Uekaha Hapū Trust can continue to exist and exercise powers rights and duties in a manner consistent with the 1990 settlement of the Wai—that's the Waitangi Tribunal—51 claim in relation to the Waitomo Caves.I always try and make a point of an association to the people of the area of the whenua. And Waitomo Caves: earlier this year during the recess period in my own time with my husband we travelled up to Ngāti Maniapoto into the area of the Waitomo Caves and met not only in visiting the adventures of Waitomo Caves. For those of us who haven't been there this is one of our national treasures—taonga—that is under the auspices of the authority and the kaitiakitanga of the trustees but also the uri—the descendants—of this Ruapuha Uekaha Hapū Trust. I have here just a little memento of that visit and the memento is capturing some photographs of the time going into the Waitomo Caves. What's interesting too—with this little memento—is a keepsake that I will show in time to my mokopuna because it's an educational tool-kit here: the marvels of nature and learning Māori. Waitomo" is a Māori word made up of two parts: wai which translates as "water"; tomo which means "the entrance" or "the hole". So going into that area and the glow worms there which light up not only the space of the cave but in an enlightenment for those of us having that adventure and that experience. Waitomo Caves: a national treasure.So this bill is about addressing some of the detail around the importance of management and looking after. When I did go to visit Waitomo Caves I engaged with the uri the descendants of the people who are charged and entrusted with looking after this natural asset this taonga but also the visitors—and the international visitors will be flooding and flowing back and engaging and speaking with the local employees all of whom are uri of the trust and the peoples associated with this whenua.The second part of the bill proposes amendments to the Maori Purposes Act 1955 to give the Lake Rotoaira Forest Trust more autonomy and flexibility in managing Lake Rotoaira and its trout fishery. So those who are not familiar with the location of Lake Rotoaira: it is within the rohe—the domains the tribal boundaries—of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. As you're travelling through the national park and you veer off rather than going straight ahead towards Taumarunui turn off to the right travel through the volcanic plateau and that will take you past Lake Rotoaira on your journey up to Lake Taupō into Taupō and around the area of Ngāti Tūwharetoa.The amendments will remove a requirement to hold a trout licence to fish for fish other than trout. So it goes into the specifics as to what is permissible in the management by the local people by the uri of the whenua of Rotoaira Trust; clarifies that a right of entry to the lake without an entry permit does not authorise fishing; and also includes the trustees of Motuopuhi Māori Reservation and their invitees in those listed persons are allowed access to the lake without an entry permit.So the Māori Purposes Bill just goes through and details calibrations in terms of the management the authority the kaitiakitanga of the taonga—the asset—Lake Rotoaira and talks about an increase of outdated low penalties for offences from $100 to $5000.I'm now going to move on to the third part of the bill which proposes technical and non-contentious amendments to the Maori Trust Boards Act 1955. And that again is to do a note that as we've moved into the futurism of technology and how we've Zoomed into this space the provision for electronic voting.It also removes the Māori trust boards from the Cabinet Fees Framework—the Minister has addressed that—provides for resignations of members of the boards to be made in writing to the board and for the board to then notify the Minister for Māori Development rather than for the member to have to resign in writing to the Minister. So these are just some administrative tweaks that go with it. And then as the Minister said the removal of the Taranaki Māori Trust Board annuity payment provision from the Act.Finally—in the one minute 30 seconds left—there is an amendment proposed to the Maori Community Development Act 1962 to require district Māori councils to provide a copy of their audited financial statement directly to the New Zealand Māori Council rather than to the chief executive of Te Puni Kōkiri. So again the Maori Community Development Act my first engagement with that Act was as secretary of the local Aotearoa District Māori Council back in the early 1980s. I remember as a 19-year-old recording the minutes of the kaumātua—none of whom are with us to this day—but those distinct memories now as an older woman in public service in this place and this space draws on the memories of those who have given a service of a time in a bygone era.In closing I spent time over recent weeks with Sir Taihakurei Durie a former Māori Land Court judge Chief Māori Land Court judge High Court judge and a prominent public servant in this realm—in this domain and space—of Māori development and he continues to give service as the president of the New Zealand Māori District Councils. On that note I commend this bill to the House."