Cullen Michael: Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
Cullen Michael: Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:650;Page:19103] 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) 
: 
 I move  
That the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time 
. 
Te Arawa tapu Te Arawa mana Te Arawa waka Te Arawa iwi tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. 
[ 
Greetings to you all hallowed Te Arawa powerful Te Arawa Te Arawa canoe and Te Arawa people greetings 
.]  
I greet Te Arawa its mana its chiefs and its people. Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa represents the largest group of people to reach a comprehensive Treaty settlement with the Crown. I acknowledge the tipuna and the iwi and hapu of Te Arawa on whose behalf people are here today who have carried the grievances for so long. I acknowledge the presence of the negotiators and trustees of Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa who represent each of the 11 iwi and hapu of the affiliate Te Arawa and I thank them once again for their perseverance and patience on the long road from the first deed of settlement in 2006 to this last hurdle for this settlement legislation. 
The third reading of this bill is a significant occasion for the Crown and for the people of our country. It was the Hon Margaret Wilson who began in December 2002 the dialogue between the Crown and the central North Island claimants on how Treaty claims in the region could move forward. With the assistance of the Hon David Caygill in the earlier discussions that dialogue reached the stage where mandating and pre-negotiations could begin in mid-2003. After many months of intensive and thorough mandating hui the Kaihautu Executive Council submitted its deed of mandate to the Crown in December 2003 which was duly recognised in April 2004. The Crown and the Executive Council then signed the terms of negotiation. 
Since then much has happened which has led to some delays on the road to the settlement legislation. Much of 2007 was spent considering the findings of the Waitangi Tribunal into the settlement and discussing how best to proceed. However with the entrance into the frame late last year of the Central North Island Iwi Collective which was much welcomed by the Crown there has been significant and positive progress with the affiliate Te Arawa and all central North Island iwi. Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa has made a significant compromise by passing the final decisions about most of its forestry redress over to what would be the largest forestry collective in the country for their benefit and the benefit of other central North Island iwi. In return the Crown has maintained and enhanced the value of the affiliate’s original settlement. 
At this point I am reminded again of a phrase used by Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa’s chief negotiator when confronted with the idea of making major changes to the affiliate Te Arawa deal to accommodate the interests of other central North Island iwi. Rawiri Te Whare in his open-minded response to this proposition from the Crown said: “we are willing to be flexible if the Crown is willing to be generous.” I think both parties performed well in that regard given the wide range of interests and the extremely tight time frames that have been satisfied to reach this point. I also believe that this settlement can be celebrated as a well-tested robust and sustainable deal negotiated with humility and consideration for the affiliate’s neighbouring iwi. 
The Crown has learnt important lessons from this experience and will be infusing those lessons into settlement negotiations into the future. The first lesson is that we can be more flexible within the policy framework around negotiations. The second lesson is that we need flexibility to deal appropriately with a whole region when we negotiate settlements within that region. Because of the success of the affiliate Te Arawa and central North Island settlements we have been able to reach agreements in principle with Ngati Manawa and to begin negotiations with Ngati Makino and Waitaha—indeed we expect to announce agreements in principle with those two groups in the very near future—Tapuika Ngati Rangiwewehi Raukawa and Ngai Tuhoe. With relatively minor adjustments made to the settlement process we have enabled these groups to come to the table at the right time in order to ensure that their interests are protected when we negotiate with their neighbours. This is achieving major results. 
The package in this settlement is substantive. In addition to the quantum of $38.6 million and the entitlement to a similar level of accumulated rentals determined according to the mana whenua process of the central North Island collective the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapu will receive a formal apology from the Crown for historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi an amended financial redress package to reflect Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa’s participation in the central North Island collective settlement the transfer of 19 areas of Crown-owned land of special significance to the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapu and redress that will enable increased input into management over Crown-owned land and protocols with various Government agencies. 
I am very pleased and humbled to acknowledge all those of Te Arawa and the Crown who have worked to make this day possible. In particular I would like to acknowledge Rawiri Te Whare who cannot be here today because he is overseas—taking a well-deserved holiday I hope. But I recognise the other leaders in the gallery today. Rawiri’s tenacity and wisdom and his leadership over the past several years have steered the claim through some very challenging times. I also acknowledge the chairman of Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Eru George. 
I express my thanks to my predecessor the Hon Mark Burton for his commitment to seeking the resolution of Te Arawa’s claims. I am also grateful for the assistance of my colleagues including the Minister of Conservation who has proved flexible yet firm in defence of conservation; the Associate Minister of Finance who has proved firm and then flexible; the Minister of Maori Affairs; and the Associate Ministers in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. I also pay particular tribute to the Crown officials in this case—a joint move between particularly Treasury and the Office of Treaty Settlements led by a very senior Treasury official Mark Jacobs. 
I look forward to seeing this bill becoming law and the formal transfer of redress around the middle of next year in tandem with the central North Island collective settlement. Settlement date for the central North Island collective is 1 July and it is therefore planned that this bill will come into operation on 2 July. Tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa.