Paraone Pita: Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Paraone Pita: Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:648;Page:16830] 
PITA PARAONE (NZ First) 
: 
A tena koe Madam Assistant Speaker tena hoki tatou o te Whare nei. Ka huri nga mihi ki a Arawa waka Arawa tangata tena koutou. Tena koutou i tae mai ki roto o te Whare nei koutou hoki e noho tonu ki te wa kainga a puta noa i te motu i are taringa mai i matakitaki mai hoki. Tena hoki koutou nga kaikawe o te kaupapa nei ara ko Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa. E tika ana kia tukuna atu nga mihi hoki ki nga hunga o koutou i rupeke ki tua o Paerau mai i te wa tuatahi i takoto mai tenei kaupapa ki mua i te aroaro o te taraipiunara me te Karauna hoki tae noa ki tenei wa. Ka ea te wahi ma ratou. Ka hoki mai ki a tatou nga maramara o ratou a tihewa mauri ora. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Greetings to you Madam Assistant Speaker and to us this House. Greetings turn now to the Te Arawa canoe and the people of Te Arawa: greetings to you collectively. Salutations to you who have arrived here in this House you as well who have remained back home as well as those of you listening in and watching. Acknowledgments also to those responsible for this proposal Te Pumautanga. It is fitting as well to acknowledge the ones amongst you who have passed away from the time this proposal was first placed before the tribunal and the Crown to the present time. The part for them has been fulfilled. We come back to us their splinters and behold the sneeze of life 
.] 
Like the member from Rotorua I too have to declare not so much a conflict of interest as a vested interest. Although I am from the north I know our Te Arawa relatives will know that there is a connection. While I will not be a direct beneficiary of this bill I think it is important that I acknowledge that link. Na reira aku whanaunga karanga maha tena koutou. 
[ 
So to my relatives of many callings greetings to you collectively. 
] 
If the Rotorua lakes settlement legislation was the first course then this bill is certainly the second. Tomorrow we will receive the dessert with the third course to be signed. It is important that I should articulate the names of the iwi and hapu that this settlement concerns. Although this has already been done I thought there may have been an oversight on the part of the speaker who mentioned the particular tribes. So I will now articulate the names of those hapu and iwi: Ngati Ngararanui including Ngati Tamahika and Ngati Tuteaiti Ngati Kearoa Ngati Tuara Ngati Tura - Ngati Te Ngakau Ngati Te Roro o Te Rangi Ngati Tuteniu Ngati Uenukukopako Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao Ngati Tahu - Ngati Whaoa and Ngati Pikiao. I say Ngati Pikiao excluding Ngati Makino. I do so because that is what is actually written in the bill. Also included are Ngati Rongomai and Ngati Tarawhai. 
As I read the bill I see that all this covers 75 different claims. It also signals what I regard as being a very important and special issue—something that will give a lot of satisfaction to those who argue the case for hapu as I do. Given that in many cases it was representatives of hapu who signed the Treaty I am of the view that it is only proper that settlements are made with hapu as well. This bill reflects the revised deed of settlement between Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa representing the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapu and the Crown. It has been said that this result will lay the foundation for settlements throughout the region. Of course this has yet to be proven. The affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapu has a membership of approximately 24000 and it asserts interest in an area of over 500000 hectares a large portion of which is licensed Crown forest land. 
Like many other iwi negotiators in this area of Treaty of Waitangi settlements Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa have had to exercise determination patience and flexibility. The deed of settlement which has already been articulated by previous speakers includes a formal apology from the Crown to the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapu for historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi; an amended financial redress package to reflect the participation of Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa in the Central North Island Collective; the transfer of 19 areas of Crown-owned land of special significance to the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapu; redress that will enable increased input into management over Crown-owned land; and protocols with certain Government agencies. 
The revised settlement no longer includes redress over forestry assets. Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa have agreed that their historical claims to the central North Island forests will be settled in any future Central North Island Collective settlement. Such settlements I understand will be signed this week and the subsequent bill will be introduced soon thereafter. I am pleased that this agreement to delay their claim to these forests has been recognised by way of enhancement to their claim in that particular matter. 
As I mentioned arriving at this stage has needed patience determination and some flexibility. The process has not been without some angst between some of the claimants. It can be said that much of this has been brought on by the dual process available to claimants. I refer to the tribunal hearing and direct negotiation with the Crown. Given the time that these claims have taken to get to a settlement the dual process was perhaps seen as a way to reduce the time from when the claims were lodged and the actual settlement. 
Of course one could argue that this process has been brought on by the haste to complete the Treaty claims by 2010. However I understand that the tribunal process by being run in parallel with direct negotiations actually split some hapu into two groups. Separate research units that were set up were very soon at odds with each other for a number of reasons. The claim was lodged and allocated a Wai number when the tribunal announced it would start the inquiry. Approaches were made to go into direct negotiations at the same time. When a mandate was canvassed a rival group obtained the mandate to negotiate the settlement immediately thereby triggering the long-running dispute that probably contributed in no small measure to the time it has taken for the bill to get to this stage. 
The fact that we are now seeing the introduction of this bill into the House today certainly suggests to me that most of the conflict has been sorted out. However should any conflict still remain the select committee process is an opportunity to deal with it so that the settlement is not compromised. I am therefore suggesting that some changes may have to be made to ensure that any matter caused by the process that has a claimant group feeling disadvantaged does not leave that claimant group feeling as such. We in New Zealand First would not want to see any substantial conflict remain with what we regard as a very important bill to Te Arawa iwi and hapu and indeed to New Zealand. To this end I invite any individual or group affected by this settlement to participate in the process in order that the select committee can also give regard to their concerns. 
New Zealand First supports the bill being referred to a select committee and looks forward to giving further consideration to it which will allow interested parties to present any concerns they may hold. This bill will when legislated assist in allowing affiliate iwi and hapu of Te Arawa to move from grievance to focus on economic and social development. 
Before I sit down I take the opportunity to acknowledge the chief negotiator Rawiri Te Whare for the good work that he has done and that has been acknowledged by the Minister. I also acknowledge the chairman of the Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Eru George who under trying conditions has had to steer the group to be able to reach this stage. Just as important I acknowledge the former chairman of Te Arawa Maori Trust Board Anaru Rangiheuea. His efforts in guiding that particular board on behalf of his people have been recognised by his recent award of a Queen’s honour. Here we have a gentleman who as a consequence of the change in processes of settling claims has continued after the termination of the Te Arawa Maori Trust Board to maintain an interest and to serve his people in a manner that can be expected only of one born into leadership. 
Na reira e te rangatira horekau e mohio mehemea kei konei koe i te ra nei engari ka mihi hoki ki a koe. Nau nei i arahi te iwi o Te Arawa tae atu ki te wa i hangangia Te Pumautanga. Tua atu i tena e Eru kei a koe te rakau i aianei na.  
[ 
So to you the chief I am not sure whether you are here today but I acknowledge you and the part that you played in leading the people of Te Arawa up to the creation of Te Pumautanga. Further to that I acknowledge you Eru. You have that leading role now 
.] 
No reira I just reiterate that New Zealand First will certainly be supporting the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill going to the select committee and through all its stages. Kia ora ano tatou.