Potaka TamaTE PIRE MŌ Ō-RĀKAU TE PAE O MAUMAHARA/Ō-RĀKAU REMEMBRANCE BILLFirst ReadingHon TAMA POTAKA (Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti): I present a legislative statement on Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau Te Pae o Maumahara/Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Greg O'Connor): That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.Hon TAMA POTAKA: I move That Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau Te Pae o Maumahara/Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill be now read for the first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau Te Pae o Maumahara/Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill.Tahi ka riri toru ka whā. Matamata hopukia homai rā to whiri kia hatoro kaha kia wetewetea wetewetea wetewetea. Ara tū ara te ara tau.Kingi Tiare te tuatoru kia piki te ora ki a koe. Kingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te wherowhero te tuawhiti kia tau te tōmairangi o te atawhai a te wāhi ngaro ki runga i a koe. Kei ngā ruruhi koroheke hungawai hungarei tāokete auwahine tuakana tuahine me ngā ranga takapū kua ahu mai kua kawe mai i ngā pōtae maha o te rohe pōtae. Nau mai haere mai tomo mai piki mai ki tō koutou Whare tēnei te Whare Pāremata o Aotearoa Niu Tireni.[King Charles III speedy recovery to you. King Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero the seventh allow the love and light of the spirit realm to be placed upon you. To the elders the inlaws the mothers and fathers brothers and sisters and the multitudes who have brought the many hats here from the region of hats. Welcome welcome welcome to your House this House the Parliament of New Zealand.]In October last year the Crown together with Maniapoto Raukawa and Waikato-Tainui signed te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga mō Ō-Rākau te Pae o Maumahara/the Deed of Agreement Relating to the Ō-Rākau Site near Parawera Marae and Kihikihi. That deed set out that the Crown would transfer the Ō-Rākau site to ngā tūpuna Ō-Rākau the ancestors of Ō-Rākau who were either present during the battle or had prior connections to the whenua. I attended the 160th year commemorations at Ō-Rākau earlier this month. The depth of feeling the wairua expressed by tangata whenua and others who were at that event underscores the importance of the legislation now before the House.I acknowledge the names of the many wreaths that adorn our walls today and our celebration last week of Anzac Day. Throughout 2024 events have also commemorated other battles including Rangiaowhia Pukehinahina and soon Tauranga. These commemorations are important to note as a reminder that Ō-Rākau sits within the broader story history and herstory of the New Zealand Wars—places like Te Ngutu o te Manu Waitara Te Pōrere Rangiriri Waerenga-a-Hika Moutoa Puketutu Ōhaeawai Kororāreka Ruapekapeka Wairau and Ngātapa.The Battle of Ō-Rākau was a pivotal moment in Māori resistance to Crown military action and a significant event in the story of our nation. Three hundred iwi defenders occupied Ō-Rākau when it was encircled by 1400 British troops and of course the architect himself Hitiri Te Paerata and his whanaunga Te Manga and others. Millions of people know about the Spartan 300 and I hope more people come to know about the Ō-Rākau 300. The attack lasted for three days. Estimates are that half of the pā occupants were killed. In the face of difficult odds those remaining refused to surrender and instead made a daring escape from the pā in the midst of the afternoon. The courage and sacrifice of those at Ō-Rākau indicates the strength of the Kīngitanga and whanaungatanga between those iwi and other iwi who came to tautoko at Ō-Rākau. The British Army te ope kātua o Piritine stopped its advance at the Pūniu River just to the south of the battlefield.Three Treaty settlements have recognised the battle of Ō-Rākau—Raukawa Tūwharetoa and Maniapoto—and the Crown actions in the Waikato which caused the loss of life the confiscation of land often referred to as the raupatu" and intergenerational pain were unjust in a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi the Treaty of Waitangi its principles and its promise. Returning the Ō-Rākau whenua recognises its importance to the many iwi who have connections there and of course its importance to the nation.The battle has often been remembered as an example of heroism and sheroism and courage against the odds. The release of Rewi's Last Stand both in its silent and talky version glossed over the significance of this battle and the impacts long-standing on our whānau. Many remember the fine kōrero kīanga of Rewi Maniapoto:E hoa ka whawhai tonu mātou. Āke! Āke! Āke![Friend we will fight on for ever for ever and for ever!]And also the declaration from Te Ahumai Mai when offered safe passage for the wāhine and tamariki rangatahi that they would die alongside their men their whānau. These compelling stories have often meant that we have largely overlooked the broader impact of warfare and raupatu and the intergenerational responsibility that we have to never forget what happened. The importance and gravity of what happened at Ō-Rākau was not lost is not lost and will never be lost. Important stories about the battle have been cared for stored in the homes of descendants like Aunty Bubbles and others spoken on the marae of groups who have fought and composed and performed in waiata and haka across stages throughout the motu. I just want to say a big mihi to Mōtai Tangata Rau and others at the Tainui kapa haka festival over the weekend especially Te Pae Kahurangi.Until recently at a national level few students have learnt about the New Zealand Wars but curriculum media and new film coverage are pathways for our tamariki for our rangatahi for our rangatakapu to understand the importance of Ō-Rākau and the impact it had locally and nationally. And I cannot go without mentioning and acknowledging the kōtiro and the rangatahi of Ōtorohanga College for their mahi over a decade ago to bring the petition forward and bring these kōrero to life for the nation.E mihi ana ki ērā rangatahi i tēnei wā. Ā tēnā pea kua mātua haere kua ranga tapu haere.[I acknowledge those esteemed leaders. And maybe they have reached their zenith.] The petition's goal: educating the history. I wanted to acknowledge the Battle of Ō-Rākau Heritage Society and particularly Te Kaawhia Muraahi koutou e taku matua your whanaunga that in 2011 established the society to commemorate the 150th anniversary—I acknowledge your mahi.At the 150th-year commemorations 10 years ago Prime Minister John Key—and it was serendipitous to see John Key here today; Sir John Key was here this afternoon—said that the Government would investigate a purchase of the land. The Hon Kiritopa Finlayson and others ensured that in 2015 that purchase was undertaken. Labour-led Governments over the past few years have progressed this mahi.E mihi ana ki a koutou Pēni koutou ko tō koutou tira nā koutou tēnei waka i whakaputa ki waho moana. I tēnei wā kua riro ki ahau kia kore e riro mā te korokoro o te Parata. Mā Tukuroirangi tēnei Kaupapa e heke. Engari kia hoki ki uta. [I acknowledge you guys Pēni you and your group who brought this canoe out to the sea. At this stage it is up to me to ensure it doesn't end up in the great throat of the Parata. Tukuroirangi will cause this matter to drop. But to return to shore.] It is now my privilege and responsibility to tautoko with the coalition Government and further implement the prophecy: mā te ture anō te ture e āki—only law can correct the law. This coalition Government hopefully with the support of all the other parties will take and carry this legislation through to its denouement. The bill will create the title and record the names of tūpuna who were part of the battle or part of the whenua. It will return the site under a tūpuna title in those tūpuna names with the management and administration and executive rights to be exercised by Ngā Ahi e Toru Maniapoto Raukawa and Waikato-Tainui.Tangata whenua will care for this land on behalf of all New Zealanders. As an important part of our shared story history and herstory this legislation will help Ō-Rākau gain and attain the prominence it deserves and demonstrate the ability of our rangatira our kāwana our rangatahi our rangatakapu the Crown and others to come together in a brilliant and fabulous kotahitanga moment.Over the next few months the Māori Affairs Committee will continue to hear and consider submissions for this bill. I look forward to helping to progress this bill through the House—preferably quickly—at this and subsequent readings. I consider this bill should proceed without delay to the Māori Affairs Committee. I commend this bill to the House.Kei aku rahi kei aku nui ko koutou ā runga. Ko au ko mātou ki raro. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou. E taku Rangatira Tuku koutou tēnā tatou katoa. [To my esteemed my formidable you are on top. I am we are below. Thank you thank you. My dear leader Tuku all of you thank you all.] ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Greg O'Connor): The question is that the motion be agreed to."