Flavell Te Ururoa: Address in Reply 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Address in Reply 
[Volume:652;Page:1178] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Deputy Speaker. Kia ora tatou. In the Speech from the Throne the Governor-General acknowledged that for New Zealand to move forward as a nation the settlement of historical Treaty grievances will be vitally important. This is a bold statement to which the Maori Party will be holding this Government to account as we did with the previous Government and will do with the Governments that follow this one. We of the Maori Party stand on our belief that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the starting point for the process of reconciliation between iwi hapu and the Crown. The settlements are a part of that process of reconciliation provided they are fair and durable in the eyes of both parties and that is the huge challenge. 
Today I wish to mihi to Ngati Toa Rangatira Ngati Rarua Ngati Koata Ngati Tama ki Te Tau Ihu Te Atiawa ki Te Tau Ihu Rangitane o Wairau Ngati Kuia and Ngati Apa ki Te Ra To. I congratulate them on signing today. In just 10 days of this Parliament we are celebrating a comprehensive and significant settlement for Ngati Toa Rangatira Tainui Taranaki ki te Tonga and Kurahaupo ki Te Wai Pounamu. Without making too much of a fine point of it I remember a particular question time back in August 2007 when the former Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations had to concede that there was only one claim settled from the initial negotiation to completion and that was for Nga Rauru Kitahi. The Maori Party today welcomes the commitment of this Government to the speedy completion of final durable settlements of historical grievances. 
The Maori Party has campaigned vigorously on increasing the speed of Treaty settlements by a range of measures. We have promoted the notion of breaking the cap: abolishing the fiscal cap on Treaty settlements. We have always seen that as an artificial and ineffective constraint that impedes the progress we need in order to resolve the outstanding Treaty issues. 
The $171 million redress package and the additional $128 million allocated for accumulated Crown forest rentals emission credits and other payments in lieu of Crown forest redress are important and distinctive elements of the specific and financial redress for these iwi. We are pleased that the comprehensive settlement of the multiple iwi grouping has been able to be reached in a way that maintains the integrity of their claim without the undue pressure that sometimes comes to reduce or compromise settlements. 
We in the Maori Party also seek to review the claimant funding. We are very much aware that uneven and inequitable funding creates barriers to full and final settlement. 
For anyone who has any knowledge of the cluster of iwi groups in Te Tau Ihu and the lower North Island there will be an awareness of the complexity of the relationships within that region. It is a region that is highly contested with many overlapping claims. There has been a history full of conflict. The scale of the land loss is immense and the impact of settlement upon the area has been extreme. When we look at this area we think of the Wairau and Te Wai Pounamu purchases of the 1840s and 1850s the alienation of land from the Motueka native reserve the perpetual leasing of the reserves in the 1880s the Crown’s failure to set aside adequate reserves the kidnapping and detention of the Ngati Toa chief Te Rauparaha without trial for 18 months and the cumulative sense of grievance and despair at the profound breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. That such injustices occurred that the customary rights of the iwi were ignored and that the operation of the native land laws served to deliberately undermine the authority of the iwi has only today been recognised as a failure on behalf of the Crown. 
But that history does not reflect just on the poor performance of the Crown. It also sets a course that threatens the very nature of the relationship between all iwi groupings in this area. So we in the Maori Party take this time to acknowledge the leadership and determination of the eight iwi that have come together in the interests of their future generations. They have made a priority of maintaining kotahitanga in and between their own iwi and hapu as well as promoting kanohi te kanohi face-to-face discussions with the Crown. We honour them for the long and difficult journey that they have travelled like many other iwi and the commitment they have shared to work together to collaborate and to cooperate for the benefit of all. 
It is in this light that I want to refer to one of the more controversial elements of the package released today and that is the special provision to recognise the significance of the haka “Ka mate! Ka mate!” for Ngati Toa. Te Runanga o Toa Rangatira has consistently raised its concerns around the inappropriate and culturally offensive misuse of its tribal haka “Ka mate! Ka mate!”. Although today’s version of this haka comprises only a few lines the original version dates back several centuries and it is intimately associated with Ngati Toa chief Te Rauparaha. It is one of the taonga of Ngati Toa’s tribal heritage. So when two New Zealanders decided to teach it to the Spice Girls at a concert in Bali there was some immediate concern from Ngati Toa about how the cultural integrity of that haka was to be maintained. Similarly when an Italian advertising agency decided to film a group of women mimicking the haka’s words and actions in an effort to sell Fiat cars one had to wonder what the connection was between a street in Italy and Te Rauparaha. 
The truth is that the haka “Ka mate! Ka mate!” has been associated throughout the world with the pride and the passion of Aotearoa. Whether it is the All Blacks stirring up the emotions with a pre-match haka or homesick Kiwis joining together in the middle of London in a rousing rendition of the haka it is an experience that always conveys the sense of respect and pride we have in our national identity. The words create that feeling of unity of bringing up the triumph of life over death and of affirming the opportunity for peace and optimism. We honour Ngati Toa for the unique ownership and authorship that they have for such a significant haka. The issue is about recognition and it is about respect. 
If I could just provide one note of irony it is that the New Zealand Rugby Union could cast aside the New Zealand Maori team while still being prepared to incorporate that haka as a key part of its marketing strategy. That does not seem to be on. It would seem that the cultural significance of that haka to Ngati Toa has been completely overlooked by the New Zealand Rugby Union which fails to make any connection at all between the use of that haka as a branding tool and the investment in Maori participation in rugby. The pre-match haka alongside the legendary Maori players who have formed the ranks of the All Blacks over the years appear to have counted for nothing in the decision made at the end of last year to cut the New Zealand Maori team. Perhaps the settlement today to record the authorship and the significance of the haka to Ngati Toa might inspire some more careful discussions around the New Zealand Rugby Union board table about exactly what benefit Maori receive from the high-profile use of Maori culture in the All Black marketing campaigns. 
Finally I want to acknowledge the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations the Hon Chris Finlayson the Minister of Maori Affairs Dr Pita Sharples and the Prime Minister who have worked together with the ministerial team including our colleague the Hon Tariana Turia to ensure that such a significant settlement was able to proceed today. As the chair of Tainui Taranaki ki te Tonga Roma Hippolite said today’s signing ceremony is a milestone event. We welcome the focus of Mr Finlayson on achievement which he mentioned earlier this afternoon and we are certainly keen to continue to work with him and the Government on building up the momentum in Treaty settlement negotiations. I have been on the road with my colleagues Mr Finlayson and Georgina te Heuheu and with others from the National Party. I am pleased that Mr Finlayson sees the value of promoting cheek-to-cheek negotiations listening to the people and engaging with hapu and iwi in making such a strong commitment to the resolution of outstanding claims as the basis of a strong and secure foundation for our future. We seek justice in the pursuit of reconciliation and we are determined to do all that we can to improve performance in this regard. That investment is a key means by which as the immortal words of “Ka mate! Ka mate!” remind us with courage and with strength we can triumph over overwhelming odds—“Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!”. Kia ora tatou.