Flavell Te Ururoa: Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:662;Page:10849] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Kei te Kingi Maori tena koe. Kei te Kahui Ariki Tainui waka tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. No nga ra tata kua hipa i tangihia tera o roto o Ngati Manawa penei i a koutou i tuku nei te mama o to tatau mema ki te kopu o Papatuanuku a Raiha. Ko ratau tera kua whakangaro atu i te tirohanga kanohi. Na ratau ano enei kaupapa i kokiri i te wa i a ratau. I tae atu ki mua i te aroaro o te Karauna ki reira korero ai i nga take. Engari tera pea na te pukumahi na te heke o te werawera na te ngau o mamae ranei kaore ratau i kite i te puawaitanga o tera o nga moemoea. No reira kei te Kingi Maori ko koe tera te kanohi o ratau ma te Kahui Ariki nau mai tena koe tena koutou kia ora tatau. E taku kingi kei te tu i runga i te ahuatanga o te whakama. He whakama penei na i rongo koe i te korero a wetahi. Ko nga korero i runga i te marae he korero rangatira. I etahi wa penei i ta te kuia e korero nei i etahi wa i roto i te Whare Paremata he whakaiti te korero. Nei au e tu nei ki mua i to aroaro me te ki e kua pa mai te whakama i rongo koe i enei korero. Ko nga korero o oku koroua i te kainga kaua e whakautu i te korero a te rorirori. Mena ka pera kua whai mana tana korero. No reira aroha mai i rongo nga taringa i nga korero a wetahi. 
Ko taku tu he kaha tautoko i te korero a te nuinga. Nou te ra no koutou te ra tena koutou tena koutou kia ora tatau. Ko taku noa ake ko te ki atu me tuku karakia kia whakawatea au i taku whakama. No reira me penei ake te korero—tenei te ara kei runga ko te aro o tenei tipua ko te aro o tenei ariki ko te aro o tenei matua iwi ko te aro o Ranginui e tu nei o Papatuanuku e takoto nei; kia rarau iho ra te tapu o Tane tenei te po nau mai te ao.” 
No reira haramai me nga mate o te wa kei aku rangatira haramai ki roto i te Whare Paremata. Nei te uri o Ngati Te Ata nei te uri o Tuhourangi nei te uri o Pikiaorangi kei te korero au ki a au ano. Tena koutou tena koutou kia ora tatau. A kati. Waiho te ahuatanga o te hunga mate kia moe kia okioki. Te tikanga ko ta tatau ko te whakanui ko te whakanui i tenei rangi te whakatinanatanga o nga mahi i nga tau kua hipa ake. Me mihi ra ka tika a ki te hunga kainga e noho nei e pupuri nei a i te kainga nei mo Te Ati Awa nga karangatanga maha o konei. Ka mutu me mihi ki nga Minita a o tera taha o te Whare o tenei taha o te Whare. Na ratau ano ra i kokiri i te take nei. E te Takuta Maikara Karana hoki mai ki to Whare. Ko te Whare nau ano ra i whakamatautau i te wa i a koe. No reira tenei te mihi atu ki a koe ko koe tena a i whakatakoto i te korero ki mua i te aroaro o te Whare Paremata. 
A koutou ko o hoa a Mita a Parekura a me huri ano ra ki tenei taha ano hoki ki te tangata nei ki te Finlayson nei i whaiwhai haere i o tapuwae tae ra ano ki taku Minita e noho nei ki te Takuta Pita Sharples. Tangata pai. Tangata pai a Pita Sharples. Tera korero tera. Me mihi ra ki taku tuahine ko koe tera a i roto i te Whare Paremata i nga tau kua hipa ake. Ara ko koe tera i tapiri atu i etahi korero ki te pire e korerohia ake nei. Ka mihi ra ki te komiti kua korerohia ketia e ratau te Komiti Take Maori. 
Me mihi ra ki nga manuhiri kua hoki mai—e Koro tena koe. Nau mai. Me mihi ra ki a koe e Tuku hoki mai ki tenei Whare. He nanakia te ahua nei he nanakia tonu to korero ki nga Minita. He aha i pera ai taku korero? Penei ta te David Bennett e korero nei kua herea te Karauna ki nga take katoa e pa ana ki te awa o Waikato. E kore e taea e ia te oma te waiho mai ai i nga raruraru ki te Ao Maori me mihi ka tika. No reira ka mahi tahi koutou te iwi me nga kaunihera. He tauira pai tera e mo te motu. He tauira pai tera mo te motu. 
Ka mutu i rongo au i te korero i korerohia mai ra e te mema Maryan Street mo tetahi wahanga o roto i te pire. Na ko te clause 8 
tenei te wahanga tuawaru tenei o te pire. He pai ke me panui atu au i te reo Pakeha kia matua mohio ai tatau ki te tikanga o taku korero. Ana e penei ana te korero i roto i te pire: 
[ 
To the Maori King I greet you. To the aristocracy of Maoridom to the Tainui canoe salutations and greetings to you all. Just recently we mourned the death of that elder in Ngati Manawa just as you did when you committed Raiha mother of our fellow member into the bowels of mother Earth. They are two who are lost from view and will no longer be seen. They instigated these matters in their time. They went before the Crown to negotiate the issues. However because of the workload and energy spent perhaps or the grief and pain it caused they are not able to bear witness to the realisation of another dream. So welcome the Maori King; you represent them. Greetings to the aristocracy of Maoridom and salutations to you collectively and to us. Oh my King I stand here somewhat embarrassed because of what I heard others say in this House in your presence. Oratory on the marae is noble. But as the fellow lady member commented statements in this House can sometimes be quite demeaning. That aside I stand before you embarrassed that you heard such criticisms. My old people back home would say do not honour the words of an idiot by responding. So if you heard those remarks please bear with us.  
I stand to wholeheartedly support what the majority has stated. The day belongs to you and your people and we commend acknowledge and salute you and us as well. As for me I will deliver an incantation to release me from my embarrassment and it goes like this: “This is the path that I traverse—one that concerns this deity this leader this particular tribe and the Father of the Heavens above and mother Earth stretched out before us; let the sanctity of Tane gather together. This then is the night but welcome enlightenment.”  
So come forth with the deaths of the moment my leaders and welcome to the House of Parliament. Here is the descendant of Ngati Te Ata of Tuhourangi and Pikiaorangi even though I am in fact referring to my own connections. Greetings and salutations to you collectively and to us as well. Enough leave those who have passed on; rest and sleep there. Our part today is to celebrate and quite rightly too the culmination of the work accomplished over the years. Without a doubt I must acknowledge the local tribe of Te Ati Awa and the many callings here. Further to that I must acknowledge the Ministers on that side and this side of the House and the part they played in bringing this matter before the House. The Hon Dr Cullen welcome back to your House which you tested during your time here. I acknowledge and recognise your contributions to the House.  
And indeed I acknowledge as well your fellow Ministers the Hon Mita Ririnui and the Hon Parekura Horomia. I turn to those Ministers as well on this side of the House to the Hon Christopher Finlayson who followed in your footsteps and the Hon Dr Pita Sharples sitting over here—good man! He is a good one the Hon Dr Pita Sharples. But that is another case. I also acknowledge my sister colleague; that was you in the House throughout those past years. You introduced the bill today and contributed to the debate. I commend the work of the Maori Affairs Committee in its deliberations and considerations.  
I must acknowledge former members who are among visiting dignitaries—the Hon Koro Wetere salutations to you and welcome; Tukoroirangi welcome back to this House and greetings. Your negotiations with the Ministers must have been very persuasive. Why do I say that? Well it is as David Bennett said the Crown has been tied to every conceivable thing that has to do with the Waikato River. It is impossible for it to leave any problem behind for Maoridom to deal with. Oh yes I have to doff my hat to you Tuku. So I have to congratulate the tribe and the councils collectively on arriving at that arrangement. It is a good model for the rest of the country to follow.  
Further to that I took note of what the member the Hon Maryan Street had to say about a provision in the bill. That was clause 8 of the bill. I think it is better that I read it in English so that the meaning of what I am on about is clearly understood. It goes like this: 
] 
“The Waikato River is our tupuna (ancestor) which has mana (spiritual authority and power) and in turn represents the mana and mauri (life force) of Waikato-Tainui. The Waikato River is a single indivisible being that flows from Te Taheke Hukahuka to Te Puuaha o Waikato (the mouth) and includes its waters banks and beds (and minerals under them) and its streams waterways tributaries lakes aquatic fisheries vegetation flood plains wetlands islands springs water column airspace and substratum as well as its metaphysical being.” 
E Tuku ka rawe tena korero. Ka rawe tena korero. He aha ai ka patai au ki a au ano ha he aha te he o Te Arawa? He aha te he o Te Arawa kare matau i paku kite i te wai o roto o nga roto o Te Arawa? Ko koe tera a kei roto ana kua panuitia “waters” “streams”. Whiwhi a Tainui i nga wai ha! He aha ta Te Arawa karekau! Karekau he wai ko te papa o raro anake. Me mihi ra ki a koe kai taku rangatira mo tera wahanga. Tera pea e tika ana kia hoki mai a Te Arawa ki te Whare Paremata. 
Kati hei kupu whakamutunga e penei ana te korero a Raiha i te wa i hainatia mai ai te kaupapa nei i te tau kua hipa ake i te Tihema i Hopuhopu. Anei tana anei tana. 
[ 
Tuku what an excellent clause! Why I say to myself what was wrong with Te Arawa? Where did Te Arawa go wrong? We did not see a drop of water in the Rotorua lakes. But look at you contained in the clause that I read out were the words “waters” and “streams”. Tainui got the waters; well how about that! What did Te Arawa get? Nothing! Not a drop of water—just the bottom of the lake. I have got to hand it to you my chief. Congratulations on that provision. It is only natural justice that Te Arawa must come back to Parliament. 
Enough. In conclusion this is what Lady Raiha said when this settlement was signed last year in December at Hopuhopu. This is what she said: 
] 
“Iwi leaders who hailed from the Whanganui River were interested in how the model would work she said. ‘I think Sir Archie [Taiaroa] is looking sideways at this. It can only be improved as it goes to other iwi.’ ” 
Koinei taku mihi tuatoru ki a koe e Tuku ki a korua ko to hoa. Tenei tauira he tauira pai mo te motu. Na Tainui tenei kaupapa i arahi kua waitohungia i roto i te pire nei ka whakatinanahia i nga tau kei mua i te aroaro. Hei aha? Hei tauira pai mo te motu. Me mihi me mihi me mihi ka tika. 
No reira kati ake maku he whakatakoto i etahi korero i te taha o etahi kua korerohia ketia. Ko taku noa ake ko te tautoko i nga korero katoa me te ki atu me whakanui te rangi nei ka tika i te mea koi nei te ra o te whakatinanatanga mai o nga moemoea o ratau kua huri. Tena koutou tena koutou kia ora tatau. Hei whakamutu i taku korero me penei ake ahau na runga i te ahuatanga o te ngaronga o etahi. 
[ 
My third acknowledgment to you and your fellow negotiator Tuku is this. This model is a good one for the country. Tainui took the lead in this; it is written into this bill and will be implemented in the years ahead of us. Why? Because it will be a template for the country. Of course you have to be congratulated not once but three times over.  
So all that is left for me to do is to add to what others have already contributed and to support it; and to say of course we have to celebrate this day as one where the dreams of those who have passed on are realised. Greetings and salutations to you collectively and to us. I end my address with this farewell lament as a tribute to those who have passed away and in particular the two I mentioned at the start. 
] 
Waiata 
He paku korero tera mo te hunga kua ngaro atu i te tirohanga kanohi. Waiho ratau kia okioki me whakanui me whakanui me whakanui te rangi nei tena koutou tena koutou kia ora tatau kei raro. 
[ 
And by way of a brief explanation that was a tribute to those who are lost for ever and will no longer be seen. Leave them there to rest and let us celebrate and toast this day; so salutations and acknowledgments to you collectively and to us. I end here 
.]