Finlayson ChristopherNGĀI TAI KI TĀMAKI CLAIMS SETTLEMENT BILLFirst ReadingHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): I move That the Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the bill. It is a real pleasure to have reached this stage to present the Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Claims Settlement Bill to the House. Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki is an iwi centred on Clevedon with interests in Tāmaki Hauraki and Tīkapa Moana and is a member of both the Hauraki and the Tāmaki collectives.Since 1989 Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki have sought to negotiate the full and final settlement of their historic claims. The raupatu claims of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki were settled through the 1995 Waikato Raupatu settlement but it took until 2010 for comprehensive settlement negotiations to be commenced. The Crown and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki signed an agreement in principle in 2011 and a comprehensive deed of settlement in November 2015. I acknowledge at once that it has taken a while to get to this stage—and I regret that—because of the close interconnectedness with the Hauraki matters that are not quite settled. But I have the impression that Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki are a forgiving lot and are pretty pleased that we have reached this stage now.To those representatives of the iwi here today nau mai haere mai e ngā iwi e ngā reo e ngā mana tēnā rā koutou katoa [welcome come hither the iwi voices and jurisdictions acknowledgments indeed to you all].It is a real pleasure to have you in the gallery at last for the first reading of this legislation. It is obviously a special day for you and for the iwi as we take the penultimate steps towards resolving this longstanding Treaty grievance. Can I acknowledge those members of the iwi who have passed on during this long journey and could not be here today. There are always those people who have stood behind the claim for many many years but when the time comes for the legislation they have passed on.I commend the negotiators the trustees and all those who work behind the scenes for their tireless work in reaching in this point. I say this at every first reading but it applies to every settlement: the immense sacrifices that have been made by the people of this iwi to hold the Crown to account for the grievances it has caused should and will never be forgotten.As I do I will recount the history because it is important to read into the permanent record of the House just what happened and why we are here today. The Crown has acknowledged through the deed of settlement its failure to deal with the longstanding grievances of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki in an appropriate way. From 1840 the Crown and the iwi sought to establish mutually beneficial relationships and transacted land that contributed to the development of Auckland and this country as a whole.The Crown did not always protect the interests in those transactions and breached its duties towards Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki in respect of lands in Tāmaki eastern Wairoa Papakura and the inner Tīkapa Moana islands including of course Motutapu. The Crown broke its promise to Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki that it would not confiscate the land of those who did not take up arms against the Crown during the Waikato War. It indiscriminately confiscated a 51000 acre block in East Wairoa under the New Zealand Settlements Act in which the iwi had interests.Around the time the Compensation Court called for Māori to register claims in respect of East Wairoa a Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki rangatira Ānaru Makiwhara accompanied the commander of the Waikato native contingent to Tekūiti on business. Prior to his departure he had not registered a claim for land in the East Wairoa block in which he and his whānau had interests. The commander had obtained an assurance from the Chief Judge that the court would not sit until he and Makiwhara were available to attend the hearing. So what happened? Makiwhara returned to Auckland before the expiry of the 6-month notice period required by the New Zealand Settlements Act to find that the Compensation Court had already sat to hear claims to the East Wairoa block. Despite repeated petitions to Parliament over 44 years Ānaru Makiwhara did not see the return of his ancestral lands before he passed away in 1927 aged 85. Frankly in the overall scheme of things that is a really sad and appalling story.The remaining lands of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki were alienated to the Crown and private purchasers through the 19th and 20th centuries. Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki were left virtually landless with insufficient land for their present and future needs. The loss of communal ancestral lands had a severe impact on the tribal structure alienating many whānau and their descendants not only from their lands but also from their iwi identity.The Crown's apology for these acts and omissions that breach the Treaty of Waitangi will be enshrined in legislation through the proposed bill. I say this every time and I feel embarrassed to say it but I have to: it is not possible to compensate Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki fully for the loss suffered as a result of the Crown's acts and omissions but we hope that the financial and commercial redress provided to Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki seeks to recognise those losses.The settlement will provide financial and commercial redress to the iwi of $12.7 million including commercial and deferred selection properties. This redress recognises the economic loss suffered by Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki arising from breaches by the Crown of its Treaty obligations. The financial and commercial redress is aimed at helping the iwi and providing the iwi with resources to help them develop their economic and social well-being.The settlement will also provide cultural redress including the vesting of 16 sites of cultural significance and $50000 for cultural revitalisation. The cultural redress recognises those traditional historical cultural and spiritual associations of the iwi with places and sites owned by the Crown within the primary area of interest of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki.Can I conclude by thanking my ministerial colleagues the Office of Treaty Settlements officials and officials from other agencies particularly parliamentary counsel for their extensive input in making this settlement possible. Once again I apologise that because of the various complexities associated with the Hauraki Collective settlement it has not been possible to introduce the legislation as quickly as I would have liked and I know that the iwi have needed to take various steps.We are on the right path now. I am sure that the Māori Affairs Committee is really cognisant of the need to resolve the select committee stage of the bill as quickly as possible and get it back to the House so that it can be passed very quickly in the new Parliament. I want to acknowledge the representatives of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki here today thank them for being here thank them for their forbearance—I was going to thank them for their patience but the response may be What patience?" and justifiably so. But I look forward to seeing the bill progress through all its remaining stages as quickly as possible. I commend the bill to the House."