Finlayson Christopher: Te Tau Ihu Claims Settlement Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFinlayson Christopher: Te Tau Ihu Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 05 June 2013. Volume:690;Page:10804. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): Rau rangatira mā tēnei taku mihi atu ki a koutou. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou.[To the leaders of a hundredfold this is my acknowledgment to you collectively. Welcome welcome welcome.]I am tempted to begin by saying “Alleluia the bill is finally before the House” but I do not want to sound like an evangelist preacher or like Mr Auchinvole from the West Coast so I am going to confine my comments to saying I am absolutely delighted that the Te Tau Ihu Claims Settlement Bill is finally in here. It captures years and years of work on the part of all of those represented in the gallery today and their advisers and the good work—the great work—of the Office of Treaty Settlements.After I became the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations at the end of 2008 I was told that the agreements in principle for these iwi were getting to a stage where they could be signed. Well in February 2009 they were signed. Then I was told: “Well we should be able to get them through to deed of settlement and then to legislation reasonably quickly.” It became something of a Homeric epic. The first deed of settlement was signed with Ngāti Kuia at Labour Weekend as I recall it then the Rangitāne o Wairau settlement was signed on a very important day 4 December 2010—and I am still grateful to Richard Bradley for the birthday cake—and then the Ngāti Tama ki Te Tau Ihu deed was signed just a couple of weeks ago to conclude the signing of all the deeds of settlement. In between those dates there has been a huge amount of work put in by all the people in the gallery to seeing that this legislation could be introduced today.There are so many people I wish to acknowledge and I think it is entirely appropriate that they be acknowledged inHansard for their contributions. The two previous speakers the Hon Dr Pita Sharples and Rino Tirikatene have referred to what the legislation is about and I will say a little bit more in a couple of minutes but I just want to say this. Earlier in the week we signed a deed of settlement with Ngāi Tūhoe. I said and it was reported on television and in the papers that if people doubt the validity of the exercise we are undertaking they should read the facts—read the historical facts. The historical facts for these iwi are set out in various parts of the legislation.As always happens over the last few days I have had some unpleasant emails saying: “Well where are the facts?” “There is no basis for this claim” and “Tūhoe don’t deserve things”—and no doubt I will get it after this legislation. But any fair-minded person who reads the facts of what happened at the top of the South Island will understand exactly why this legislation is necessary and why this historical process that we are working through is absolutely necessary for the future of our land.So I do want to stand here and acknowledge the iwi negotiators who have worked so very hard to get to this stage. As I said the negotiations have been long. They have been very very testing. There have been numerous stops and starts. It is only because of their commitment the commitment of the negotiators of the trustees and of the iwi members that we are here today. You have my sincere respect and I salute all of you.As has been said eight settlement bills are going to be enacted through this omnibus bill so there are numerous acknowledgments. If I miss out anyone then I apologise. The Ngāti Apa settlement would not have been possible without the dedication of the Ngāti Apa Ki Te Waipounamu Trust. Peter Mason Brendon Wilson and Paia Rīwaka-Herbert are just a few of the people who represented Ngāti Apa over these years.I particularly want to pay tribute to the late Kath Hēmi a wonderful woman a strong woman who was instrumental in leading the charge in the tribunal but sadly who is not with us today to witness this occasion. Taking the deed to her on the morning we signed the deed settlement when she was in Wairau Hospital so that she could sign it was a real honour. Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia charitable trust through its wisdom and patience has made a settlement possible for its iwi. Mark Moses Ray Smith and Waihaere Mason represented Ngāti Kuia throughout the settlement negotiations and their commitment deserves mention today. Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau Inc. has made the Rangitāne settlement a reality through the hard work dedication and perseverance of Judith MacDonald the ever-optimistic Richard Bradley and Jeffrey Hynes—he wanted me to say that.The Ngāti Koata Trust with its intelligence and commitment has made the Ngāti Kōata settlement possible. Roma Hippolite Allen McGregor Hippolite and Jeanette Grace have proudly represented that great iwi and have to be recognised for their hard work. It is because of the dedication of the Ngāti Rārua-Ātiawa Iwi Trust and its efforts and determination that Ngāti Rārua have achieved this milestone. Rōpata Stevens Lee Luke Barry Mason and Molly Luke whom I see in the gallery today carried the Ngāti Rārua flag through the negotiations and have to be mentioned for their fantastic efforts.The Ngāti Tama settlement would not have been possible without the zeal and perseverance the hard work and commitment of Robert McKewen Fred Te Miha and Jo Westrupp. Through the hard work and diligence of the Te Ātiawa Manawhenua ki Te Tau Ihu Trust the Te Ātiawa settlement was made possible. I salute Harvey Ruru Sharon Gemmell and Glenis Payne who have championed Te Ātiawa’s interests. Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Inc. through Te Kaha their negotiations team have secured the Ngāti Toa settlement. I particularly acknowledge Matiu Rei this morning. He has fought the good fight for his iwi for well over a quarter of century. Tiratū Williams Iwikatea Nicholson and Te Ariki Wineera Jr staunchly represented Ngāti Toa.It is appropriate—I have mentioned Kath Hēmi—to mention others who began this journey and are no longer with us: people like Chris Atutahi and Janice Manson. But most important I acknowledge those who suffered because of the acts or omissions of the Crown and those tribunal claimants who have carried the burden of their tīpuna’s claims. So thank you very much for all you have done. Thank you for your patience. There were many times when I said the bill was just around the corner and for some of you it became one of the great litanies of the time but we are here and I acknowledge all of you for your tremendous work.There are some other people I want to mention before I briefly traverse the bill. I want to acknowledge the Crown negotiators. Ross Philipson started it. Paul Swain such a good fellow helped with the negotiations. I also acknowledge the Parliamentary Counsel Office. It is increasingly in my mind the unsung hero of the legislative process. Without its dedication this leviathan bill would not be able to be introduced so to Bill Moore and his team I say thank you.It is an omnibus bill. It brings together a number of settlements as is well-known and it will come out of the select committee as four bills. I particularly want to say something about Part 11 which will become the Haka Ka Mate Attribution Bill. That is a really interesting piece of legislation. As Dr Sharples said a lot of work needed to be spent on that because it is new territory. We have had Wai 262 and we have had the World Intellectual Property Organization looking at how we go about protecting traditional cultural expressions and this is a very first step. The important thing is that that legislation contains a review clause so that in 5 years’ time we can have a further look at it in light of recent international developments. So I am very very pleased thatwe have reached that stage and that we will be able to look at traditional cultural expressions such as the haka and this is the first step.I always recall the day that we signed the agreement in principle in the Legislative Council Chamber. There was no headline in the paper dealing with the amount or the land or the history but simply the headline “All Black Haka Goes to Maoris”. I wondered about theDominion Post then and I wonder about it now.So finally I want to commend this bill to the House into the safe hands of that great New Zealander Mr Tau Henare. I know that he is as keen as mustard to get on to this bill and to get it back to the House as quickly as possible so that it can be legislated and so that the people of Te Tau Ihu can get on with building their pūtea.