te Heuheu Georgina: Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi Claims Settlement Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
te Heuheu Georgina: Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi Claims Settlement Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:627;Page:21858] 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) 
: 
 On looking at the preamble I see that it certainly follows the kinds of recitals to be found in treaty settlement bills. I recall my colleague Dr Mapp I think in relation to the Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Claims Settlement Bill making a comment about whether we should look at making the preambles a little bit more aspirational than they sometimes are. National supports the bill but as I think I commented last night we certainly learn more as we go. I do not think there is any harm in that. The basic format of these bills has not changed since the 1990s when Sir Douglas Graham set the format in place. We have moved through a number of settlement claims now—although not so many in the last 6 years—and we have learnt things all the time and National members now think that maybe this could have been done in a different way. 
I acknowledge that the preamble is a very important part of the bill. The Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations might give some thought—well this Minister may not have time to think any more about it because once we have an election there will be a different Minister in the chair; it will be somebody from our side. The preamble is important. National acknowledges that. I imagine that the claimant group in question has had considerable input—claimants certainly used to—on the way these recitals are written. We must keep in mind that a settlement bill while it brings to a conclusion a certain phase of a tribe’s seeking to have injustice righted by the same token also represents a beginning. For every tribe that reaches a settlement it is an important beginning and it is important that the bill in some way reflect that. We all like to believe that once a settlement passes into law the tribe will be able to look forward and move on leaving injustice behind and having concluded with the Crown an agreement it is comfortable with. 
So this preamble probably does the job but in future we may give some thought to whether we can make the opening statements so to speak of a settlement bill more aspirational. I am sure my colleague Dr Wayne Mapp will have something more to say on that because it is important. Legislation like this is recognition by all of us of the important step a tribe has taken and the courage it has shown in finally concluding a settlement—in finally putting the burden of the weight of injustice behind it and moving on. That is essentially what these bills do. They form the basis for a better future the building blocks with which a tribe can further its own economic development. So it is very important that in these bills we get the right feeling in relation to the aspirations of the tribe—not only what its members want to achieve but also certainly what we as parliamentarians seek for them. 
As the Committee moves through the bill we will come to other matters that National members want to raise. National signalled those matters last night. We want to look at the relevant clauses more closely and particularly at schedule 12. We will certainly make some serious comment on that. We look forward to the debate proceeding. We support the bill but we think that improvements can be made and we hope the Ministers will listen. I know that the Hon Mark Burton has said he has taken on board the Opposition concerns which means I suppose that he will try to address them.