Jones Shane: Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Jones Shane: Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:669;Page:15880] 
Hon SHANE JONES (Labour) 
: 
 I follow on from my senior colleague Parekura Horomia. I want other members of the Committee in particular those on the Government benches to note that there is a bicycle in Napier that bears testimony to Parekura’s attempt to deliver the goods. That bicycle could actually be used to uplift the ebbing prospects of the Prime Minister’s cycleway. When Parekura says that he was the Ironman it is very churlish of Mr Foss and others to deprecate his contribution. 
In terms of what Dr Mapp has said I will take us to the actual preamble to the Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill. The preamble is really a narrative of bicultural history and colonial history in that part of the country. A name that looms large in this narrative is the name of Donald McLean. Donald McLean amongst other things was responsible for the promotion of the four Maori seats and the creation of Maori representation which is being unwisely undermined by our colleagues in the ACT Party. But that is another matter; those members are not long for this world. Donald McLean’s role in relation to this bill shows how one single individual was extraordinarily influential and not only in areas such as Ngati Kahungunu. One day a Government of the future will get to the claims of Hawke’s Bay and that Government will find that Donald McLean the Crown’s commissioner was very influential there in acquiring on behalf of the Crown vast tracts of land. It is evidenced that he did a similar thing here. 
Also represented in this narrative is the story of the Kohimarama Conference. These are largely obscure events and that is an indictment on social studies or whatever the heck it is called these days in the education system which is diminishing by the day as a consequence of the delinquency from the current Minister of Education. But that is another matter; we leave the small task of correcting her excesses to Dr Pita Sharples and we will hold him responsible in the event that a single further Maori family suffers which they no doubt will as a consequence of her delinquency or his dilatory approach. 
I come back to the essence of this bill. Although it is about our families etc. it is also about the key contributions that significant figures in colonial history have made. In a limited sense they probably thought they were actually improving matters. Indeed there is a reference where Donald McLean expresses inordinate surprise that Commissioner Spain had not reported that Ngati Apa had considerable interests in the Whanganui block. The name Spain features large in the history of Maori land transactions and indeed the man was even active in the north; I fear he had something to do with Taipa which continues to bedevil my relations and Pakeha neighbours and a few of my Maori whanaunga as well. He was actually involved in the first Land Claims Commission so for people who fear that the Waitangi Tribunal is a recent innovation that is blighting the country and ask why it all cannot just go away—unfortunately they never will—they ought to read what actually happened in the 1840s. 
One of the first things that happened was that there was an old Land Claims Commission. Some of the characters in this narrative sat on that claims commission. That was when the first land claims were investigated. Of course they looked at the blocks of land that had been acquired prior to the passing of the Treaty of Waitangi and they ascertained what particular blocks of land ought to stay with either the inheritors or the individuals who believed that they had bought vast swathes of the country from the tupuna the rangatira and the tribes. 
It is quite extraordinary that only small amounts of land remain available for the purpose of restoration back to Ngati Apa but it is a salutary lesson that the debts of history continue to—“haunt” is too strong a word—challenge modern generations of New Zealanders. 
What is particularly important about this bill is that although the amount of money may be small an important resource is being restored in terms of the land that is capable of being afforested. We are going through a growth phase of earnings associated with forestry. In all honesty I am only disappointed more Maori land in this particular area or other areas has not been afforested. If there is any money left in the Crown Forestry Rental Trust one day I look forward to hearing that such moneys might be dedicated to such a purpose. 
When these settlements are eventually implemented it is important not only that the Crown continue to work with the runanga but that the Crown with the runanga of the day start to focus on the units within Maoridom that really make all the difference: the families. If the families of Ngati Apa are concentrated on by the Crown as it works with the runanga to develop new initiatives and policies then the kinds of problems the current Minister for Social Development and Employment is endeavouring to deal with will be helped. 
I must say I welcome Paula Bennett back to the Whare Paremata. I was not one of the Maori men who were critical of her when she said that it was about time the leaders of the runanga and the incorporations started owning more of the problems and generating the solutions to the dramas that affect our young—not necessarily our kids but our young teenagers. All of the work of a runanga will fail if we continue to allow these negative statistics which particularly blight our young men to race away on us. This may be only a rare occasion on which I am offering such charitable thoughts towards the member for Waitakere but I welcome her back. I will hear of her on Radio Live where no doubt we will learn more about how Sarah Palin gave her geography lessons. 
Hon Paula Bennett 
: Actually it was Helen Clark. 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: OK she did not just drink tea while she was over there; she learnt the full meaning of the name Tea Party. 
I come back to the bill. A host of sites are in here and I see that not only local government but the Department of Conservation has ongoing responsibilities. We need to ensure in the future that State agencies such as the Department of Conservation are adequately funded to address those obligations. We need always to be very careful when we implement these settlements that we do not unwittingly introduce too much red tape. When people want to use the resources to create jobs and develop investment etc. we have to address environmental interests but Maori runanga and investors themselves will be very quick to complain if as a consequence of the implementation of the settlements in association with the Department of Conservation and local government we get new layers of unnecessary complexity. 
I reflected on that concern when we discussed matters to do with the Waikato River. Indeed it is coming thick and fast over the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill which will be a test with regard to whether Maori can have any faith in the current governing coalition. Although Labour members are prepared unreservedly to support this particular bill we are deeply concerned by the ongoing negativity that flows out of the select committees etc. and indeed by some of the extraordinary utterances coming from the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. He may be exasperated that people feel that Vikings Phoenicians and other sorts of lost Europeans were floating around the Pacific but it is probably not constructive to describe them all as clowns. I recall Doug Graham calling Hugh Barr a clown. Unfortunately for current politicians Doug Graham is gone and Hugh Barr is still here. That might say that Hugh Barr is on some sort of elixir. We seem to float through this House and eventually move on but the likes of Hugh Barr I think has a role in the seabed and foreshore legislation that is inversely related to his ability to be constructive or to help solve these issues. It is disappointing that he is a chorus for the ACT Party. Kia ora tatou. 
The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 168 in the name of the Hon Christopher Finlayson be agreed to. 
Amendments agreed to. 
Preamble clauses 1 and 2 Parts 1 to 3 and schedules 1 and 2 as amended agreed to. 
Bill reported with amendment. 
Report adopted.