Flavell Te Ururoa: General Debate 
Flavell Te Ururoa: General Debate 
[Volume:670;Page:17269] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Speaker kia ora tatou katoa. Ko taku noa ake ko te whaiwhai haere i nga kaikorero i te ahiahi nei mo te aitua i tawahi i Hapanihi ka mutu ka whai i tera parekura nui i Otautahi ka mutu i Ahitereiria no reira koi nei te tangi o te ngakau mo te hunga kua ngaro atu i te tirohanga kanohi. Te ahua nei koi nei wa tatou mahi i te roanga o tenei tau he tangi ki wa tatou mate. No reira waiho ratou kia moe kia okioki. 
I nanahi nei hai te ra nei apopo pea ko te take nui e korerohia ana i roto i te Whare Paremata ko te pire takutai moana hou ana ko tera kua whakairia e te Ropu Nahinara me te Pati Maori ki mua i te aroaro o te motu. Kua tu ake ki te whakautu ki te whakahe ranei i etahi o nga korero i korerohia inapo na runga i te he ranei o etahi o nga korero i puta; me te kore marama ranei o nga korero. Ko ta te ropu e noho atu nei te Ropu ACT e ai ki tana tetahi o nga kaikorero i reira he tere rawa te akiakinga o tenei pire i te Whare ka mutu e ai ki ta ratou kua katia tenei te korero i roto i te Whare Paremata. Kai te kaha whakahe au i tera korero. Kua whitu tau tenei pire e korerohia ana me ki i hangaia kia eke ki tenei o nga taumata. 
[ 
Thank you Mr Speaker and greetings to us all. I join the speakers this afternoon to express my condolences in respect of the calamity overseas in Japan following that huge disaster in Christchurch and the one before that in Australia. So the heart grieves here for those who cannot be seen again. It seems that this is all we are doing as this year unfolds mourning our deaths. So leave them there to sleep and to rest.  
The most important thing that was debated yesterday in the House and is to continue today and tomorrow perhaps is the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill that National and the Maori Party have put before the nation. I rise to respond to or to rescind some of the comments that were made last night because some were either made incorrectly or lacked clarity. According to one of the speakers of the ACT Party seated just along the way this bill was rushed through the House. I strongly reject that assertion. This bill has been debated and in the making for 7 years to be where it is now. 
] 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is my understanding that this bill is the next order of business. I think this must be the classic case of anticipating a debate. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It is not fair to interrupt another member’s speech. The member knows that this is the general debate and members are at liberty to talk about almost anything they wish to. He is not anticipating a debate; he is choosing to speak in the general debate on a bill that is currently before the House. I am not aware that there is any Standing Order that forbids during the general debate any comments on other matters before the House. I stand corrected if I am wrong but it is not my understanding— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I think you might be giving a correction soon. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Well we will see. In the meantime I will allow Te Ururoa Flavell to continue. If I am incorrect—and I will seek advice—I will apologise to the member. 
TE URUROA FLAVELL 
: Tena koe Mr Speaker; whakahokia nga meneti nei whakahokia ki te timatanga. Hoi ano kai te pai kai te pai. Ka mutu kia hoki ra ano ki taku korero— 
[ 
Thank you Mr Speaker rewind those minutes—take it back to the beginning. Never mind it is fine it is OK. Now let me go all the way back once again to my speech 
— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Kao kao. 
TE URUROA FLAVELL 
: Kei te pai. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. As long as the debate is extended we have no problem with it. I apologise to the member. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I appreciate the member’s attempt to assist but the member who is speaking has 3 minutes and 14 seconds remaining. 
TE URUROA FLAVELL 
: Kia ora Mr Speaker. Penei taku e korero nei kua roa tenei take e korerohia ana. E 5975 nga whakatakotoranga a-tuhi i tae mai ki te Whare Paremata. I haere te komiti ki te mata o te whenua ki Kirikiriroa ki Tamaki-makau-rau ki Whangarei ki Poneke nei ki Otautahi tonu. E ai ki ta Te Reo Motuhake o Te Tai Tokerau 72 noa iho o taua kaute no te Ao Maori kotahi pai heneti o nga whakatakotoranga a-tuhi no te Ao Maori engari me penei rawa te whakamarama ake. E kaha ana te Pati Maori ki te haere ki te mata o te whenua kia toro atu te ringa ki te mata o te whenua ki tena hapori i tae atu ki nga huinga o te Kahui Rangatira o te Motu ka mutu ko tae atu ki nga hui e hia ke nei. No reira koia tera ehara i te mea no naia tonu nei tenei take i puta mai i te kapata kao. 
Ka mutu he aha nga tino painga o roto i te pire? Kai te korerohia a te ahiahi nei pea apopo engari ko tetahi mea kua puta ara ko tenei kua whai tenei te tikanga i roto i nga take a-ture. He mea nui tera ki a ngai Maori tonu. Ka mutu kua whai wahi ano ra te kupu whanau i roto i nga whiriwhiringa mo te pire ana kua whakawateahia mai tenei whakamarama mo te whanau mo te iwi mo te hapu i roto i te pire. Ko tenei mea mo te manaakitanga he take nui i roto i te Ao Maori. Kua eke tenei mea te manaakitanga ki roto i tenei o nga pire. Ae e tika ana. Ehara i te mea i eke o matou wawata ki nga taumata e tika ana. I kaha tohe matou kia whakahokia nga take nei ki roto i te Koti Whenua Maori mana tonu nga take whakatau ka mutu e ai ki ta matou kai reira nga matauranga hai wetewete i te hohonutanga o nga take a-takutai moana engari me te mea ano hoki he mama noa iho te utu. He ngawari ake te utu o te Koti Whenua Maori hoi ano tua atu o tera kare matou i tino toa i roto i tera whiriwhiringa engari kua whakaaetia mai e te Kawanatanga kua whakatahangia he putea hai awhina i te hunga e hiahia ana ki te whakatakoto i tetahi kereme ki mua i te aroaro o nga koti. 
He nui nga korero mo tenei mea te muru whenua. Ko ta matou ko te ki atu ka tino kokirihia tenei take i tenei pire kia whakahokia te whenua Maori ki roto i nga ringaringa o te iwi Maori. E ki ana etahi ko te “legalised confiscation” 
tetahi take e korerohia. Ae ko ta matou ki me ata titiro ki tera take. Ko ta matou ko te ki atu mena i murua te whenua i nga tau kua hipa ahakoa a-ture a-public works 
  
he aha ranei e kore tera e aukati i nga huarahi katoa kia hoki nga iwi ki te koti. 
Ka mutu me mihi ki a Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti kua tae mai tetahi korero ki te ki me anga whakamua kaua e tatari. Kia ora tatou. 
[ 
Thank you Mr Speaker. As I alluded to before this matter has been talked about for a long time. Five thousand nine hundred and seventy-five written submissions arrived at Parliament. The select committee travelled to Hamilton Auckland Whangarei Wellington and Christchurch. The independent voice of Te Tai Tokerau has suggested that only 72 of that number were from the Maori people—just over 1 percent of the written submissions received; but let me explain it this way. The Maori Party went hard out to visit the country to extend the hand to that community and that attended Iwi Leaders Forum conferences and many many meetings about the matter. So it is not as if this has just emerged from the cupboard—not at all.  
What benefits are there in this bill? Perhaps these will be mentioned this afternoon or tomorrow but one benefit is that Maori customary values and practices will permeate legislation—a matter of huge importance to all of Maoridom. The term “whanau” is incorporated throughout the bill as are “hapu” and “iwi”. “Manaakitanga” is an important concept in Maoridom. It has been introduced in this bill and rightly so. However we were not successful in everything we advocated for. We argued strongly for cases relating to the foreshore to be taken to the Maori Land Court arguing that the expertise to untangle complex and far-reaching issues is there. Moreover the expenses involved in pursuing a claim at the Maori Land Court are considerably less. We did not win that one but we did achieve confirmation that the Crown will provide funding for claimants.  
There is much rhetoric about confiscation. We say that this bill advocates the return of Maori land to their people. Some say the issue in question here is “legalised confiscation”. Yes we say that the issue must be addressed. To us if land was confiscated years ago under legislation be it for public works or whatever that should not impede tribes from going back to the courts. 
Finally I must acknowledge a message from Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti which has just come to hand saying: “Go forward—do not wait.” Greetings to us 
.]