Bidois DanDAN BIDOIS (National—Northcote): E te Māngai o te Whare e ngā mana e ngā reo e ngā iwi tēnā koutou katoa. Te Whare e tū nei tēnā koe. Te papa e takoto nei tēnā koe. Ngā mate haere haere haere. Nau mai haere mai. Ko Tainui te waka ko Waikato te awa ko Kakepuku te maunga ko Ngāti Huiao te hapū ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi ko Te Kauae te marae. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa. [The Speaker of the House all authorities all representatives all peoples greetings to all. The House that stands here greetings. The land that lies here greetings. To the deceased rest in peace. Welcome welcome. Tainui is my waka Waikato is my river Kakepuku is my mountain Ngāti Huiao is my hapū Ngāti Maniapoto is my iwi Te Kauae is my marae. Thanks and greetings to you all.]I'd just like to start by acknowledging everybody who has come from Maniapoto Raukawa and the Waikato-Tainui today and for putting on such a wonderful commemoration nearly three weeks ago. You hosted a fantastic commemoration—160 years. Well done to you all. I really enjoyed attending the commemoration and I learnt a lot during the process.We're here today and the kaupapa of what we're here for is to acknowledge the tūpuna and the ancestors who were lost in the great battle of Ō-Rākau—a brutal and tragic event. I'd like to tautoko what's been said of course from across the House today about just how brutal that was. Rewi Maniapoto a great leader a warrior whose father signed the Treaty—who signed the Treaty because they believed that their rights and their values would be upheld and they weren't. The battle of Ō-Rākau was of course a bloody battle—300 versus 1400 with about 150 casualties from the pā. It was the final stand for the Waikato Wars. It stands as a significant moment as Minister Tama Potaka mentioned alongside many other battles in New Zealand's history.It is a great moment to be here to speak to this bill that offers a way forward for the iwi to move forward to look after the land of Ō-Rākau that was fought on and also to I think forge a way forward for this country and for our communities to learn more about Ō-Rākau. I'd like to acknowledge Ōtorohanga College and the work that they've done over many years and the kids from that college to make sure that history is built into that curriculum so that the future generation can continue to understand and acknowledge the significance of such an event in New Zealand's history.I am the chair of the Māori Affairs Committee and it's my privilege to welcome this bill to the select committee. I would encourage members of the audience to submit on this bill so that myself and other members from across the House can learn your stories and your tūpuna stories and the significance of the battle of Ō-Rākau and what this bill means to you. Of course we want this bill to go as quickly through the House as possible but we also want to hear from you. So I'd certainly encourage you to make a submission. We will be calling for submissions very shortly.Again the battle was hugely significant for so many reasons. I think it shows a huge amount of courage and sacrifice that Rewi Maniapoto and the people from the Kīngitanga movement at the time showed to defend their whenua their values and what they stood for. It is my privilege to be here to commend this bill to the House. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa.