Allan KiritapuKIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour): E Te Māngai tēnā koe. Ngāti Porou tēnā koutou nau mai hara mai hoki mai ki tō tātou nei Whare mai i te maunga o Hikurangi te awa o Waiapū. Nau mai hara mai whakatau mai.[Mr Assistant Speaker greetings to you. Ngāti Porou greetings to you welcome welcome return to our House from the ancestral mountain of Hikurangi and the ancestral river of Waiapū. Welcome welcome thrice welcome.]I was talking to my colleague Meka just now and we were going How can we take that wairua that we all just experienced outside in the signing and the jubilation that you all carried for this moment?" This moment after 16 years—16 years and so many faces. We saw all of those people that had passed away adorning the room just next door.You know I was just sitting here reflecting. I remember the first time I heard even an inkling of the negotiations for this bill—what's now about to become law—back in 2004. We'd just had the seabed and foreshore march 2003 and there was Dayle Takitimu and Matanuku Mahuika. We'd heard about these chats that they were having yarns—because I think Parekura must have been telling us all about it—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): Order!KIRITAPU ALLAN: The Hon Parekura Horomia and son of Mangatuna. We heard that there were these chats going on between these two tribes up on the East Coast—Te Whānau-a-Apanui and Ngāti Porou. This was a time when everyone was all pukuriri about this poor legislation coming through this House but there was something that was very significant that came from the leadership of Uncle Api: that political astuteness and leadership to know that whilst these things were happening in this Chamber—and they were things that many people did not agree with—they picked up that wero and worked and drove and worked and drove to ensure that the hapū those kaitiaki of your hapū would retain the mana over your whenua in whatever ways that could be.Now those discussions have been enduring over the past 16 years—three Governments. You started with the Hon Michael Cullen. Then you had the Hon Christopher Finlayson and I want to acknowledge the work that he did alongside you all. Now my colleague Ānaru Paku—the Hon Andrew Little—who can't be here because his mother passed this week and she's being laid to rest. So my thoughts are with him as well. When I think about the significance of what you've all achieved—and we know because I used to work with Matanuku and Nathan and Tira.I know how challenging it has been and the weight of the decisions that you had to make for all of you that led those discussions for your hapū that chose to enter into and sign up to the accord. We know the difficulties and no doubt many sleepless nights that many of you would have had in trying to know that you were doing the right thing for your people. So I want to acknowledge all of you that carry the mana of your hapū on your shoulders.When I think about this particular piece of legislation it is unique and it will not be replicated elsewhere because of the foresight of people like Apirana. Some of those things—and I was reflecting over the past 16 years and this is actually for all of you fellas—all you rangatahi here down from down Te Araroa tēnā koutou. This is a constitutionally really significant bill. Sixteen years ago when there was a whole heap of protest going on it was an abhorrent thought to have Māori around the table making decisions on behalf of the whenua. This is a constitutionally significant bill and it has been enshrined mai rānō for you fellas to carry on those responsibilities because there are rights within this bill but they come with a lot of responsibilities. So I applaud Campbell for bringing these rangatahi here to be able to see this piece of legislation become enacted today because what you are witnessing is something that no other tribe will witness.Thank you for coming. Thank you to the leaders amongst you all. Thank you to the hau kāinga who stoked those fires. We know that you will do exceptionally well in conducting the responsibilities that are entrenched in this bill. Nō reira tēnā koutou.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): Just before I call the next speaker I just want to remind members that they should use full names if they are mentioning them in their kōrero. It's a nice thing to do. It'll be recorded in Hansard. People reading this in 50 years' time won't know otherwise."