Little Andrew; Salesa JennyMANIAPOTO CLAIMS SETTLEMENT BILLFirst ReadingHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): I present a legislative statement on the Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill.SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I move That the Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill.Tēnei te mihi ki a koutou ngā uri o Ngāti Maniapoto kua hīkoi i tēnei hīkoi roa kia tae ki Pāremata i tēnei rā. Te mihi ki te hunga kua whetūrangitia ka tika. Ki a koutou kua tae ā-kanohi mai me koutou i noho haumaru ki te kāinga. He rā hou tēnei kua hura mō tēnei kaupapa nui a Maniapoto me te Karauna. Tēnā tātou katoa.[This is a greeting to you all the descendants of Ngāti Maniapoto who have travelled this long journey to Parliament today. I greet those who have passed and to you all who arrived here in person and the others who remain safely at home. This is indeed a new day for this important issue of Maniapoto and the Crown. Thank you all.]In November this year Maniapoto and the Crown signed the deed of settlement that is the subject of this legislation. Due to the challenges and disruptions caused by COVID19 this signing was delayed a number of times and had to happen on the papers. The effect of that was to postpone any visit to the Maniapoto rohe for that signing and significantly has delayed the opportunity for the Crown apology to be appropriately conveyed. This further emphasises today's celebrations at least of this occasion as a welcome meeting between us both and a gratifying way to close out the year.Today some members of Maniapoto are present in the parliamentary precincts for the occasion of this first reading. Unfortunately those members of Maniapoto who live in the rohe have had to make the hard decision not to travel to Wellington today prioritising the safety and wellbeing of their community and others. To those who are here and watching from the Banquet Hall I extend a warm welcome to you to witness the first reading of your bill. To those in the rohe I appreciate the further sacrifices you have had to make but that doesn't make this day any less special and important.We remember and pay tribute to Maniapoto tūpuna who have suffered grievances and acknowledge the many leaders of Maniapoto who have passed away over the course of the settlement. It has been a long journey since the first Wai claims were submitted in relation to Maniapoto historic Treaty claims in the 1980s. I acknowledge and thank Maniapoto negotiators my colleague the Hon Nanaia Mahuta Peter Douglas Mook Hohneck Tā Wira Gardiner and Glenn Tootill as well as the long-serving former chair of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board Tiwha Bell the current chair Keith Ikin and deputy chair John Kaati. I also acknowledge the wider Maniapoto negotiation team for their continued efforts in bringing about this settlement.On the Crown's side I acknowledge chief Crown negotiator David Tapsell for his hands-on leadership throughout these negotiations and I note the contribution of my predecessor the Hon Chris Finlayson and I thank all of my ministerial colleagues. There have been a significant number of ministries and agencies who have been involved in the settlement and who are not able to be represented today and I thank all of them for their support to achieve this settlement with Maniapoto.In December 2016 the Crown recognised the mandate of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board to represent Ngāti Maniapoto to negotiate a comprehensive historical Treaty of Waitangi settlement. The Trust and the Crown signed terms of negotiation in the same month. The Crown and Maniapoto signed an agreement in principle in August 2017 and the deed of settlement was initialled in December 2020. Following ratification of the deed of settlement by the Ngāti Maniapoto claimant community the Maniapoto deed of settlement was signed on 11 November this year. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and to ensure the safety of the Maniapoto community the deed of settlement was signed on the papers without a ceremony. So I thank all of Ngāti Maniapoto for their perseverance and patience during the journey to achieving the signing and getting to this stage today.The first reading of this bill represents a valuable opportunity to reflect on the relationship between Maniapoto and the Crown. Maniapoto have had a long history with this House which was so rightly highlighted by Maniapoto Māori Trust Board Chair Keith Ikin when we initialled the deed of settlement last year. For two decades following the Waikato Wars Maniapoto upheld an aukati to protect their lands from outside influence and preserve their rangatiratanga. Having fought in the wars Maniapoto also bore the responsibility of providing manaaki to their Waikato kin who had fled from war and land confiscation to the north. Their territory came to be known as Te Rohe Pōtae a reference to Tāwhaio the second Māori king who is said to have placed his hat on a map to show the area covered by Kīngitanga's mana.Instead of submitting to the pressure the Crown put on them Maniapoto rangatira pressed their demands on the Crown through a series of negotiations and agreements which have become known as Te Ōhākī Tapu. In 1884 the Maniapoto rangatira Wahanui some of whose descendants are here today spoke to this House. Wahanui sought that Parliament provide a way for Maniapoto to administer their territory and control alienation of Maniapoto land. He told the House E kī tūturu ana ahau ko tō mātou whakaaro e pēnei ana mā mātou anake te whakahaere o aua whenua."—"I say that we wish to have the sole administration of those lands." The Crown quickly disregarded the promises it made to Maniapoto through Te Ōhākī Tapu. Instead it placed significant pressure on Maniapoto to allow the Native Land Court and European settlement to have priority access to the rohe. The Crown aggressively acquired large amounts of Maniapoto land such that by 1935 only 24 percent of land in Te Rohe Pōtae was in Māori ownership. While there were many lands that were acquired from Maniapoto in breach of the Treaty the site of the public works taking for what later became Tokanui Hospital is one of the largest public works takings in New Zealand's history.Throughout negotiations the Crown has heard how the devastating effects of land loss have caused the people of Maniapoto intergenerational suffering. Maniapoto despite all the harm the Crown has caused you it is a testament to your humility and willingness to rebuild your partnership with the Crown that you have engaged in negotiations for this settlement.The Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill seeks to give effect to the Maniapoto settlement package as outlined in the legislative statement. That settlement includes total financial and commercial redress of $165 million; the vesting of 36 sites of cultural significance; an overlay classification which acknowledges the traditional cultural spiritual and historical association of Maniapoto with certain sites of significance; a greater role in the management of natural resources within the Maniapoto rohe; agreements with a range of Crown agencies; the gift and gift back of Te Ara-o-Tūrongo that part of the North Island main trunk railway that passes through the Maniapoto rohe; and the return of the taiaha Maungārongo; and the ability to secure the return of the Tokanui Hospital site.The true measure of harm and loss experienced by Maniapoto can never be compensated for through a settlement. However with this settlement the Crown wishes to begin to remedy some of the suffering and rebuild its relationship with Maniapoto. Through a comprehensive set of relationship agreements between Maniapoto and Crown agencies the settlement provides the foundation for a new relationship as we look together to a better future for Maniapoto and the Crown.Wahanui's speech in 1884 and the subsequent gifting to Parliament of his taiaha Maungārongo were significant gestures towards the new relationship between Maniapoto and the Crown. This first reading of the Maniapoto Settlement Claims Bill represents a similar new beginning to a relationship of trust and collaboration between Ngāti Maniapoto and the Crown. The Maniapoto relationship with Parliament and the Crown continues to this day. Maniapoto are prominent in this House with my colleagues the Hon Nanaia Mahuta the Hon Willie Jackson as well as the Hon Simon Bridges and Shane Reti being but a few of many to stand in this House. As I've mentioned the uncertainties of COVID-19 have meant that the Crown has not yet delivered its apology for its many breaches. I look forward to delivering the Crown apology at a ceremony in your rohe as soon as it is safe enough to do so.Maniapoto descendants have continued to seek their mana whakahaere over their lands and people and I hope that through the passage of this bill Maniapoto and the Crown will take a step towards this aspiration. I look forward to continuing to take this legislation through the House to achieve the final settlement of your historical Treaty of Waitangi claims. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa. Madam Speaker I consider the bill should proceed without delay to the Māori Affairs Committee. I commend this bill to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): Ko te pātai kia whakaaetia te mōtini.[The question is that the motion be agreed to.]"