Ririnui Mita: Whakarewarewa and Roto-a-Tamaheke Vesting Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
Ririnui Mita: Whakarewarewa and Roto-a-Tamaheke Vesting Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:658;Page:7564] 
Hon MITA RIRINUI (Labour) 
: 
 I thank the Leader of the House for agreeing to have the Whakarewarewa and Roto-a-Tamaheke Vesting Bill debated as one question in the Committee stage. I also briefly acknowledge the contribution of the current Minister of Maori Affairs the Hon Dr Pita Sharples. The fact that he decided to remain in support of the bill is quite significant. Having said that I think that most of the acknowledgment needs to go to the previous Minister of Maori Affairs the Hon Parekura Horomia who took responsibility for this major project outside the Treaty settlements process and agreed to have these longstanding issues with Te Arawa and the Crown resolved. To that end the Maori Affairs Committee also did a very very good job in ensuring that this bill was subjected to considerable scrutiny. It ensured that everyone with an interest in the bill had the opportunity to make submissions and have their say. 
The transfer of such assets is quite significant but the assets have been held in Crown ownership for many decades. As a result the shape of the bill required to transfer these assets is quite technical given that the assets were held under the Reserves Act 1977. Because of that we find a lot of technical recommendations and technical language and discussion around the transfer. We also have to acknowledge that for some considerable period of time the iwi of Te Arawa have constantly protested to the Crown for a lot of their assets or taonga that were removed by consecutive Governments to be not only reinstated but also acknowledged in law. This is seen to be a proper move. 
To that end my contribution to this part of the debate will be around the bill’s history and the decision of the previous Labour-led Government to do the right thing and have these assets transferred back to their rightful owners. Having said that I declare that I have a vested interest in this particular bill and I will let other members sitting across the Chamber make their own declarations in terms of their interests in it. 
Once again I congratulate the current Minister of Maori Affairs on having the fortitude to support this bill. I understand that he has submitted Supplementary Order Paper 82 to the Committee but members on this side of the Chamber are not concerned about the implications of that Supplementary Order Paper because we understand that it is a necessary move—as I said before it is a technical move—to clarify the transfer and the manner in which the reserves will be held. 
We also need to acknowledge the commitment of the Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Trust. In the first instance it will be responsible for the management of the assets that are to be transferred. I have no doubt that it will fulfil all the obligations that are required of it even though the bill refers to it in only a very very—I would not say ambiguous—low-key manner. Its role in terms of the ongoing management and eventual subdivision of these assets should it decide to do that will be a huge undertaking. I am sure that those who have a beneficial interest entitlement in the transfer of the assets will be watching those decisions very closely and also the debate on the lead-up to the decisions. 
As I said the Committee is dealing with the bill as one debate across all parts. It is not often we do that but today it is a very good move. Members on this side are very happy with the outcome of the entire process. 
I acknowledge the contribution of the previous Minister of Maori Affairs under the previous Labour-led Government— 
Paul Quinn 
: Who was that? 
Hon MITA RIRINUI 
:—and the current Minister of Maori Affairs and all the support that this bill had on the Maori Affairs Committee including from those members who continue to interject in the Committee stage although they made no substantial contribution to the consideration of this bill in the select committee. I say that the Government has a new head of wisdom in the member for Tauranga Simon Bridges and I am sure that with his track record he will lead them in the right direction.