Quinn Paul: Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Quinn Paul: Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 17 November 2009. Volume:659;Page:7706. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
PAUL QUINN (National) 
: 
Tena koutou nga manuhiri tuarangi nau mai haere mai. E kui ma e koro ma tena koutou tena koutou te Whare. Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker. 
[ 
Greetings to you the visitors from afar and the elderly women and menfolk. Welcome welcome. Greetings to the House and thank you Mr Assistant Speaker 
.] 
I join with previous speakers in welcoming Ngati Apa here today. In speaking to the first reading of the Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill I want to cover three points. Firstly I reflect that Minister Turia took the lead in moving the first reading on behalf of the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. In my view that represents a trust a spirit of bonding and a spirit of understanding between the National Party and the Maori Party in acknowledging that we are a team coming together to join in celebrating the first reading of this bill. I look forward to continuing to work in a National-led Government that with the Maori Party will provide leadership to this country in a number of areas but particularly in the area of Treaty settlements which is dear to my heart. 
That leads me to my second point. One of the principal reasons that I stand here today is that I desire to see Treaty settlements expedited through the House. For too long these settlements have stalled and I believe that that has held back the development of iwi and hapu. If Maori put that behind them and act in a spirit of cooperation to reach agreements between the Crown and iwi and hapu then we will be able to move forward as a race. So I am proud to stand and join with others in speaking to the first reading of the bill. In doing so I offer my congratulations to the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations who in my view is doing an outstanding job in expediting Treaty settlements. In the spirit of camaraderie I also acknowledge the work done by his predecessors Michael Cullen and in particular my friend and colleague Parekura Horomia and my relation Mita Ririnui which has enabled this Treaty settlement legislation to be brought before the House. 
My third point is that in relation to Treaty settlements it appears there are two principal activities on which the Treaty grievances are based. In the case of this Treaty settlement the historical injustice has arisen through improper land purchase arrangements that occurred as previous speakers have stated many many years ago. So this Treaty settlement rights that injustice. I join with my colleagues in congratulating those responsible on the leadership that they showed in the negotiations and most important in these sorts of challenges in taking the iwi and hapu along with them and getting their support in the arduous process of negotiating the settlement on their behalf. It is a very tough challenge to take the people along in the process. Ngati Apa leaders the runanga and the negotiators have managed to do that and they are to be commended for that. 
Finally I say Ngati Apa have been on a hard and long journey up until now but this first reading represents the beginning of the end. We are now heading for the home straight and the House can be assured that the Maori Affairs Committee will expedite its consideration of the bill without compromising due process and will report it back in the time nominated by the Minister just as the chairman of the committee my friend and colleague Tau Henare has said. With those few words it gives me great pleasure to support the first reading of the bill. No reira tena koutou tena koutou tena tatou katoa. Kia ora.