Finlayson Christopher: Tūhoe Claims Settlement Bill Te Urewera Bill — Third ReadingsText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFinlayson Christopher: Tūhoe Claims Settlement Bill Te Urewera Bill — Third Readings[Sitting date: 23 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19463. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations):I move That the Tūhoe Claims Settlement Bill and the Te Urewera Bill be now read a third time. Tūhoe rohe Tūhoe tangata nau mai hara mai. Haere mai ki te Whare Pāremata. Nā koutou te kaha te māia ā kua tutuki pai tēnei mahi nui mahi whakahirahira. He rā nui tēnei mō koutou me ngā uri kei te haere mai ā mō tātou katoa. Rau rangatira mā huri noa i tēnei Whare tēnei taku mihi atu ki a koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa.[Welcome the region and people of Tūhoe welcome. Welcome to Parliament. The strength and confidence was yours and as a consequence this significant and magnificent task was completed efficiently. This is an outstanding day for you collectively for generations to come and for us all. The esteemed of a hundredfold throughout this House I commend acknowledge congratulate and applaud you all.]To all members of Ngāi Tūhoe watching this debate up and down the valleys of Te Urewera in Waikaremoana in Tāneatua and other places I send you my best wishes and the best wishes of the Crown. This is a significant day for Ngāi Tūhoe for the Crown and for this country. It is a significant day also for this House for 118 years ago this House passed legislation that would have achieved a lot of what this legislation sets out to achieve had the Crown only lived up to its obligations. Today we revisit some of the very issues debated in this Chamber in September 1896.We are debating two bills today. The Tūhoe Claims Settlement Bill necessarily focuses on the past and I encourage every New Zealander watching or listening to this debate to read clauses 9 and 10 of the Tūhoe Claims Settlement Bill. Clause 9 lists the Crown acknowledgments of past actions—some of the worst in our history. That clause will not make comfortable reading for any New Zealander. Clause 10 then enacts in statute an apology through which as subclause (7) says “The Crown hopes to build afresh its relationship with Tūhoe … for current and for future generations.” I will give the formal apology when I go to Tāneatua on 22 August.I want however to concentrate my brief remarks this morning on the Te Urewera Bill which sets out the arrangements for what is currently Te Urewera National Park. Tūhoe spent the 20th century essentially locked out of involvement in their own homeland. The promises made in the Urewera District Native Reserve Act 1896 were never kept. That Act was never honoured and was eventually repealed without any input from Ngāi Tūhoe. Then in 1954 the Crown made a unilateral declaration that Te Urewera was to become a national park. Today we begin to remedy that history. Te Urewera will no longer be a national park; instead it will have its own legal identity. It reflects a Tūhoe view of Te Urewera as having an identity in its own right not as a mere possession but a treasured place that requires respect and careful stewardship.Te Urewera will be governed by a board formed of Crown and Tūhoe appointees. For the first 3 years while that board establishes itself it will consist of four members appointed by Tūhoe and four by the Crown. After 3 years the board will consist of six members appointed by Tūhoe and three by the Crown—a Tūhoe majority. There is nothing particularly novel in this arrangement. The commission set up under the 1896 Act consisted of seven commissioners—two Pākehā and five Tūhoe. The board will be required to act in the best interests of Te Urewera. It will develop and approve a management plan make decisions on concessions and other permits and undertake other statutory functions. It must at all times promote unanimous or consensus decision-making and the highest level of collaboration. Most important the board will work to enhance Te Urewera as a place of outstanding natural recreational and cultural value—a place that can be enjoyed by everyone. Public access will be unaffected. Tūhoe has always welcomed visitors and I know they are looking forward to welcoming visitors to Te Urewera under these new arrangements.I am going to leave it for other speakers to talk about some of the other detail of the legislation. I emphasise moreover that the redress proposed in this bill does not preclude any future redress that may be agreed with other iwi and hapū who have interests in Te Urewera. The Waitangi Tribunal has considered these issues and found this to be the case. I make this clear—indeed I belabour the point—because some members of this House seem to be hopelessly misled on the matter. It is a pity that on a day like today we have to bother with some of the antics of those who like to twist a good news story to fit their own yearning for constant publicity.As this is a third reading speech I want to acknowledge a number of people whose contributions should be recorded in Hansard. First I want to acknowledge Tāmati Kruger and Kirsti Luke. They are together a class act. They have done a great job for Ngāi Tūhoe. It has been an honour to work with them. I also acknowledge the other trustees. They have worked so very hard to hold the Crown accountable for its wrongs generations ago and to negotiate a just and durable settlement. I acknowledge the many kaumātua who are no longer with us for the role that they played over many years keeping the fires burning for Ngāi Tūhoe and for their repeated attempts to resolve issues with the Crown. I want to pay a very special tribute to my chief Crown negotiator John Wood. Tim Groser said to me “If you want a good negotiator go for John Wood.” and he has been a great negotiator. I also want to acknowledge Lil Anderson Clinton Geeves Rachel Houlbrooke and all their colleagues at the Office of Treaty Settlements because their work has been outstanding. They are skilled and dedicated professionals.I want to acknowledge the Māori Affairs Committee so ably chaired by my friend and colleague Tau Henare. I also acknowledge Te Ururoa Flavell a great MP and a good parliamentary friend of mine who has always been there to give wise counsel at difficult times. I acknowledge the Rt Hon Jim Bolger who is going to be a member of the board. I remember the late Dame Judith Binney and the late Sir Rodney Gallen. Both of them would have loved to be here today. Sir Rodney was for many years a judge of the High Court but more important than that he was a great friend of Ngāi Tūhoe. I remember having lunch with him shortly before his death and he was emphatic. He said to me on more than one occasion: “The Crown has to settle with Ngāi Tūhoe.” Finally I want to acknowledge my ministerial colleagues particularly the Prime Minister the Hon Bill English the Hon Gerry Brownlee and the Hon Nick Smith for all their support.It takes political courage to do what we are doing today. This is indeed a momentous step but what we are doing should not be surprising because what we are doing is honouring a promise that lay unfulfilled throughout the 20th century. This is the second chance the Crown has to get this right. This time it must do so. It indeed has been a fascinating and absorbing negotiation. I remember going with Tim Groser who was then the Minister of Conservation and he and I were shown the Tūhoe rohe by Basil. I do not know whether Basil is here this morning. I send him my best wishes. We went from Ruātoki to Waikaremoana looking at key sites. I remember a journalist asking me how many hectares I thought Tūhoe had lost over the years. I waffled because I was not sure but I sure know now. That is why I am so convinced that this settlement is absolutely necessary for the country.The legislation has its third readings today. Then in a few days it will go to the Governor-General to be signed into law. From the day this legislation comes into force Tūhoe will play the leading role in the future of their homeland Te Urewera. More than that what this House does today will provide the foundation for a new relationship between the Crown and Ngāi Tūhoe—a relationship in which I hope we will together walk and work for our mutual honour dignity advantage and progress. I commend the legislation to the House.