Logie JanJAN LOGIE (Green): Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise to take a call on behalf of the Green Party in support of the Ahuriri Hapū Claims Settlement Bill at this the second reading. I also want to acknowledge at this time that the second reading isn't the most scintillating in this process and I suspect that for many members of the hapū they're just really waiting for the elections to happen and the third reading and to be able to get on with delivering for their people which is what they've been waiting a really long time for.I would like to note that some of the issues that have held up this process have been related to process that the Greens would say has been a result of the practice of large natural groupings and bringing hapū together into a process that doesn't necessarily reflect the basics of Te Tiriti o Waitangi which was between hapū and the Crown not large natural groupings and the Crown. Or as we've heard very clearly in this case actually even reflective of the different histories of relationships between hapū and the Crown and that that forcing of groups together results in some negative relationships and tensions between hapū as a result of the Crown's decisions of how we run this process.For the Greens we've always been critical of that process and I think what's happened here has been more evidence for that though I would like to acknowledge that the Minister stepped in and did acknowledge the Waitangi Tribunal's ruling and take steps in terms of slowing down the process to enable the elections to happen and has also enabled differing perspectives on the events of what happened at Ōmarunui to be negotiated between individual hapū and the Crown and for that to happen outside of the settlement but be published on Te Arawhiti's website. To my knowledge which is entirely incomplete that's the first time that's happened. I think that's quite worthwhile to acknowledge and would like to point to that for other hapū who may have had similar concerns around the process and the telling of their history.I also want to point to—in every speech in some way on these settlements; I can't help myself in terms of these problems—some of the problems in the retelling of that history as it is agreed and the imbalance that is existing in our settlement process and that the agreed historical record is still biased towards the power of the Crown. I want to point to the use of one word in particular: the vesting" of sites to hapū or iwi. "Vesting" means the generous bestowing of something on somebody. It denotes a position of power over and an ownership from the group who is giving to the other whereas my understanding of the settlement process is an acknowledgment that the Crown in possession of this land that has particular meaning and purpose and original ownership from hapū does not actually have the right to bestow that. It's actually a returning of what was always owned by—and should have always been in the ownership of—hapū.At this point I too would like to acknowledge as we do that it is a huge effort for hapū to get to this point. The collecting of those stories and histories provides a richness in terms of bringing people together—that can be really really valuable. It is a huge undertaking and I would like to acknowledge everybody who has been involved in that for the hapū of Ahuriri involved in this claim—particularly those who have died before we managed to get to this point today. Their knowledge will not be lost and is being held by those still here. I want to acknowledge that many involved may also feel some liberation through that process of discovering their own stories—kuia kaumātua and rangatahi alike—and that the settlement process does provide the Government with a ready-made way to engage in community dialogue about our collective history as a nation. It is encouraging now that we are going to get our history into our curricula that hopefully these stories will be able to be taught and brought to life in the places where our children go to school. That learning can be localised and shared so that we all actually have a better understanding of the land that we stand on and the history that we are part of and benefit from or have not benefited from. I really look forward to that time.I also just want to point out at this point—I know I've acknowledged it and touched on it already—that most of the submissions were related to the concern about mandate and the need for the elections as well as the summary of the historical account and to our confidence have been addressed as best as they can be considering the circumstances by the Minister.So just to touch on some of the things within the settlement to acknowledge again that the key point for the hapū in the settlement was the establishment of Te Komiti Muriwai o Te Whanga a stand-alone statutory multi-party arrangement including Manu Ahuriri incorporated in the Department of Conservation and relevant local authorities to manage the Ahuriri estuary. Again it's almost—if it isn't every single Treaty settlement—that we are seeing the protection that role of kaitiaki coming through. I really just want to register a sense of frustration: people fight for decades to get the right to care for our environment while the Crown has you know happily gone on and enabled the destruction of our environment—unhappily for us—for so long. That so much effort has to go into restoring that rule of kaitiaki I think really does deserve some reflection from all of us about why that should be so hard. Are there better ways of returning that role of kaitiaki rather than making people have to struggle and negotiate and fight for it?Also within the settlement is that the Kaweka and Gwavas Crown forest licence lands will transfer the Forestry Company Limited. There's also letters from the director of the Office of Treaty Settlements introducing Manu Ahuriri Trust to the following entities: the DHB Housing New Zealand KiwiRail and the New Zealand Transport Agency which again speaks to the fact that Te Tiriti is not just about property rights. It's not about that quantum of money or even just the vesting of property back. It's about the relationship and partnership that is inherent in that original document and hapū are again saying "We want to work together. Meeting our obligations requires working together." Again I would have thought that there would be other ways that we could do that rather than making people battle for decades to get the right to be at the table and be treated as an equal consistent with our founding document.But enough said for today. We look forward to the third reading and progress."