Fleming Greg; Tuiono TeanauGREG FLEMING (National—Maungakiekie): It is a pleasure to rise in support of this bill. It is particularly a pleasure to rise following the Hon Peeni Henare. It is always something to hear him speak in this House in English or particularly te reo Māori. It is always an incredible pleasure to hear him speak on the marae. Ka huri ōku whakaaro ki tāna whaikōrero ki te marae kei Waitangi i te tīmatanga o tēnei tau. Ko te teitei ko te whānui ko te hōhonu o tāna kōrero i ērā momo horopaki. Ka huri ōku whakaaro ki te tīmatanga o tēnei wiki and ka kōrero ia ki te marae mō te pōwhiri i muri i tā mātou haerenga atu ki Ōrākau.[My thoughts turn to his speech on the marae at Waitangi at the beginning of this year. The eminence the breadth the depth of his speech in those types of contexts. My thoughts turn to the beginning of this week and he spoke on the marae during the formal welcome following our visit to Ōrākau.]So this context on Monday was a gathering of the Māori Affairs Committee and it was a great honour to have Peeni join us and actually speak for us at both of the pōwhiri. He spoke first of all in the morning as the rain had just begun to fall—sorry just broken for us. And ngā roimata o ngā tūpuna [the tears of the ancestors] stopped for just long enough for us to be able to appreciate the kōrero of Matua Tararā at that place and hear the tragedy of 1864 but also share the hope of what that piece of legislation might do in terms of bringing rangimārie me te moemoeā mō te anamata ki ērā iwi [peace and aspirations for the future to those iwi].That is where my thoughts went to as I read this bill this morning in preparation for the chance to speak today. Ka huri ōku whakaaro ki te tīmatanga o tēnei wiki anō. [My thoughts turn again to the beginning of this week.] And it was following the pōwhiri at the marae and by this stage the sun had come out ka menemene Te Tama-nui-te-rā [the sun smiled] and we were eager to get out under his warmth and rays. I lost track of where my committee members were and wandered into the wharenui. Lunch was just beginning there and I can never resist a good kai particularly not kai of that kind and so next I found myself being beckoned by Rahui Papa by Whaea Hera White and by Ākipīhopa Rāwiri Moxon and I felt for a moment like I'd entered an episode of Waka Huia. But they were actually there in person so I was a little bit speechless and in awe for a while. Our conversation soon turned to my journey into Parliament. They wanted to understand who I was and why I was there.I said to them: ko te take tuatahi ko te Mairangi ko te hapori o Maungakiekie [the first reason is Mairangi the community of Maungakiekie]. That's the electorate that I have the privilege of representing in Tāmaki-makau-rau. The second and equally great reason that I wanted to come and serve in this House was to lend my shoulder to te whakapūāwai o ia hapori Māori i te motu nei; te whakapūāwai te whakawhanaketanga o te reo me ōna tikanga and the work on the Komiti Whiriwhiri Take Māori [the flourishing of each Māori community in this nation; the flourishing and the development of the Māori language and its conventions and the work on the Māori Affairs Committee]. It was the one thing that I asked the Leader of the House if I could be involved in. And so I like nothing more—even more than sitting in this House believe it or not—than our journeys with the Māori Affairs Committee.And our conversation soon turned then to as you can imagine tino rangatiratanga to the pursuit of the authority the mana of every Māori community of every whānau in this country to be able to pursue flourishing as they know best and as they see fit. And in that context we began to speak about Ned Fletcher's book and for those members who haven't yet had the opportunity to read it I would strongly suggest that you do. It's an absolute tome. I think it runs to 700 pages.Hon Member: What's it called?GREG FLEMING: It's called The English Text of the Treaty of Waitangi. It was Ned's doctoral thesis and this is his popular version of his work. Well having read his popular version or his contemporary version I can tell you I wouldn't be in a hurry to read the academic version. But I read it over many afternoons sitting down by Lake Taupō. I'm very fortunate through my wife's family to have a place there that we can stay over the summer at Kuratau. And as I read chapter after chapter page after page of this book my eyes were further opened to the dream that was agreed to by all of our ancestors that bright summer's day. Menemene Te Tama-nui-te-rā [The sun will smile] I'm sure at Waitangi. And to that extent and because we have had mentions this morning of tino rangatiratanga I thought I might—and seeing as there is the time if that's OK Mr Speaker?—actually read the second article of the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki te reo Māori inā rā nā te mea koirā ngā reo taketake o te Tiriti nei. Āta whakarongo ngā mema katoa. Ko te Kuīni o Ingarani ka whakarite ka whakaae ki ngā Rangatira ki ngā hapu—ki ngā tāngata katoa o Nu Tirani te tino rangatiratanga o ō rātou whenua o rātou kāinga me ō rātou taonga katoa. Otiia ko ngā Rangatira o te whakaminenga me ngā Rangatira katoa atu ka tuku ki te Kuīni te hokonga o ērā wāhi whenua e pai ai te tangata nōna te wenua—ki te ritenga o te utu e whakaritea ai e rātou ko te kaihoko e meatia nei e te Kuīni hei kaihoko mōna." [in the Māori language especially because those are the indigenous languages of this Treaty. Listen closely all members. "The Queen of England agrees to protect the Chiefs the subtribes and all the people of New Zealand in the unqualified exercise of their chieftainship over their lands villages and all their treasures. But on the other hand the Chiefs of the Confederation and all the chiefs will sell land to the Queen at a price agreed to by the person owning it and by the person buying it (the latter being) appointed by the Queen as her purchase agent."] And that is what the Māori Fisheries Act was all about. It implemented a settlement under that Treaty Te Tiriti o Waitangi for Māori claims to commercial fishing rights. And this bill that we are in one go—how wonderful is that?—soon to pass into law kua rata tūmanako [I hope so] sets out a governance framework to manage and administer the settlement assets on behalf of and for the benefit of iwi and Māori.That was the original legislation. What this bill does is it provides amendments that give iwi more control over their fisheries assets. It improves the benefits for all Māori it reduces costs and it improves efficiency. This bill gives iwi better involvement in important decision-making. It provides better access to capital for Māori fishers to improve their fleets and in doing so gives them greater autonomy.Whakanuia te tino rangatiratanga. [Celebrate sovereignty.] And that is why it is my great pleasure to tautoko kaha i tēnei pire ki te Whare [strongly commend this bill to the House]. Tēnā koe.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): The next call is a split call. I call Tangi Utikere."